Sizzling HOT and Extra Spicy

HotPeppers on the extras table

No – I don’t mean the weather. Just looking for ideas on what to do with the hot peppers – and “lucky you,” I’ve found TEN. Actually quite a few more than ten but I will let you take it from there.

First of all a brief explanation - This year we have for our palette pleasure a variety of peppers in a variety of heat levels. Farmer Pablo tells me we have Red and Orange Bells, Corno Di Toro, Jupiter, Early Thickset, Jalapeño, and Fish Peppers. Their heat levels go in that order – give or take with Bells being the sweetest and Fish being the spiciest.

A few other things I’ve learned is that the Corno Di Toro means “Bull’s Horn” and is an heirloom Italian sweet pepper used most often in frying and sauces. The Fish pepper also has an interesting story.

Fish peppers

Another heirloom pepper, it originates in the Baltimore/Chesapeake Bay region of the USA. Black caterers used them to make white paprika to flavor the cream sauces used with the many fish and shellfish dishes they served. This avoided the muddy appearance that typically came with using paprika made from red peppers. The redder they are the hotter they get and dried peppers are hot hot like cayenne pepper. Fish peppers date back as far as the 19^th Century and are now a popular plant with landscapers due to the ornamental variegated strip on both the pepper and the leaves of the plant. They grow well in container gardens but you will want to be sure that you have a true heirloom seed and not the “off” seeds that have come from landscaping companies. (All info from Mother Earth News)

Ten things you can do with Hot Peppers

(and probably the sweet peppers too for the most part)

1. Hot Pepper Oil

2. Hot Pepper Jelly – especially delicious over cream cheese on crackers. Makes a great gift over the holidays with its bright color

3. Salsa

4. Dry them – Just string them up and hang to dry. Heat will increase with drying so watch out!

5. Stuffed – try cream cheese or cheddar cheese or combination in jalepenos

6. Roasted – roasted peppers are delicious with pasta, on toast, etc

7. Pickles – You know the old pickled pepper rhyme. A delicious condiment

8. Marinade – on both meats and vegetables – use that grill year round

9. Flavored vinegar – used in Barbeque sauce, hot wings, salsa, Italian veggies

10. Relish – either as a pepper relish or in other relishes like pickle relish, corn relish, etc.

I found hundreds of recipes using Google and you probably have some of your own so I will let you use the internet to your advantage and find what you like. This is just to get the wheels rolling. Better pick up your share early next week to get your HOT peppers off the “extras” table. I expect a run on hot peppers. Please save a few for me!

(the sweets)