Overall. hot peppers are a great source of Vitamin C. The heat from the pepper comes from the capsaicin, which is actually located in the white internal membrane of the pepper, not just in the seeds. There is even an official scale for pepper heat, called the Scoville scale. The general rule-of-heat is the smaller the pepper, the more powerful the punch.
Jalapeno are probably our most popular and are the ones we use the most. Not only are jalapenos the main pepper when we make salsa, they are also the featured ingredient in our Jalapeno jellies and Bread-and-Butter Jalapenos. They are about 2 inches long and can be green, red, or purple. A couple years ago, we found a Fooled You hybrid jalapeno, which looks like a regular jalapeno but lacks the heat. That's the pepper we use most when making stuffed grilled jalapenos, because the girls can eat them with no problem. (FYI, chipotle peppers are just smoked jalapenos.)
Habanero peppers are smaller than jalapenos, shaped like a lantern, and can be red, orange or yellow. Habanero is a very hot pepper and the one featured in our Chocolate Habanero and Habanero jellies.
Serrano peppers are a red or green pepper that is usually 1 to 4 inches long. It has a strong heat to it, not scalding but definitely distinct.
Closer to scalding is the cayenne pepper. These little peppers are long and skinny and pack a punch. They dry well and can be stored over the winter months. I like to add them whole when I'm making chili, to add flavor with without adding the heat.
Sweet bananas and hot banana look similar but taste quite different. They are both shaped like a banana and most often are green, yellow, or red. Sweet bananas, as you might guess, are a more mild pepper, while hot bananas will add more heat to the dish.
Anaheim peppers look and taste similar to the banana peppers and are actually what you get in a can of "canned green chilis." They are a medium-heat pepper and often used in Mexican food.
Poblana peppers round out our selection. Poblanas look like small bell peppers but have a surprise heat to them. Chili rellenos is usually made by stuffing poblano peppers.
As far as recipes, how you prepare the peppers is as varied as the peppers themselves. One golden rule to remember is that the same capsaicin that makes the peppers taste hot can also cause a burning sensation to your skin... or to your eyes, if you are unfortunate enough to forget and rub your eyes while cutting hot peppers. For that reason, it is best to wear gloves while preparing the peppers.
Grilled jalapenos
8 jalapenos, cored and deseeded
8 slices of bacon
8-oz cream cheese, softened
Put the cream cheese in a sandwich bag and snip the corner.
Use the bag to squeeze cream cheese into the hollowed jalapenos.
Wrap a slice of bacon around each jalapeno and secure with a toothpick.
Place in a pepper grill pan (available from Clay Gourmet in Clay Center) and grill on medium heat until bacon is just starting to crisp.
Another great way to feature hot peppers is to make fajitas. Slice and saute a variety of peppers, keeping them sorted by heat. Then, the eaters can add as much or as little heat as they want. I like to use bell peppers, sweet bananas, and jalapenos in my fajitas. Pair it with grilled, marinated chicken, beef or pork, sliced carmelized onions, and a little shredded cheese and sour cream ... YUM!
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