Dry chili peppers can be eaten uncooked or grilled, roasted, toasted, pan-seared, or stuffed. They can also be added to a wide range of delicious dishes as they have natural elements that enhance the whole recipe’s food. The most popular forms of red chili peppers are often found smaller in size: cascabel, hontak, poblano, ancho, japone, pasilla, cayenne, Calabria, etc., that are usually served fresh. However, if you want to eliminate the labor of chopping or preparing them, then you can definitely shop for Italian style peppers online that come in different delicacies.
Simultaneously, chili peppers can be halved as per your convenience to cook and stir fry the dish with a hot flavor. Else, they can be dried and put as crushed or whole form with other foods. Remember, dry chili peppers have the most intense flavor, and when added with others, a complexity of flavors can be expected in the meal.
PICKING THE RIGHT RED CHILI PEPPERS
Usually, there are more than 200 varieties that come in a different size range. They can be plump, long, thin, or either round. There are more than 200 varieties of chilies. Always pick hot peppers with intense bright colors and soft skins. A fresh pepper will be firm and polished. Avoid peppers that are split, shriveled, or have light spots.
According to the general rule, the larger the chilli peppers are, the milder their taste will be. The smaller the peppers’ size is, the hotter the flavor will be; they consistently have more veins and seeds than other variants. The best part about them is that they don’t need to freeze or cook further. So, if you look forward to adding some extra seasoning to your midsummer meals, then what else can be better than stuffed cherry peppers.
STORING THEM
- Always store them unwashed in a paper towel or an airtight container as they deteriorate or sweat in the plastic bags.
- Roasted or blanched chilis can stay up in the freezer for almost 6 months. Isn’t that awesome?
- While the dry chili peppers can be consumed whole or grounded into a powder. Storing them in an airtight container will allow you to use them for almost a year or more. Yes, we meant to keep them in a cold and dark place.
- Generally, their variants are canned, pickled, whole, or either cooked, which can be enjoyed upto a period of two years.
A FEW TIPS TO COOK WITH THEM
- Fresh red chili peppers can be consumed in several ways, like they can be eaten raw, roasted, baked, stuffed, or grilled.
- Dry chili peppers or something like grounded chile can be added to chutneys and salsas. The pickled form also turns out to be flavorful every time.
- Other than this, stuffed cherry peppers can be used for hotpots, curries, or carne. Or simply add some chopped pepper directly into your spaghetti.
- As mentioned earlier, peppers are meant to enhance the taste of other ingredients as well. They can simply combine well with onions, tomato-based sauces, beans and lentils, and much with meat stews, sausages, avocadoes, fish, poultry, and corn. And guess what? You can add dry chili peppers to your ordinary chili powder, pizza pepper, or daily use curry powder.
- The best way to use stuffed or dry peppers is to saute them in a little bit of oil. When cooked in oil, the vanillin comes out of the capsaicin delivering a natural flavor of vanilla beans.
