It’s the season for spice and hot peppers are in the CSA shares again this year. They can be great to heat up a stir fry or make a tasty salsa. Here’s a guide to the peppers we grow for the CSA at Early Morning Farm.
Left to Right: Ripe Serrano, green Serrano, green Jalapeno, ripe Jalapeno, Hungarian Hot Wax, Cherry Bomb, Cayenne, and Anaheim.
Serrano: these are a classic Mexican chili, where they are usually used green – we do pick them red as well as green they are slightly hotter and sweeter when red. They are hotter than a jalapeño but smaller. Traditional advice: use one small Serrano where you would use one large Jalapeño.
Jalapeño: Also a Mexican chili normally used green. There is quite a bit of variation on heat with this variety depending on the season and the cultivar, but the ones we grow tend to end up in the Medium Heat range Jalapeños will ripen to red and occasionally we pick them at this stage – they will be sweeter and just a bit hotter.
Hungarian Hot Wax: Yellow peppers brought to this content from Hungary where they spice up the cuisine. The Hot Wax peppers are in the Medium Hot range.
Cherry Bomb: This little red cherry shaped pepper packs some heat. The hottest pepper we grow.
Cayenne: Named after the city of Cayanne in South American French Guiana – this Medium Hot pepper is popular in Cajun cuisine and dries easily.
Roasting Anaheim chilies on the Stove-top.
Anaheim: Long wide green chilies grown throughout the south-west US. If your ever in New Mexico during harvest season – street vendors are roasting and selling these tasty treats on every corner. If you have a gas burner in your kitchen you can duplicate this by roasting on the fire from your stove. Place the peppers over the burner and turn often with a set of tongs. Let cool in a paper bag peel skin off over cold water – and you have a delicious roasted chili! Mild to Medium Heat.
