Chili peppers are actually very different – in color, shape, size, taste, intensity, pungency, and its use in certain dishes.
On the shelves of shops, chili must be firm to the touch, not dull, with a hard, not broken off tip. Green chili peppers are red peppers that are not fully ripe and are therefore less pungent.
Dried peppers should be easy to bend and have a bright rich color, it emits a characteristic aroma. Overdried or brittle chilies – old or missing, won’t taste like that.
Store pepper in a closed container or jar so that neither taste nor aroma is lost. If there is a lot of pepper, you can freeze it in a vacuum bag.
Which one to prefer
Fresh chili peppers are similar in density to grapes, while dried chili is similar to raisins. These peppers are interchangeable, only fresh peppers are hotter and harder – they still soften when cooked.
By the way, when dried, chili peppers darken, while green turns black, and red turns into a rich dark burgundy, and it is easy to confuse them. Green peppers are softer in taste and less sweet, so check with your salesperson for the look in front of you.
Chili peppers
Poblano – slightly pungent appearance, with a fruity sour taste, used for baking.
Ancho – dried dark red chili, with a plum flavor, will be appropriate in sauces and seasonings for meat.
Chilaka – emerald color, medium pungency, sour taste, suitable for making salsa.
Pasilla – dried black color, medium spicy, tastes like raisins, used in sauces, pastes and seasonings for meat.
Mirasol – hot hot chili, also good for salsa and baking.
Guahillo – brick-colored pepper, tastes like spicy tomatoes, is appropriate in sauces, pastes, goes well with meat.
Jalapeno – spicy chili, with sourness, herbaceous taste, suitable for salting and preservation.
Chipotle (morita, mora) – burgundy chili, rich hot-smoked taste, with a roasted nut aroma, used in seasonings and sauces.
Arbol – bright green or red pepper, very spicy with a fruity taste, used for making salsa, sauces, stews.
How to use
Chili peppers have some guidelines for using them to help you not overdo it.
– One fresh chili pepper corresponds to one teaspoon of ground.
– In large types of chili, the seeds are tough and are best removed before cooking.
– Large types of pepper have a denser structure and a tough skin.
– Fresh peppers can be pre-fried in a dry frying pan, then peel off if desired.
– Dried peppers can be interrupted in a blender so that the skin is not felt in the sauces.