Whether you like your peppers spicy hot or mild and comforting, you should always keep a good selection on hand for creating dishes from all over the world. Here are 5 great peppers that you should keep in hand all the time for excellent tasting foods.

1) Ground Cayenne – This is the ground form of the Cayenne red pepper and is used often in dishes that require a punch of heat.  You can use it in sauces, soups, stews and a shake will wake up any food.  It is an easy form to use and it is readily available.

2) Crushed … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
• 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon salad seasoning mix
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

Directions: Continue Reading

Drying chili peppers for use in food preparation or in crafts is a relatively easy process in your food dehydrator.  You will want to wear gloves when handling the peppers so that the capsaicin oil from the peppers doesn’t burn or irritate your skin. You should place your food dehydrator in a well-ventilated area with good air circulation because during the drying process the odor can irritate your eyes and nose. (use room fans if need be or use your dehydrator outside or in the garage). Once your peppers have been dried, they will be ready for you to use … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
• 4 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions: Continue Reading

We love our peppers but sometimes even the best of us get that burning sensation after eating a super hot pepper dish or whole pepper. Our mouth and throat is on fire! Our face gets red and we start to sweat!!  There may be help for you! Here are a few remedies that can help cool down that afterburn going on inside.

* Drink Milk: If the heat is too much for you to stand try drinking a full glass of cow’s milk. (whole milk works best).

* Eat Ice Cream or Yogurt: Eating ice cream or yogurt after eating peppers may … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb. jalapeno peppers
• 1 small onion
• 1 tomato

Directions:

1. Chop peppers, onion and tomato.
2. Place in hot water and boil about 15 minutes or until soft.
3. Add a dash of salt and 2 tablespoons grated Jack cheese.

Growing Jalapeno Peppers in a backyard garden is a relatively easy process that can be accomplished in a variety of American climates. You will find that most Jalapeno Peppers are grown in the South West of North America but even those who live in the Northern areas can grow them in a backyard garden.  These peppers grow okay in container gardens as well.

You can start off by germinating your own plants by purchasing seeds…however, you always want to make sure that you purchase fresh seeds (check for expiration dates) and germinate your seeds in a good healthy soil. Each seed … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 12 large dill-style pickles
• 13 large fresh ripe green peppers
• 5 large white onions
• 3 tablespoons table salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons celery seed
• 5 cups granulated white sugar
• 4 cups white vinegar

Directions: Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 5 fresh tomatillos, husks removed
• 4 serrano, jalepeno or habanero chile peppers, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ripe avocado – peeled, pitted, and quartered
• salt to taste

Directions: Continue Reading

The Scoville scale is a measurement of the spicy heat (or piquance) of a chili pepper. It is named after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville. His method, devised in 1912, is known as the Scoville Organoleptic Test. The number of Scoville heat units (SHU) in a particular pepper indicates the amount of capsaicin present. What is Capsaicin? It is a chemical compound that stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes.   Have you ever eaten a really hot pepper and all of a sudden your nose starts running and your eyes tears up?  Well that is … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 12 fresh jalapeno peppers
• 8 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic

Directions: Continue Reading

The hardest thing about working with peppers is dealing with the spicy oils and the odors.  They get on your hands and your cutting boards and other surfaces and they can be difficult to get rid of sometimes depending on how strong the pepper is you are working with.  Here are 4 tips on methods you can use to clean up and remove those odors after preparing your peppers.

Tip #1: To remove pepper odors and oils from your cutting boards you can try using a solution of 3 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with 1/2 cup of water. Place solution … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1 lb scotch bonnet peppers, cayenne, jalepeno or habanero peppers (washed and stems removed)
• 1 Tbsp salt
• White distilled vinegar or vegetable oil

Directions: Continue Reading

So many people are turning to growing their own healthy, organic foods as much as possible these days.  Peppers are a great item to grow, but after the harvest, preparing and preserving those peppers can be a challenge for some.  Here is a great way to roast your own homegrown peppers.

