All About PEPPERS

Assorted bell pepper fruits from Mexico (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Where did peppers come from?

One of the most common genera of peppers, known as the capsicum, is thought to have been in existence millions of years ago in present-day Bolivia, according to the Chicago Botanic Garden's Information and Resources. But, the first known cultivation of peppers happened in Mexico and Central, as well as South America 10,000 years ago. The probable spread of these crops from Bolivia to these areas is attributed to birds. The capsicums existed mainly in the Americas until about 1600. Christopher Columbus' voyages were helpful in spreading capsicum peppers throughout the world.

The original peppers were tiny and round, unlike most of today's peppers which are long and larger.

What can I do with peppers?

Most commonly, peppers have been used to spice up generally boring foods like rice or corn. Through the years though, people have come up with a whole slew of uses for peppers from making pepper jelly, to using ornamental peppers for garlands. Here's a list of the most interesting as well as some of the more common uses for peppers:

Pickled Peppers

Pepper Jelly - Dried Apricot Jalapeno Jelly

Roasted Peppers

Adding Peppers to pasta dishes

Hot Sauce

Pepper Garlands/Decorations

Using peppers in the stirfry

Pepper vinegar

Pepper spray (animal deterrent for plants)

What different types of peppers are there?

There all sorts of classifications for peppers. There is the scientific classification method that uses the genus and species name: The most commonly known and cultivated genus of peppers is the capsicum, whereas the five most common species of peppers (all within the capsicum category) include: chinense, frutescens, pubescent, annum, and baccatum. All of these types of peppers are also labelled chillies.

There is the usage method which categories various peppers into hot, sweet, or ornamental. And then, there is the location-classified method that is what gives some peppers its actual name.

Here's a basic list of some of the varieties of the mentioned species of peppers you might see in your local grocery stores:

Bell pepper

Anaheim pepper

Fresno

Poblano

Habanero

Cubanelle

Chipotle

Jalapeno

Serrano

Mariachi

Aside from the different coloured bell peppers used in stirfry, many of these other peppers are considered hot peppers.

How can you tell how hot a pepper is?

The range of spiciness for peppers is measured in Scoville units. Wilbur Scoville developed a scale to help determine this very issue and measure pepper pungency in 1912. The higher the number of Scoville units, the hotter the pepper. Here's a basic Scoville Scale. that shows habaneros trumping chipotles and jalapenos as the most commonly known hottest pepper.

Health Effects

Regular pepper consumption is thought to have both good and bad effects on one's health. One of the clearest effects of eating peppers is what it does for congestion. Eating peppers, especially those hot ones, will help clear up your nasal passages in no times (as will most spicy foods!)

According to a University study, consuming peppers regularly can help the body control its amount of insulin, which would be very beneficial for diabetics. Other studies show though that pepper digestion can increase the risks of stomach cancer, the definite answer remains unclear. Research has also been linking peppers to helping stop the spread of prostate cancer in some men.

Pepper Recipes (see Recipe4Living.com for the following:)

Pepper Sauce

Basic Salsa

Salsa Cruda

Crowd-Pleasing Chili

Roast Beef and Red Pepper Sandwiches

Impossibly Easy Roasted Red Peppers and Feta Cheese Pie

Tangy Lemon Pepper Shrimp

Stuffed Peppers

Pepper Herb Grilling Rub

Sources:

Chicago Botanic Gardens

The Scoville Scale

TheChilliKing.com

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Amazing Chili Recipe Turned Into Nightmare!

This chili recipe is, indeed, a real nightmare! Taste it only when curiosity becomes unbearable and courage is strong! :o)

Ingredients: 

1 cup Pinto beans, dried 

1 tsp Paprika 

5 cups Water 

1 Nutmeg, ground, whole 

2 tbsp Lard 

1 tsp Cumin 

1 tbsp Bacon drippings 

2 tsp Oregano, dried, pref. Mexican 

1 Onion 

4 tbsp Sesame seeds 

12 oz Pork sausage, country-style 

1 cup Almonds, blanched, skins removed 

1 lb Beef, coarse grind 

12 Red chiles, whole dried 

4 Garlic Cloves 

1 tsp Anise 

1 1/2 oz Milk chocolate, small pieces 

1/2 tsp Coriander seeds 

1 can Tomato paste (6oz ea) 

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds 

2 tbsp Vinegar 

1/2 tsp Cloves, ground 

3 tsp Lemon juice 

1 Cinnamon stick, ground 

1 Soft tortilla, chopped 

1 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground 

Salt 

Instructions for this special chili recipe:

Place the rinsed beans in a bowl, add 2 to 3 cups of water and soak overnight. Check the beans occasionally and add water as necessary to keep them moist. Pour the beans and the water in which they were soaked into a heavy saucepan and add 2 to 3 more cups of water.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes, until the beans are cooked but still firm. Check occasionally and add water if necessary. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.

Melt the lard in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the beans and lightly fry them in the lard. Set aside. Melt the drippings in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent.

Combine the sausage and the beef with all the spices up through the oregano. Add this meat-and-spice mixture to the pot with the onion. Break up any lumps with a fork and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very well browned.

Add the reserved bean-cooking liquid to the pot. Stir in all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and cook, uncovered, for 1/2 hour longer. Stir occasionally. Add water only if necessary to maintain the consistency of a chunky soup. Serve.

Author: Jonathan Teng

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