The heat of the summer means it's pepper season, and we couldn't be more excited. We love how different peppers have more crunchiness than others and varying levels of heat. But with so many different types of peppers, keeping track of them all can be hard. Which ones are sweet? Which ones are spicy? Which ones are best eaten raw, blistered or cooked? We've created a handy description of all the different types of peppers you might see in your box (some depend on which region you're in), so the next time you're looking for the perfect pepper, you'll know exactly which one you want.
Bell Peppers: Mild
Bell peppers are a large-sized pepper with no heat. They have a crunchy, thicker flesh. The seeds are typically removed from the bell pepper, but they aren’t spicy like the jalapeño's seeds. These versatile peppers are great for cooking, but can also be eaten raw. Try cutting them up into strips to dip in hummus, add them to your favorite vegetable stir-fry, chop them and add to your salad, or stuff with your favorite fillings and bake it. Red bell peppers are sweeter than a green bell pepper, as they’ve had more time to ripen on the vine. Purple bell peppers taste similar to a green bell pepper but have a thinner skin.
Jalapeño: Hot
Jalapeño peppers are a medium-sized spicy pepper with a crunchy flesh similar to that of a bell pepper. The seeds and membrane inside the pepper are the spiciest part; remove that part of the pepper if you want a milder flavor. Jalapeño peppers are versatile in the sense that they are eaten raw, pickled and cooked. We love adding jalapeño peppers to guacamole, salsas, Thai curry dishes that call for hot peppers and much more. Helpful Hint: Don’t rub your eyes after handling hot peppers. If you ever get jalapeño juices in or near your eye, put milk on a washcloth and hold it over your eye.
Corno Di Toro: Mild
Corno di Toro peppers are medium-to-large sized peppers with no heat. They have a crunchy flesh similar to that of a bell pepper or cubanelle pepper. The peppers have seeds that are typically removed when eaten. These versatile peppers can be eaten raw, dipped in hummus, stir-fried with other veggies, chopped up in salads and stuffed with your favorite fillings and baked.
Shishito Peppers: Mild
Shishito peppers are a small to medium-sized pepper with a crunchy yet thinner skin than most peppers. They’re typically mild peppers (although occasionally you'll find a spicy one) and can be eaten raw, including the seeds. However, our favorite way to eat Shishito peppers is to blister them in sesame or olive oil and sprinkle with salt. We’ve also grilled them and stuffed them with goat cheese, which is another fantastic treat.
Mini Sweet Mix Pepper: Mild/Sweet
Just like the name says, these mini sweet peppers have a crunchy texture similar to that of a cubanelle or bell pepper. Mini sweet peppers are a hybrid of a bell pepper and a hot pepper with no heat. We love to dip them whole into hummus or other favorite dips, but we also use them in salads, stir-fries and other dishes.
Padron Peppers: Medium
Padron peppers are a small pepper that have a mild to fiery heat. They have a crunchy, yet thinner skin and look very similar to a Shishito pepper. Padron peppers can be eaten raw, including the seeds. However, our favorite way to eat Padron peppers is to blister them in sesame or olive oil and sprinkle with salt. We also love them in our Padron pepper tapenade and sliced inside quesadillas.
Pimiento Pepper: Mild
Pimiento peppers are a small pepper with a crunchy texture similar to a bell pepper. They’re a mild pepper and can be eaten raw. The most common place to see a pimiento pepper is stuffed in a green olive or in pimiento cheese. We also like using them in stir-fries, corn bread and paella.
Cubanelle Pepper: Mild
Cubanelle peppers are known for their flamboyant color variations since they ripen from a light greenish yellow to orange and then red. These peppers are a medium-sized pepper with a thin and crunchy texture. The seeds are typically removed, but they aren’t spicy like the jalapeño. They are great eaten raw as a snack, dipped in hummus or your other favorite dip, added to salads and cooked. We’ve used them in stir fries, curries, salads and baked. If a recipe calls for a bell pepper, often times a cubanelle pepper can be substituted.
How To Pepper Varieties To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery.
Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.
