Hot Tip!

Written by Lynn Pitts

Late June and early July in Bakersfield is “el perfecto” time for gardeners to set out sweet and hot peppers. By late summer, you’ll be able to harvest these morsels of deliciousness as it takes 60 to 90 days for peppers to mature. Both the nighttime and ground temperatures are warm, allowing the plants to thrive. Then you can freeze or dry the peppers to use in all kinds of recipes. Think about it; the word “pep” comes from peppers. They add vim and vigor to our taste buds.

All pepper plants are attractive in the garden with their bushy upright shape, and range in height from a foot to four feet tall with little or no staking. Grow them in ordinary soil in the ground or group them in pots. As you might imagine, they like full sun. Fertilize once or twice before the blossoms “set.” Pepper plants will develop tiny white flowers which magically turn into peppers.

First, I’ll tell you about sweet peppers, commonly known as bell peppers. The most famous varieties are California Wonder and Yolo Wonder. Personally, I don’t know why Yolo County gets all the credit when far more peppers are grown in Kern County, but I digress. Wonderful for salads and stuffing, these peppers are both green (when immature) and ripen into red. Yes, they’re loaded with tons of vitamins, but you knew that. Other varieties ripen into a rainbow of colors ranging from yellow, orange, purple, and brown. While the ‘Wonder’ peppers were developed specifically in California for California gardeners, there are sweet cherry peppers used for pickling; and the long, skinny Italian frying peppers and Hungarian sweet yellow peppers, are both used for cooking. I’ve had luck freezing sweet peppers. After washing, cut in half and remove the stem and seeds. Slice or chop and pack into small containers or plastic bags. Stuffed (sweet) peppers will freeze perfectly, including the famous Italian Peperoni Imbottiti (baked stuffed peppers) which tastes molti bello hot or cold. Another classic Mediterranean method of cooking sweet peppers is Peperonata, braised roasted sweet peppers with tomatoes and onions. Caveman easy, the measurements are flexible. I use the “1, 2, 2 approach.”

One part sliced onions; two parts roasted red and green sweet peppers, cut into strips; and two parts chopped tomatoes. By “parts,” I mean you can use pounds, cups, or handfuls; whatever measurements you wish to use. Sauté in half butter, half olive oil, maybe a couple tablespoons each, and add a splash of wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Finish on high heat at the end until most of the liquid has boiled away. Serve hot or cold. Very good as a vegetarian main course, addition to a main course, or as part of an antipasto.

Observant readers will notice I said to roast the peppers and here’s how to do it. This method will work on hot peppers as well. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil, pre-heat your oven’s broiler, and place the washed and dried peppers on the pan. Place one inch below the heat. Turn often until blistered and slightly charred all over. Using tongs, drop the peppers into plastic bags and close. When cool, cut open, remove the seeds and peel off loose skin with your fingers or a small paring knife. Leave any small pieces that don’t come off easily; they add flavor. Use disposable plastic gloves when working with hot peppers.

OK, back outside to the veggie garden and growing hot peppers. Most of us call these chile peppers. Originating in tropical America, hot peppers range in form from pea-size to seven or eight inches long. They’re all pungent or “peppy” tasting, from mildly hot to pow! Chiles can warm you from the inside, but too much can be a painful experience. Chile heat can vary from year to year, plant to plant, and even from fruit to fruit on the same plant.

The absolute best way to explore chiles is to grow your own and find those with a flavor and range of heat that appeals to you. Their hotness is concentrated in the interior veins, or ribs, near the seed heart (stem), not in the seeds as is commonly believed. That’s right, the seeds aren’t hot. They may taste hot if they’re in close contact with the hot veins or ribs. Here’s a trick: when you cut open a pepper and the veins or ribs are yellowish orange, it’s a given that the pepper will be a potent one. Don’t touch your face or eyes when working with peppers. Use hand pruners to snip the stem when harvesting, don’t try to yank them off the plant. Wear gloves and wash your hands with soapy water if you grind hot chiles.

Why do we spell it “chile,” not “chilie,” or “chili”? The short answer is that chile is how Mexicans spell the word. More than 140 varieties of chiles are grown south-of-the-border and, let’s face it, the majority of food dishes we eat containing peppers are Mexican in origin. Spice companies spell it “chili” in case you’re interested.

Homemade Chili Powder

Take three ounces dried red chiles (use mild Anaheim or Pasilla variety). Discard the stems and seeds. Break up the pods and whirl in a blender until finely ground to make a 1/3 of a cup. Mix this powder with one tablespoon ground cumin; two teaspoons salt; one teaspoon each of ground allspice, garlic powder, and ground oregano; and 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cloves and coriander. Store airtight.

My favorite hot pepper plant is the Anaheim because these chiles not only freeze well, but they make the best Chile Relleno. They were developed in California for commercial canning, but they’re so easy to grow, why not have fresh from your own backyard? Just a few of these plants will produce gobs of bright, shiny-green peppers that range in size from five to eight inches long, a few inches wide, and taper to point at the end. Another good ‘ol California boy is Fresno Chili Grande. Bright green, changing to orange and red when fully matured, Fresno chiles have a conical shape, are about two inches long and one inch in diameter at the stem end. The Fresno chiles were bred for pickling, but are quite good roasted and stuffed for spicier Chile Relleno.

Removing the membrane or veins and seeds in hot peppers will reduce the heat. In the event the heat-causing capsaicin (the property of a pepper that gives it its heat) explodes in your mouth after popping a Scotch Bonnet, Red Savina Habanero, or that bad hombre Naga Molokai (a pepper that is off the Scoville Scale—the scale that measures a pepper’s hotness), let me share ways to cool it down. Water won’t help. It will only spread the capsaicin in your mouth. Milk, however, contains casein, a chemical that cuts the heat by denaturing the chile’s capsaicin. A peanut butter sandwich will really whomp the heat and paired with a glass of milk will allow you to continue indulging in those jalapeños.

Another reason to grow chile peppers is to dry them. Drying peppers is a piece of cake. Let the peppers ripen to red. Tie the stems onto a sturdy piece of twine and place the chiles close together, making the strand as long as you wish. Hang in a dry area with air circulating freely around the strand. I use a feather duster to keep them from getting dusty. In a few weeks, the chiles will lose their bright color, changing to a deep red. They’ll feel smooth, dry, and rather leathery. At this point, you can congratulate yourself on growing these gorgeous peppers, give away some as gifts, and use yours as decoration. Everyone will “ooh” and “ahh” at your gardening skills.

Or, you can kick it up a notch and make your own chili powder. Another Mrs P. note: when peppers are in powder form, you spell it “chili.”

Yes, not only do pepper plants love hot Bakersfield summers, not only are they ridiculously simple to grow, but they will flavor your Chile Con Carne all winter long.

Have a pep-py summer!

Article appeared in our 27-2 Issue - June 2010