Choice Produce & Pepper

The cooks add pepper alright but not the black stuff you shake from a can - they add green peppers, Capsicum annum. These peppers contain a chemical named capsaicin. When you eat these "green bullets from hell" there's a cellular response that releases neurotransmitters. These are proteins that mimic chemically the sensation of burning or pain.

They go to the end plate of our sensory nerves and create the sensation of pain. The body's response is to remove the chemical irritant by increasing heart rate to increase metabolism, by increasing salivation and increasing sweating. Your nose runs and the gastrointestinal tract goes to work in high gear to remove the irritant. You sweat to cool yourself.

The body's strong reaction to capsaicin is why many people claim chili has medicinal properties. A paper by a New Mexico biologist noted that the death rate from heart disease in the state was about half the national rate. She also said the rate of heart disease among Hispanics and Indians was low.

Presumed reason? They all eat lots of chile pepper and that reduces blood fat levels. Hot peppers are said to protect against blood clots that could cause thromboembolism.

So why do folks eat this hot food? When people eat hot chili the brain secretes endorphins, the opiate-like substances that block pain. Endorphins are produced when runners "hit the wall" and get their second wind. Who needs to jog and watch their diet? Just eat peppers and keep on burning

NUTRITION?
Peppers are the right food for people seeking a healthy, nutritious diet. Low in calories, high in Vitamins A and C, peppers are also high in a very important mineral--potassium. One cup of raw sweet green peppers contains 22 calories. For comparison a cup of cucumber is 16, cottage cheese is 223 and whole orange is about 41 calories.

A red sweet or hot pepper contains about ten times more vitamin A and double the amount of Vitamin C than an immature green pepper. A 100 gram serving of red hot peppers eaten raw contains 369 milligrams of Vitamin C. The same serving size of sweet raw green pepper contains 128 milligrams, about one third less.

Whether green or red a pepper contains more Vitamin C than a whole orange which contains only about 50 milligrams. For potassium rich foods, an average banana contains 370 milligrams and a cup of green sweet pepper has 213 mg raw and 149 mg if boiled before being eaten.

COOKING WITH HOT PEPPERS?
A cautionary note on preparing HOT peppers for storage or cooking. The "heat" in hot peppers is an oil called capsaicin that is contained in the placenta (membranes that join the seed to the fruit). This oil will easily get on hands and fingers during the cutting and cleaning process.

If you then rub your eyes, nose or mouth, the oils will be transferred to these areas with a distinctly painful burning. Wear plastic gloves while cutting the hot peppers to prevent any of the oil from covering your hands.

Wash hands after preparing is finished. Do not rub your eyes! Should you forget to use caution and end up with burning hands, gel from the leaf stem of an aloe vera plant offers immediate relief when applied to hands or other burning areas. Use the gel carefully. A 10 percent solution of chlorox will also neutralize.

The temperature of a 'hot' pepper can be controlled by using or excluding the seed san d placenta of the pepper when cooking. If you wish a dish to be 'hot' include the hot pepper parts. If you want less heat, use the flesh only and dispose of the placenta and seeds.

The pepper, native to the tropics of Central and South America, has probably been cultivated for thousands of years. Archaeologists exploring prehistoric caves in Peru have found the remains of pepper seeds. South America, Spain, England and the Caribbean all played roles in the introduction of the pepper to North America. Columbus explored the seas in search of a better trade route to the Indies. Dangerous, lengthy overland journeys made spices an expensive commodity for Europeans. When Columbus reached the Caribbean, he tasted a vegetable being grown by the Indians. Its sharp taste reminded him of the familiar black pepper from the East Indies and so he called this vegetable "pepper," as we do to this day. However, Columbus was incorrect as the newly found vegetable was not the pepper of "salt and pepper" (Piper nigrum) but an entirely different genus, Capsicum.

He brought peppers back to Spain where they were considered an appealing alternative to the more traditional spice. The instant popularity of the vegetable is apparent from the comment of Peter Martyr, writing in 1493 that "...in the New World can be found plants hotter than pepper of Caucasus." (He was referring to Piper nigrum.) From Spain the cultivation of the pepper soon spread to the rest of the continent and England.

History does not tell us whether peppers reached North America via Europe or the Caribbean. The first of the English immigrants to the colonies brought the seed of precious vegetables with them to plant in the New World. By the middle of the 18th century, North Americans could import many varieties of flowers and vegetables from England. John Randolph (1727-1784) of Williams-burg, Virginia wrote a treatise on vegetables grown in the New World colonies. In the essays, he referred to "Capsicum...it should be gathered before the pods grow hard for pickles." Research conducted by the National Garden Bureau
found that records kept at Mount Vernon indicate George Washington grew a "cayan" pepper.

NOMENCLATURE?
While conducting research for this column an obvious nomenclature conflict became apparent. Some folks used 'chili' and others used 'chile' to describe a pepper. We reached several conclusions. Namely, that Chile is a country in South America. Seed companies use chili to designate a ' hot? pepper, and chile is generally an ingredient in ethnic foods. So if you purchase green 'chili' pepper seed, and grow the plants,
you will harvest 'chile' peppers for 'Chile rellenos'! Peppers are part of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family which contains over 2000 species of ornamental, medicinal and poisonous plants. This makes the pepper a close cousin to tomato, potato, tobacco, eggplant and petunia.

