The Easiest Way to Predict the Spice Level of a Pepper
There are peppers that you know will be spicy (habanero) and peppers you know you won’t (bell), but there are peppers that can be soft, hot, or “please take my tongue out of your mouth and put it in a glass of ice-cold milk. ” Fortunately, there is an easy way to predict the acute outcome, and it has been right under our noses all this time.
As Justin Chapple explained in this episode of Cooking by the Book , all you have to do to appreciate the pungency of a pepper is to sniff:
I actually learned this trick from my friend Melissa Clarke who works for the New York Times. She said that you cut jalapenos or peppers in half and sniff it. If it smells like bell pepper, it means sweeter. But if it smells really hot, then you know it will be a really hot chili, and you might want to start with less before adding more. She taught me this and I wondered why I never knew this? This is such a brilliant trick.
Like Justin, I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t know this. It’s as simple as the nose on my face, and I kind of have a big nose.
# 96 | Just get it ready! | Book cooking