Thread: Cayenne pepper

On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:44:18 -0700, Steve <[email protected]> wrote:

>How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
>chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer not
>to send too many folks to the hospital...

5 to 10 LBS

On Jun 12, 1:44*am, Steve <h...@wsx.inv> wrote:
> How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
> chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer not
> to send too many folks to the hospital...
>
> --
>
> Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim.
>
> ...George Santayana


Use two teaspoons in the chili and leave some on the table, because
different people have very different ideas about what constitutes "too
hot."

Steve wrote:
> How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
> chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer not
> to send too many folks to the hospital...
>
>

We have no idea what your tolerance for heat is, nor the strength of
your cayenne.

I'd start small, maybe 1/2 tsp. You can always add more to taste but
once you've "overheated" it you can't go back.

Chili power and other herbs and spices add flavor to chili, cayenne
pretty much just adds heat. Jalapeno and serrano peppers will do the sdame.

gloria p

gloria.p wrote:

> Steve wrote:
> > How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
> > chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer
> > not to send too many folks to the hospital...
> >
> >
>
> We have no idea what your tolerance for heat is, nor the strength of
> your cayenne.
>
> I'd start small, maybe 1/2 tsp. You can always add more to taste but
> once you've "overheated" it you can't go back.
>
> Chili power and other herbs and spices add flavor to chili, cayenne
> pretty much just adds heat. Jalapeno and serrano peppers will do the
> sdame.

They had a recipe in the newspaper for jambalaya, which used a cup of
uncooked rice. It said to put in a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne. I thought,
"why bother?"



Brian

--
Day 130 of the "no grouchy usenet posts" project

In article <[email protected]>,
Steve <[email protected]> wrote:

> How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
> chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer not
> to send too many folks to the hospital...

Much better to use less "hot" peppers, and use a lot more of them --
that's the way to flavor and not just heat.

Isaac

isw <[email protected]> wrote:

> Steve <[email protected]> wrote:

>> How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
>> chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer not
>> to send too many folks to the hospital...

>Much better to use less "hot" peppers, and use a lot more of them --
>that's the way to flavor and not just heat.

Actually I often use cayenne (or its close cousin, arbol) in
a batch of chili, in addition to other peppers. A good combination
of dried peppers is New Mexico, guaillo, pasilla, and cayenne/arbol.

Steve

On Jun 12, 11:11*pm, spop...@speedymail.org (Steve Pope) wrote:
> isw *<i...@witzend.com> wrote:
> > Steve <h...@wsx.inv> wrote:
> >> How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
> >> chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer not
> >> to send too many folks to the hospital...
> >Much better to use less "hot" peppers, and use a lot more of them --
> >that's the way to flavor and not just heat.

But one may find that too much chile flavor masks other flavors. I
reject the idea that heat detracts from flavor. Heat is heat. The
less flavorful cayenne, arbol and especially piquin chilies don't
overwhelm other flavors. The *Capsicum chinense* peppers like
habanero are the hottest, but are very flavorful too. I happen not
to like them.
>
> Actually I often use cayenne (or its close cousin, arbol) in
> a batch of chili, in addition to other peppers. *A good combination
> of dried peppers is New Mexico, guaillo, pasilla, and cayenne/arbol.

I adore the NuMex peppers. I've got Big Jims growing in my garden.
>
> Steve

--Bryan

On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:44:18 -0700, Steve <[email protected]> wrote:

>How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
>chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer not
>to send too many folks to the hospital...

None. Cayenne does not taste like the peppers used to make chili.
Use Hatch peppers (hot variety) or its brother the hot Anaheim
(New Mexico #6). If you want more flavor without a lot of heat.
soak a few dried guajillos, top and seed them, and then puree
them in a blender. Add that. Much rich pepper flavor, not too
much heat. You can substitute cascabels (round ones) if
the guajillos (long pepper) are not available to you. How many
depends on what and how much chili or chili powder you
used. I would start with maybe 3-4 guajillos on top of the
chili powder already in there. I use 8 to a 4-qt pot of
posole, without any other pepper.

In a pinch, and if you don't want the smoky flavor of a
chipotle, try one or two minced serranos.