CLASSIFICATION?
There are over 20 species of pepper but only one is commonly known to North American gardeners, Capsicum annuum. This species contains the pepper varieties widely cultivated in North America. Although Hortus lists five groups within the C. annuum species, we will refer to peppers as
one of two kinds--sweet or hot.

SWEET PEPPERS?
Bell--This pepper is mostly blocky in shape with three or four lobes on the bottom of the pepper. For years, gardeners could choose only one color of bell, a green that matured to red, Through modern breeding efforts e can now grow bell peppers that mature to an artist's palette of colors including red, yellow, orange, lavender, purple and chocolaTe. The bell peppers have a crisp, thick flesh and are suitable for eating fresh, or stuffing and baking.

Paprika--When dried and ground, this thin-walled pepper becomes the flavorful condiment paprika.

Pimiento--This heart-shaped pepper measures 3 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches. Fruits have very thick flesh. Strips of this fully mature, bright red, mild tasting pepper are found in stuffed greenolives.

Sweet Banana, Sweet Hungarian, Cubanelle--All of these are also referred to as sweet frying or pickling peppers. The shape is long, narrow tapering down to one, two or three lobes. These are thinner-walled than bells and Cubanelle has the thinnest walls of the three. They are usually picked when immature as a light yellow or green. Because they have less water content than bells, they are excellent choices for frying. 'Sweet Banana' is a variety that has withstood the test of time--it was a 1941 All- America
Selections Winner. 'Gypsy,' a 1981 AAS Winner is early to mature--only 62 days and performs very well in cotainers as well as in regular gardens.

HOT PEPPERS?
Cayenne--This pepper is slim and tapered, ranging in length from 3 1/2 to 8 inches. Cayennes are often dried. The hybrid 'Super Cayenee' is a 1990 All American Selections Winner. It is very productive, early to mature and hot, hot, hot.

Hungarian Yellow Wax (also called Hot Banana)--This pepper is pungent but still one of the more mild "hots." It is 5 to 6 inches long and picked when an immature greenish yellow color but matures to orangish red. This type is good for pickling or canning.

Jalapeno--Jalapenos are the popular peppers used in many Mexican entrees. They are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches long and have a thick-walled pungent flesh. They may be harvested when immatue green or mature red and are good for pickling or canning. There are many varieties of jalapeno peppers with
varying degrees of pungency. It has been said that more than 200,000 pounds of jalapeno seed is planted in Mexico annually.

Red Cherry--This hot pepper is only 1 1/2 inches across and ahped like a cherry. It may be used fresh or pickled, primarily pickled.

Red Hot Peppers--There are other Capsicum annuum in the Longum Group that add distinct flavor to their native regional cuisines. These vary in plant and fruit size and shape. Smaller plants are attractive in patio containers and hanging baskets. These scorchers such as Chili Tepine, Chile Peguin, Tabasco, and Thai, mature red and zest-up foods. Many additional kinds are available. Small hot yellow peppers like Cascabella and Santa Fe Grande are used primarily for canning and pickling. There is the hot Serrano type that is popular in the Southwest. There is Habanero, said to be 50 times hotter
than Jalapeno peppers.

Natural diversification and biotechnology have produced hundreds of varieties, differing greatly in hotness, size shape, and ranging in colours from orange to red to yellow to green. They can be eaten fresh, pickled, or preserved by drying in the sun. Perhaps the world's most famous chilli is the Jalape?o, the stubby green variety from the city of Jalapa, on Mexico's gulf coast. The Chilpotle chilli is a dried and smoked Jalape?o that is spicier than the green version and usually available in a pickled form.
Other famous varieties of chilli include the extremely hot Habenero (or scotch bonnet), the birds-eye, the Thai, and the tiny Pequin, which is the fiery base for Tabasco sauce.?

Tips for cooking
+ As a rule red fresh fruit are two or three times hotter than green fruit, and dried pods are up to ten times hotter than fresh pods.
+ The seeds and white pith of a chilli are the hottest part, so remove them if you don't want your dish to be too fiery.
+ Chillies contain a pungent oil that can cause an unpleasant burning sensation to eyes and skin. Try to avoid handling them too much, wear gloves if possible, and be sure not to touch your face or eyes during preparation.
+ As a general guide the smaller the chilli the hotter it will be.
+ Soaking a chilli in vinegar has the effect of distributing the hot chilli flavour through the dish. Discarding the vinegar and soaking again has the effect of further reducing the heat.

The chili pepper, a hotly pungent variety of Capsicum was first cultivated by the people of Central and South America in around 3000BC. Columbus brought seeds back to Europe in 1493, and from there it has spread to the cuisines of the entire world. The pre-Hispanic Americans believed the chilli to contain medicinal qualities and modern science has confirmed the nutritional values, containing high levels of vitamins A and C, along with vitamins E and B1-3. (spelling of chili can be with one or two letter "l"s.)

E-Mail / info@choicepeppers.com

Tel . 206.623.9920