Use – up to you
Note: ALWAYS wear gloves when you plan to handle hot peppers and NEVER touch your eyes.
Eat peppers as you would vegetables. Bonus information: mature, fully ripe bell peppers have more vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable! Try them:
- Raw
- Sautéed
- Grilled
- Cooked in soups and sauces
Hot peppers are used chiefly as condiments. Bonus information: the capsaicin of hot peppers is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties! Go ahead and experiment; you can use them:
- to boost the flavour and heat of your dishes.
- In spicy sauces (harissa, tabasco, sriracha, etc.)
Storing and Preserving
Whether due to an over-abundant harvest or to prolong the season, it’s important to know how to preserve all the flavour of your peppers. Below are three techniques:
In the fridge
- Put peppers in a perforated plastic bag or a paper bag.
- Put the bag in a drawer in the fridge.
- Store up to one week.
In the freezer
- Cut peppers in half.
- Remove the seeds and white veins.
- Slice the peppers then spread them out on a baking tray.
- Freeze for 12 hours.
- Put the peppers in a sealed container (plastic bag, plastic or glass container).
- Store in the freezer.
- Store up to 6 months.
Air-drying
- Thread a needle through the stalks of the hot pepper.
- Hang in a warm, dry and well-ventilated spot away from direct sunlight.
Delicious recipes
Lentil stuffed peppers
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 250 ml cooked lentils
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup strong cheddar cheese
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon crushed thyme
- ½ teaspoon crushed savory
- Salt and pepper
- Sesame seeds
- A few fresh cilantro leaves
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
- Cut the peppers in half length-wise, scrape out seeds and veins, and put in a lightly oiled oven-proof dish.
- Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry gently in oil for 5 minutes.
- Put the onions and garlic into a bowl, then add the lentils, breadcrumbs, half the cheese, the egg, milk and seasoning. Mix.
- Stuff the peppers with the mix.
- Put the second half of the cheese on top of the peppers and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
Just before serving, sprinkle the peppers with a few fresh cilantro leaves
Homemade Harissa Sauce
Ingredients
- 100 g dried hot peppers (your choice)
- 20 g garlic
- 3 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or more)
Preparation
- Soak the hot peppers in lukewarm water for approximately two hours. Drain, trim, remove the seeds (for a sauce with a little more bite, keep aside a few seeds) and chop into small cubes.
- Finely chop the garlic.
- In a mixer or using a pestle and mortar, grind the peppers with the garlic and seasonings.
- Add the oil and continue to mix to obtain a smooth paste.
Homemade Harissa sauce can be kept for two weeks in the fridge or six months in the freezer.