Habaneros - the hottest edible chili!

Add a little spice to your cooking this week with Habanero Peppers!

 

Did you know?

• Habanero Peppers are considered to be the hottest edible chili in the world.
• You can reduce the heat of the Habanero in cooking by removing the seeds and insides of the chili.
• There are at least 18 varieties of Habanero Peppers and new types continue to be grown.
• Habaneros are high in vitamin C, aka ascorbic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant.
• In the Caribbean, before salt was discovered and extracted from the sea, habanero type peppers were popularly combined with cassava juice and used by the Carib and Arawak Indians to create an early form of hot sauce called coui.

 

Fun Fact: Color is not an indication of the heat intensity of Habanero Chili Peppers. The heat will vary from pepper to pepper. Handle with Care You may wish to wear gloves and goggles when handling and slicing the pepper as the capsaicin can irritate the skin and eyes.

 

Where to store it?

The fresh peppers will keep 1-2 weeks when loosely stored whole and unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

 

How to Use it?

Habanero peppers are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as roasting, grilling, sautéing, frying, and simmering. The peppers are popularly cooked down to make vinegar-based hot sauces, chopped into salsas, minced into marinades, or cooked into pepper jelly. Whole pods can also be added to soups and stews to impart a spicy, fruity flavor, or the pods can be used to flavor bean dishes, rice dishes, and grilled meats. In addition to flavoring, habanero peppers can be stuffed with cheeses, battered and fried, roasted to enhance their fruity flavor, or infused into desserts such as cheesecake or brownies. They can also be pickled for extended use or dried and ground into a powdered seasoning.

 

Recipes:

 

Habanero Pepper Jam Recipe

Created by: Mike Hultquist

This sweet and spicy jam makes the perfect accompaniment to any charcuterie board. Pair with your favorite cream cheese and slather onto a cracker for a real tasty treat.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 pound habanero peppers chopped

4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups cider vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp salt

3 ounces liquid fruit pectin

Directions:

1. Add the habanero peppers to a food processor and pulse them until they are very finely chopped. Do not overdo it or you’ll wind up with a puree.

2. Scoop out the peppers and add to a large pan.

3. Add sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt.

4. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.

5. Return heat to high and bring mixture to a rolling boil. Stir in pectin and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

6. Ladle jam into sterilized jars and cover.

7. Process jars in a boiling hot water bath for 10 minutes.

8. Remove and let cool overnight.

 

 

Spicy Habanero Salsa

Created by: Rene

This spicy habanero salsa packs a mean flavor punch into every bite. This saucy salsa is not for the faint of heart.

 

Ingredients:

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 red onion roughly chopped

1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped

1-2 jalapeno peppers roughly chopped

1-2 habanero peppers roughly chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 TBSP garlic powder salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, 1 jalapeno, 1 habanero, cumin and garlic powder to a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are combined. Add salt and pepper. Taste salsa - if you want more heat add another jalapeno and habanero. Pulse again and taste to adjust salt.

2. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

3. Serve with tortilla chips.

 

Habanero Chili

Created by: Ashley

A delicious fall dinner recipe!

 

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 TBSP olive oil or fat of choice

1 onion diced

4-5 cloves of garlic minced (used my garlic press)

1 bell pepper chopped

5 medium carrots chopped

3 stalks celery chopped

1-2 habaneros chopped (caution: habaneros are HOT!)

2 14.5 ounce cans organic diced tomatoes

1 TBSP chili powder

2 tsp oregano

1 ½ tsp cumin powder

1 tsp salt adjust to taste

1 tsp paprika bacon crumbled

Directions:

1. Add oil to a pan over medium heat and then sauté the onions and garlic.

2. After a few minutes, add the ground beef and brown the meat.

3. In a crockpot: add all of the ingredients including the beef mixture.

4. Set it on low and cook on low for 4-5 hours. (If you don’t have a crockpot combine all ingredients in a large pot on the stove, add all ingredients, bring to a boil and then simmer 30-40 minutes).

5. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.

 

Baked Mango Habanero Chicken Wings

Created by: Spoonful of Flavour

With a handful of ingredients and spices, these Baked Mango Habanero Chicken Wings will steal the show at your next get-together! No frying required for these crispy, sweet and spicy chicken wings!

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 – 2 pounds chicken wings, separated

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup mango nectar, or 1 whole mango pureed

2-3 habanero peppers, seeded or unseeded

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 cup honey

3 TBSP unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the chicken wings dry using a paper towel, then season them evenly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place wings on a wired baking sheet.

2. Bake for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway for even cooking.

3. While the wings bake, prepare the glaze. In a food processor or blender, mix together the mango puree, habanero peppers, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and paprika. Blend until fully combined.

4. Add the mixture to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add the honey and bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally, for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Whisk in the butter until melted, then remove from the heat and place in a heatproof bowl.

5. When the wings are fully cooked (internal temp 165 degrees Fahrenheit), remove them from the oven. Turn the oven heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Add the wings to the bowl with the sauce and toss to coat, then return to the wired baking sheet. Bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly caramelized.

Notes You can store leftover wings in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the oven or microwave.

 

Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe

Created by: Mike Hultquist

This hearty stuffed pepper soup recipe is truly a stuffed pepper in a bowl, with loads of peppers, ground meat, rice and seasonings - easy to make!

 

Ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 jalapeno peppers chopped

1 medium bell pepper chopped

1 habanero pepper chopped – optional! Omit if you want less heat, but hey! I actually included 3 of them. Yes!

4 cloves garlic chopped

1.5 pounds ground turkey or ground beef – I used ground turkey but both are great

1 TBSP Cajun seasonings optional for more spice factor

1 TBSP paprika

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp cumin

2 14- ounce cans diced tomatoes

1 1/2cup chicken broth

1 cup uncooked white rice (or more to stretch the meal)

Salt and pepper to taste

FOR TOPPING: Fresh chopped herbs, spicy chili flakes, crumbly white cheese, hot sauce, lime juice, any of your favorites!

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot to medium heat and add olive. Heat through. Add onion and chopped peppers. Stir and cook about 5 minutes to soften.

2. Add garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell that awesome garlic.

3. Add ground beef or turkey and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook it down about 8 minutes or so, until it is cooked through, stirring often.

4. Add Cajun seasoning, basil, oregano, paprika, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook another minute or 2.

5. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth and uncooked rice. Stir. Bring to a quick boil then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors blend and the rice to cook. You can simmer longer if you'd like. I often simmer for 1 hour.

5. Serve into bowls and add your favorite toppings. Load up your stuffed pepper soup!

 

 

Recipes are curated by Lauren