Presenting one of our best sellers - the Anaheim pepper!
What are Anaheim peppers?
Here's the dish from pepperscale.com: "The Anaheim pepper is one of those peppers that’s big enough to be very versatile in its usage. It’s just as delicious chopped for salads as it is used for stuffed pepper recipes. Plus, its milder heat (500 to 2,500 Scoville heat units) and light fruity sweetness makes it a family favorite. Nearly everyone can take the small punch given by the Anaheim pepper, at its mildest providing a simmering warmth and at its highest the heat of a milder jalapeño.
Anaheim pepper fast facts
| Scoville heat units (SHU) | 500 – 2,500 |
| Median heat (SHU) | 1,500 |
| Jalapeño reference point | Equal heat to 16 times milder |
| Capsicum species | Annuum |
| Origin | Mexico |
| Use | Culinary |
| Size | Approximately 5 inches long, curved |
| Flavor | Fruity, Sweet |
How hot are Anaheim peppers?
The Anaheim is normally a mild hot chili, only tipping the Scoville scale at around 500 to 2,500 Scoville heat units. Comparing that to our jalapeño reference point: Anaheims range from equal heat to 15 times milder than a jalapeño. It’s typically inline with the heat of poblano peppers (1,000 to 1,500 SHU), but can he as mild as banana peppers at its lowest (0 to 500 SHU.)
Anaheim Pepper Heat Comparison:
| Pepper | Min Heat (SHU) | Max Heat (SHU) | Median Heat (SHU) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Pepper | 500 | 2,500 | 1,500 |
| Jalapeno Pepper | 2,500 | 8,000 | 5,250 |
| Serrano Pepper | 10,000 | 23,000 | 16,500 |
| Cayenne Pepper | 30,000 | 50,000 | 40,000 |
That range on the Scoville scale makes the Anaheim a bit of a guess on what you’ll get heat-wise. One pepper may just be a light simmering warmth and another will feel like solid medium heat. Anaheim peppers can really vary in heat based on where they were grown. For instance, a California Anaheim is typically much milder than those grown in New Mexico. Those New Mexico varieties can actually spike in heat and become just as hot (and rarely even hotter) than a jalapeño.
Overall, though, this is a spiciness that most everyone can handle. If you’re comfortable with jalapeños, you’ll be fine with the spiciness of Anaheim chilies.
Where does this chili get its name?
From the obvious source: Anaheim, California. A farmer, Emilio Ortega, brought these peppers to the California region in the early 20th century. Yes, that’s the Ortega behind the famous Mexican food brand of the same name that’s brought lots of tacos, salsas, peppers, and beans to families across the United States.
Anaheim chilies originally came from the New Mexico area, though, and because of the many regions in which it is grown, it has many different names. That’s pretty much the case for most hot peppers. You’ll also see Anaheim peppers called New Mexico peppers, Magdalena, California chili, and in dried form it takes the name chile seco del norte. When they ripen to a red color, their name changes once again. These are often known as California red chilies or chili Colorado.
These chilies certainly have a presence: Anaheims grow up to five inches long, with a curved body. They age on the vine (like most chilies) from green to red, and they are enjoyed in the kitchen (like the jalapeño) in both their young green state as well as their mature red color.
Anaheims have a peppery flavor, with a light sweetness to them. There’s a hint of fruitiness here that especially comes out as these chilies age from green to red. Like jalapeños (and many other chilies) they tend to get sweeter the longer they are on the vine, taking on their mature red hue along the way.
Cooking with Anaheim peppers
This is one of the best things about this chili: you can do a lot with it. It’s very versatile and family-friendly, even for people who typically don’t like spicy foods. It has only a slight pop and a mild fruity sweetness that people enjoy.
How versatile? For pretty much anything calling for bell pepper, you can swap it out and use Anaheim peppers instead. If you want your dish to have just a little more oomph to it, this is an excellent way to go. Simply chop them up and use as you would a bell, either raw or cooked.
Stuffed Anaheim peppers are a big treat. They are like poblano peppers in that way, and Anaheim peppers are often used instead of the poblano in the popular dish chiles rellenos. The shapes of the two chilies are quite different, though. While poblanos look more like bell peppers, Anaheim chilies are thinner and longer. They have a decidedly more hot pepper-like appearance, so the cavity for stuffing is not quite the same as you would get from bells or poblanos.
These are also excellent salsa chilies. If you want a pepper for a mild fresh salsa, then opting for the Anaheim is the way to go." - pepperscale.com