Knowing your chilis and peppers: bell peppers

January 14, 3:42 PMTampa Food for the Family ExaminerMaggie Zapp

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There are a multitude of chiles and peppers with a multitude of flavors and a wide range of heat levels.  There are chiles from Asia, India, Africa and Mexico.  There are chiles native to North America and some that are common in South America. 

In your grocery store you may have seen dried ancho chiles, multi-colored habaneros, green jalapenos, even perhaps a bushel of chili pequines, but did you have a clue as to how to use them?  The world over has used them in sweet and savory applications for thousands of years, but are you familiar with all of the different types and how hot they are?  This running series will attempt to address those questions, and with any luck and a savor for trying new things, your chili palate may expand by at least a few.

Have you ever wondered how hot a particular chili was?  There is, in fact, a way to tell.  The Scoville Heat Scale measures the amount of capsaicin, what gives peppers their heat, in parts per million.  Starting at zero are the mild, sweet bell peppers while habeneros, meauring at around 300,000 - 450,000 + units take the spot for hottest chili peppers in the world.  A great source for checking out where a prospective new hot ingredient may fall in on the scale can be found at http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blhotchiles.htm. 

Probably the most common of peppers is the green bell pepper. It truly must be one of the most versatile plants used in cooking as we use it on pizza, Philly cheese steaks, in fajitas, and curries.  It's mild, sweet flavor and pleasant crunch can add life to a salad or just the right touch to a stir fry. 

How to buy a good bell pepper?  Bell peppers are in season and at their tastiest in August and September, but typically can be bought year round.  Look for unbruised, firm skin with a deep green color.  As the pepper ages the skin will start to wrinkle and can lighten so if you aren't planning on using it immediately, be choosy when picking it out.

It is unlikely that the average American has never tasted a bell pepper before, but here is a down south recipe from Rachel Ray that can give you another way to use one: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/everything-jambalaya-recipe/index.html