Alex

Chemiker wrote:

> On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:44:18 -0700, Steve <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
>>chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer not
>>to send too many folks to the hospital...
>
>
> None. Cayenne does not taste like the peppers used to make chili.
> Use Hatch peppers (hot variety) or its brother the hot Anaheim
> (New Mexico #6). If you want more flavor without a lot of heat.
> soak a few dried guajillos, top and seed them, and then puree
> them in a blender. Add that. Much rich pepper flavor, not too
> much heat. You can substitute cascabels (round ones) if
> the guajillos (long pepper) are not available to you. How many
> depends on what and how much chili or chili powder you
> used. I would start with maybe 3-4 guajillos on top of the
> chili powder already in there. I use 8 to a 4-qt pot of
> posole, without any other pepper.
>
> In a pinch, and if you don't want the smoky flavor of a
> chipotle, try one or two minced serranos.

Well, the pre-ground supermarket cayenne doesn't have any flavor, that's
true. Only heat. Same thing with pre-ground supermarket black pepper.
No flavor there, it just burns your tongue.

You can get whole dried cayenne peppers and grind them yourself.
It's a whole new experience.

On Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:29:28 -0700, RegForte <[email protected]> wrote:

>Chemiker wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:44:18 -0700, Steve <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
>>>chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer not
>>>to send too many folks to the hospital...

>Well, the pre-ground supermarket cayenne doesn't have any flavor, that's
>true. Only heat. Same thing with pre-ground supermarket black pepper.
>No flavor there, it just burns your tongue.
>
>You can get whole dried cayenne peppers and grind them yourself.
>It's a whole new experience.

Steve Pope is right. If you want the heat of a cayenne but they're not
available fresh or dried, use the chili arbol. I find it hard to tell
the dif and the arbols are always available to me, in dried form.

Alex

Chemiker wrote:

> On Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:29:28 -0700, RegForte <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Well, the pre-ground supermarket cayenne doesn't have any flavor, that's
>>true. Only heat. Same thing with pre-ground supermarket black pepper.
>>No flavor there, it just burns your tongue.
>>
>>You can get whole dried cayenne peppers and grind them yourself.
>>It's a whole new experience.
>
>
> Steve Pope is right. If you want the heat of a cayenne but they're not
> available fresh or dried, use the chili arbol. I find it hard to tell
> the dif and the arbols are always available to me, in dried form.


Arbol, cabcabel, habanero... they're all good if you want a lot of heat.

Point is, if you buy a cheap pre-ground version you're not going
to taste any part of the chile except the heat. That goes for black
pepper, too.

You have not had real cayenne pepper if you've only tried pre-ground
supermarket brands, just like with black pepper.

On 12 Jun 2009 19:03:34 GMT, Default User wrote:

> gloria.p wrote:
>
>> Steve wrote:
>>> How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
>>> chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer
>>> not to send too many folks to the hospital...
>>>
>>
>> We have no idea what your tolerance for heat is, nor the strength of
>> your cayenne.
>>
>> I'd start small, maybe 1/2 tsp. You can always add more to taste but
>> once you've "overheated" it you can't go back.
>>
>> Chili power and other herbs and spices add flavor to chili, cayenne
>> pretty much just adds heat. Jalapeno and serrano peppers will do the
>> sdame.
>
> They had a recipe in the newspaper for jambalaya, which used a cup of
> uncooked rice. It said to put in a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne. I thought,
> "why bother?"
>
> Brian

depending on what else is there, a half-teaspoon might be respectable.
it's 'quarters,' 'eighths' or even 'a few grains' that i have a problem
with.

your pal,
blake

blake murphy wrote:
> On 12 Jun 2009 19:03:34 GMT, Default User wrote:
>
>> gloria.p wrote:
>>
>>> Steve wrote:
>>>> How much cayenne pepper should I add when making approx 4 quarts of
>>>> chili in a stockpot? I'd like it to taste spicy, but would prefer
>>>> not to send too many folks to the hospital...
>>>>
>>> We have no idea what your tolerance for heat is, nor the strength of
>>> your cayenne.
>>>
>>> I'd start small, maybe 1/2 tsp. You can always add more to taste but
>>> once you've "overheated" it you can't go back.
>>>
>>> Chili power and other herbs and spices add flavor to chili, cayenne
>>> pretty much just adds heat. Jalapeno and serrano peppers will do the
>>> sdame.
>> They had a recipe in the newspaper for jambalaya, which used a cup of
>> uncooked rice. It said to put in a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne. I thought,
>> "why bother?"
>>
>> Brian
>
> depending on what else is there, a half-teaspoon might be respectable.
> it's 'quarters,' 'eighths' or even 'a few grains' that i have a problem
> with.
>
> your pal,
> blake

I think cayenne varies in strength, depending on a variety of
issues, including whether it has lingered in your spice rack forever.

--
Jean B.