Hot Chili Pepper

It is safe to say that few ingredients have seen as much recognition for their culinary and medicinal properties as chili peppers. Hot chili peppers are used in cuisines around the world and contain chemical compounds that bring a unique flavor, heat and mouthfeel to whatever dish they are added to. But how exactly do these fiery little fruits end up on our dinner plates? In this blog post, we will explore the life of a hot chili pepper, including the process of cultivation, harvesting, shipping and storage, to better understand what is necessary to bring it from the farm to your plate.

The journey of a chili pepper starts with cultivation. Chili peppers are members of the Capsicum family, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family and native to the Americas. Specifically, they are native to regions in Mexico and Central and South America and have been part of the human diet since at least 7500 BCE and likely a part of the diet of other species in the region much longer than that. Today, over 30 species of chili peppers are utilized in food, medicine, and for other applications around the world.

When cultivating chili peppers, specialty varieties require specific environmental conditions to perform the certain desired characteristics of flavor, heat, and color. For instance, when cultivating jalapenos, temperature will play a major role in the heat potential of the pepper. Temperatures between 21-25? and 75-80% relative humidity are necessary for jalapenos to reach their optimum size, color and heat. Furthermore, for optimal growth, jalapenos require six to seven hours of sun daily and soil pH between 6.2 to 6.8.

When developing several acres of chili peppers, or even a few pots of a special variety, inputs are essential that increase the rate of growth and enhance the quality of the resulting produce. When managing insects, the use of biopesticides, beneficial insects, and natural repellents is the recommended way of control. Fertilizing, through the incorporation of compost, manure and/or chemical fertilizers, is necessary to ensure there is sufficient nutrient uptake for the peppers to reach their full potential. Dependent on the size of the space and production goals, the use of conventional or organic seed, mechanical cultivation, and irrigations systems can also be a part of the production process. After all of the inputs are taken — be it a few months or several —, the chili peppers are ready for harvest when they have reached their desired size and color.

Harvesting chili peppers requires knowledge and familiarity of the plants, as the ripeness of different varieties can vary significantly. Generally, chilis will be harvested when they have reached between 3-15 centimeters long, depending on the desired variety. During harvest, the peppers will be cut or pulled from the stem, leaving the stem and calyx intact. Chili peppers will then be sorted into bushels for ease of transport, with a wide yield range of 8-25 kilograms per bushel, depending on the fruit size.

Once harvested, chili peppers can be shipped fresh, frozen, or dried. For local and regional delivery, fresh peppers are the most common form of shipment, with buses and crates being the two primary forms of packaging. When shipment is handled over larger distances, the chili peppers will be either frozen or dried. For frozen peppers, the best results come from flash freezing — freezing the peppers in liquid nitrogen — so that their freshness and flavor stay intact during transportation. Once the peppers have been frozen, they can then be transported in refrigerated trucks. However, if they will be stored frozen, peppers need to first be vacuum sealed before then being loaded into modified atmospheric packaging — or MAP — to extend their shelf life.

Drying chili peppers is a more difficult process that takes time and a higher degree of expertise than freezing. It is often done by air, sun or a combination of both. Depending on the type of chili pepper, different approaches are used to achieve the correct consistency and flavor. For instance, jalapenos will be placed near a source of heat to assist with the drying process. For peppers with thick walls, more indirect heat as well as low humidity are necessary to ensure that the peppers aren’t roasted, losing their color, aroma, and unique flavor.

Chili peppers that are shipped fresh or frozen may lose moisture, vitamins and minerals during the transit process, leading to their eventual rotting or spoiling. Proper storage and occupancy conditions are key to achieving the maximum shelf life from harvested chili peppers. Cool and dry temperature, relative humidity of 68-72%, and minimized exposure to light are ideal for keeping fresh chili peppers for two weeks to one month, depending on the variety. For frozen or dried chili peppers, the same general principles should apply. In addition, the storage environment should be free of odors and oxygen, both of which can affect the flavor, aroma and color of the peppers.

After the proper storage and handling, chili peppers are finally ready to make their journey to your dinner plate. Fresh and frozen chili peppers will be transported to their final destination by truck, where they will either be sold directly to restaurants and grocery stores or repackaged for sale to consumers. Dried chili peppers will usually be ground into powders and packaged in small plastic containers or jars that can be sold at grocery stores.

At this point, you may be asking — how do I know if my chili pepper is fresh or old? The answer partly depends on how you wish to use the chili pepper. When using fresh chili peppers, look for peppers that are firm and full-bodied with no blemishes or discoloration. Dried chili peppers should be reddish-orange in color and not have any yellow or white spots, as spots indicate freezer burn.

In conclusion, we have examined the journey that a hot chili pepper makes from its days of cultivation, to the transportation and storage, and finally to the dinner plate. Specifically, it requires expert cultivation and management, careful harvesting, and proper storage and transport to ensure a chili pepper retains its flavor, aroma and color profile. With the right processes in place, chili peppers can safely make their way from farm to consumer, and provide us with the unique flavor, heat and mouthfeel that chili peppers are loved so much for.