Anaheim Pepper
Varieties
Anaheim peppers are moderately hot, although their heat depends on where they’re grown and how mature they are. Varieties of the pepper grown in New Mexico tend to be hotter than those grown in California, and the mature red ones tend to be hotter than the green. The Anaheim chile varies from light green to dark green to red and grows to between 6 and 10 inches (15–25cm) long and 1 to 2 inches (2.5–5cm) around.
The hotness of peppers is measured in Scoville heat units, and Anaheims have a heat score that ranges between 500 and 2,500. How high a chile pepper scores on the heat scale is determined by high-performance liquid chromatography measurement of parts per million capsaicin. This figure is then converted into the historic Scoville heat units that signify how much dilution is necessary to drown out the chile’s heat.
Preparation, Uses, & Tips
The seeds and membranes in chile peppers contain most of the capsaicin, the compound that lends them their mouth-searing qualities. To reduce the chile’s heat, remove its seeds and veins. After working with peppers, be careful not to rub your eyes. (You may want to wear protective gloves while working with hot peppers.)
Fresh Anaheim chiles should be peeled before use. Traditional recipes recommend searing over a gas flame or broiling in the oven until the skins are blackened. Cool in a sealed plastic bag or foil and then remove skins. Both green and red Anaheim peppers are excellent in soups and stews. Anaheim peppers are the chiles most often used to make chile rellenos. For this Mexican dish the peppers are stuffed with cheese and then coated in egg before they are fried.
This is the chile that is most often used to make chile rellenos.
Storing
Store them in a paper bag for a week in the refrigerator or enclose in freezer bags and freeze for up to a year.
Nutrition Highlights
Red chile pepper (hot, raw), 1/2 cup (75g)
- Calories: 15
- Protein: 0.7g
- Carbohydrate: 3.5g
- Total Fat: 0.1g
- Fiber: 0.6g