PIMENTO (CHERRY PEPPER) FLAVOR AND TASTE

Pimento peppers (or cherry peppers) are not spicy, but rather mild, sweet and succulent. While they are typically pickled, they can also be enjoyed fresh from the garden. Use them as you might use bell peppers, in foods requiring the Cajun Holy Trinity or perhaps a good sofrito recipe.

They are fun for stuffing, as they are good enough in size, and also great for dehydrating and grinding into chili powders.

In fact, the common spice, paprika, is made from dried pimento peppers and other other mild or sweet peppers.

HOW HOT IS THE PIMENTO PEPPER?

Pimento peppers are some of the mildest peppers around, measuring only 500 – 1,000 Scoville Units on the Scoville Scale. 

Compare that with the popular jalapeno pepper, which measures in at 2,500 – 8,000 Scoville Heat Units, the hottest pimento would be about 5 times milder than an average jalapeno.

SCOVILLE HEAT UNITS: 200,000 – 580,000 SHU

This pepper is a cultivar of the habanero. It once held the Guinness Record for the hottest chili pepper, but was beaten by the Bhut Jolokia, which was also later trounced in heat. The red savina is a bright red and robust fruit, with up to 50 fruits appearing per pepper plant.

It was the first habanero pepper to receive USDA plant-protection certification, and it has even been one of the major ingredients involved in creating police-grade pepper sprays – though for culinary use it often turns up in somewhat-safer chili powder and hot sauces.

SCOVILLE HEAT UNITS: 200,000 – 580,000 SHU

WHAT IS A JALAPEÑO PEPPER?

A jalapeno pepper is a fruit of the Capsicum pod type. It is a medium sized hot pepper when compared to other chili peppers, measuring an average of 2-3.5 inches in length but growing up to 6 inches long or longer.

While originating in Mexico, it is now grown worldwide for it’s popular flavor and mild heat level, which averages around 5,000 Scoville Heat Units. That is hot, but not too hot.

You’ll find them served when green, but if you leave the jalapeno pepper on the plant long enough, it will turn red. The red variety are just as delicious as the green jalapeno pepper, though a touch sweeter.

THE MEANING OF JALAPENO

The name “jalapeno” is Spanish for “Jalapa” (or Xalapa), the capital of Veracruz, Mexico. Jalapenos were originally grown there, hence the name.

GROWING JALAPENO PEPPERS

Growing jalapeno peppers is fairly easy because the plants are pretty forgiving. Jalapenos start off a bit slow, so it is helpful to start to grow your plants indoors a few weeks (anywhere from 8-12 weeks) before transferring them outside. Keep the early soil and budding plants constantly moist, but do not over water.

HOW HOT ARE JALAPENO PEPPERS? THE JALAPENO PEPPER SCOVILLE SCALE RATING

Since jalapeno peppers range between 2,500 and 8,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the can be notably spicy, but they are not TOO spicy, depending on your tolerance.

HISTORY OF THE CAYENNE PEPPER

The cayenne is one of the most popular peppers used in the Western hemisphere. The name of the pepper is taken from the city of Cayenne in French Guinea, from where the pepper originates and where its first documented uses were found.

Cayenne peppers are usually used as a dried spice, which is made by drying and grinding the peppers or pulping and baking them into cakes, which are then ground to produce the spice.

Cayenne peppers can also be used fresh in dishes, but are a little harder to find outside of the powdered form.

ABOUT CAYENNE CHILI PEPPERS

Cayenne is a very popular pepper that is used in a variety of dishes and flavorings. You can buy cayenne pepper at most supermarkets in a variety of forms – the most noticeable form being the red powder, but the majority of chili flakes that can be found on the market are from Cayenne peppers. In addition, the vast majority of popular hot sauces all rely on cayenne for part of their kick, particularly if the sauce also contains vinegar.

GROWING CAYENNE PEPPERS

The cayenne pepper is a sub-tropical to tropical plant natively, but they can be grown as annuals in temperate climates as well. They can even be overwintered if protected from frost. Cayenne plants like some heat with a longer growing season and lots of sun, though they can react poorly to too much heat as much as too much cold.

Plant your seeds when temps are a minimum of 60 degrees F (16 degrees C) in well-drained soil. Seedlings should be spaced 18-24 inches apart in a row.

ARE CAYENNE PEPPERS HOT?

Cayenne peppers are considered a somewhat hot pepper, ranging from 30,000 – 50,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) on the Scoville Scale, which is about as hot as a serrano pepper. If you compare that to a typical jalapeno pepper, which averages around 5,00o SHU, the hottest cayenne is about 10 times hotter.