I heard somewhere that green chiles are considered vegetables and red chiles fruits. Personally, I have never had a green unripe chile that I thought was better than a ripe red one. However it seems that every chile sold at the grocer is always unripe. WHY!? The Jalapeno, for example. It is basically impossible to get a ripe red one. I always thought that they sucked but I tried a red ripe one once and it was exponentially better. So much more depth of flavor, sweetness and heat both. Thoughts?
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Green vs. Red
- Thread starter roadhouse
- Start date
when i buy hot peppers at the grocery store, i generally pick the packages with the most red ripe ones. the problem is, often times the packages with the most red ones have fungus on them, so i end up having to pick lesser specimens.
but yeah, a red ripe jamaican hot pepper is 20 times tastier than it's unripe version.
The only pepper I've tried and liked green is the jalapeño. Problem is, I've never tried or even seen one ripe, because no one ever sells them that way. Later this year I'll be trying several varieties for comparison, both green and fully ripe, so I'll finally be able to decide on whether I like them better green or red. They certainly have a unique taste that I like while green... I hope they have the same basic taste but maybe a bit more "full" (for lack of a better word).
I would never consider picking any other peppers green except for experimentation (ie. comparisons between immature and fully ripe in both taste and heat levels). I would never pick them for the purpose of making food. Even bell peppers, I never understood why people so often use them green. I thought the whole point of them was the fact that they're "sweet"--wouldn't it make more sense to pick them at their time of peak sweetness?
I would never consider picking any other peppers green except for experimentation (ie. comparisons between immature and fully ripe in both taste and heat levels). I would never pick them for the purpose of making food. Even bell peppers, I never understood why people so often use them green. I thought the whole point of them was the fact that they're "sweet"--wouldn't it make more sense to pick them at their time of peak sweetness?
Red all the way! You can ripen them in a bag, but the flavor wot be the same
Once you see a green chile or pepper in the red phase, you are looking at a "fruit" that is nearing the end of its life. Granted, the sweet flavor of a red Big Jim, Sandia, or whatever is OUTSTANDING, it won't have much shelf life left at the store. I think that is why you won't see red green chiles or jalapenos at stores very often. If you want an "anaheim" type chile in the red phase, buy it green and set it out on the counter until it turns red. Some might get mouldy or mushy so you have to watch them and eat them up right when they turn red. After it turns red, you can also dry or dehydrate it to make red powder. I use the sun dried red pods to make the best enchilada sauce in the world-hands down.
I call bullshit on the last sentence...HOWEVER, I may be lead to believe otherwise if I had some to try!
but yeah, most ARE better ripe/red...but green chili (the dish/sauce commonly found in NM) is just plain good...it has a classic somewhat bitterness/ chili flavor rather than a sweet flavor of a ripe chili. Only exception I can think of, and Im not even saying that green is or isn't better, but sometimes I just like green chili (anaheim/new mexico) on some dishes.
The color of the chile really depends upon what you are cooking: if you're making salsa verde, use green chiles, if you are making salsa rojo, use red chiles. Poppers use unripe (green) chile, rellenos use green chile.
In Mexico, where chiles are basic to the cuisine, both green and red are used.
In Mexico, where chiles are basic to the cuisine, both green and red are used.
I know that in the US produce travels an average of 1500 miles to reach the shelves of the supermarket. I also know that generally, tomatoes sold in US grocery stores are picked green for a couple of reasons. One, they are sturdier when they are green. Two, because they have to travel so far to reach the consumer, if they were picked ripe, they would rot before they reached their destination. Three, tomatoes are gassed before they reach the stores to induced them into ripening to red.
I'd suspect the reasons you see a lot of green chiles in the stores generally fall along the same lines of why tomatoes are picked when they are green. I've also noticed at my local supermarkets that all of the ripe habaneros (yellow, orange, red) have mold growing on them. That is part of the reason I want to grow my own.
I'd suspect the reasons you see a lot of green chiles in the stores generally fall along the same lines of why tomatoes are picked when they are green. I've also noticed at my local supermarkets that all of the ripe habaneros (yellow, orange, red) have mold growing on them. That is part of the reason I want to grow my own.
We, in India, use Green chillies in curries,chutneys and pickles. We use red ripe pods in pickles only. Dried chilli peppers are used as whole in tempering and as powder.
Indians use red chilli powders to maximum.
Indians use red chilli powders to maximum.
I had an old East Indian friend that would only eat his chili's green, he would pick pods and give them to me. I would ask him why green and he said because they are not as harsh.... I never really push the idea but did tell him to save me some that were red so I could plant them. He did. He passed away on Valentines Day and a few days ago his wife came over to the house with a small vile containing 2 pods of suryanki cluster and they were red, he was saving them for me. Peace, and I will continue the spirit.
