During my time working in kitchens, I've cooked a wide variety of peppers. Sometimes I roast them en masse for steak fajitas , sometimes I dice jalapenos for a spicy chimichurri, sometimes I ferment habaneros and other hot chili peppers to make hot sauce. For me, peppers are one of the most versatile and exciting ingredients to work with.
At the same time, I've made some mistakes along the way that I've learned from. One of the most interesting things about peppers is how many different types there are. Cherry peppers, scotch bonnets, bell peppers, poblanos, ghost peppers, Carolina reapers — all of these peppers have completely unique shapes, colors, and flavors.
Some of them have absolutely no heat whatsoever, and others are so spicy that you might break into a sweat after briefly tasting them. While there are certainly some shared similarities in how to prepare these different peppers, there are also drastic differences between them. Not respecting these differences can get you into trouble.
If you want to cook with peppers but you need some tips to help you steer clear of common mistakes, then you're in the right place. These are the most common pepper-related mistakes you can make — and how to avoid them. 1.
Forgetting to wear gloves when handling hot chili peppers If you're cooking with hot chili peppers, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is forgetting to wear gloves. This is because hot chili peppers contain capsaicin, which is a chemical compound that causes.