For any of the available peppers that you have chosen to grow be it bells, red chilis, jalenenos, there is a simple way to roast your peppers without the mess and cleanup.  First make sure you pick your veggies when they are firm and not soft.  Overly ripe will make … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1 can (12oz) Pineapple Juice
• 4 Red Chili Peppers
• 4 Green Chili Peppers
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper or Habanero Pepper

Directions: Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 12 medium long or conical chili peppers such as cayenne, de arbol, habanero or jalapeno
• 4 cloves garlic
• 12 black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp pickling salt
• 1 cup cider vinegar

Directions: Continue Reading

Top 25 List of Hottest Hot Sauces
InsaneChicken.com is proud to present to you a list of the top 25 worlds hottest hot sauces for 2012 still in production. There have been other that have come and gone that have been hotter as you can see in the list of hottest hot sauces ever created.

We have all of the sauces in RED in stock but beware these are brutally hot.

Hot Sauce … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, julienned
• 1 whole jalapeno, chopped finely
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup pineapple, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions: Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 12 sweet peppers (green and red)
• 12 hot red peppers
• 12 med. onions
• 2 c. sugar (according to taste)
• 1 pt. vinegar
• 2 tsp. salt

Directions: Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 3 cup Distilled white vinegar
• 2 lb Cayenne, habanero or  jalapenos seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp Salt

Directions:

1. Simmer vinegar, salt and peppers at least 5 minutes.
2. Process in processor. Store in a glass bottle.
3. Put in a dark cabinet and let age at least 3 months. Strain when ready to use. 

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups Chopped Green Tomatoes
• 2 Cups Chopped and Seeded Sweet Peppers (Anaheim, Banana, Red Bell, Yellow Bell)
• 1 Cup Chopped and Seeded Jalapeños (approx 1/2lb = 1 Cup Chopped)
• 1 Cup Chopped Onion (I usually use sweet)
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
• 3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
• Cilantro to taste
• Sugar to taste Continue Reading
  

Gringo Bandito Hot Sauce – Gringo Bandito’s label says it all;  The too-cool for school hombre on the front of the bottle may look laid-back, but he’s got plenty of ammo in his bandoliers to get the job done.   Gringo Bandito’s relatively low heat allows you to slather it with gusto on anything under the sun without later wishing you could cut your tongue out, but the sauce packs enough firepower and delicious flavor to keep your taste buds from taking a siesta.  This lightweight yet zesty vinegar-based sauce  sneakily turns a dull pile of eggs or a bland burrito into Cinco de Mayo of the face.  There’s no need to worry about problemas south of the border, as the heat comes off with a pleasant warm tingling sensation that even a dyspeptic grandmother could handle. The robust combination of habaneros, jalapenos, and chilis won’t overwhelm your food, it will just make it taste a million times better.
Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups shredded cooked turkey
• 2 cups white kidney beans (cannellini), undrained
• 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice Continue Reading
  

Georgia Peach and Vidalia Onion Hot Sauce – This is what I like to refer to as a designer sauce. Not only is it a designer sauce, it is so finely crafted that it can be referred to as a work of art. The hook for this sauce is the Georgia peaches and the Vidalia onions, both of which provide an intensely sweet flavor that never overpowers the senses. This sauce perfectly complements anything you use it with. It’s a highly versatile sauce and one you need to keep on hand in quantity because it is so addicting and so functional.

If heat is your thing, you won’t get the kick you’re looking for here. Continue Reading

The label of Smoky Iguana Chipotle Pepper Sauce features a rare sight: an iguana smoking a cigar — in camouflage, no less. He is climbing onto a rock, apparently leaving the flames of battle behind him, as he smokes his victory cigar. His name is Iggy, of course, and there is a cute little story about his adventures on the side of the bottle. The slogan tells us, “It’s so good, it’s smokin’.” Aside from the implied heat of the flames on the label, this sauce makes no claims of extreme heat. It even describes itself as “Smoky, savory and sort’a hot.” When so many milder sauces seem to feel the need to describe themselves as the hottest stuff on the planet, such honesty is refreshing. I freely give this label 5/5 for its creativity. Continue Reading