On the Scoville Scale, Pepperoncinis measures at a mild 100 to 500 to SHU. If you are a lover of chili food and love to cook with pepper, this should interest you. In this article, learn where Pepperoncinis are popular, how they are measured on the Scoville Scale, and what they taste like.
What Are Pepperocinis?
The Greeks and Italians are the people who use this pepper the most in their diet. These peppers are shaped like regular peppers and are yellow and some species are green. It belongs to the family of peppers called capsicum annuum.
Some peppers are fiery when you taste them, others are mild and sweet. Pepperoncinis fall in the latter category. It is both sweet and hot at the same time. It is a part of the staple of Mediterranean people.
It is called peperone or friggitello. You will find Pepperoncinis in many recipes like Nancy’s Chopped salad, potato nachos, muffuletta salad, Italian chopped salad, and so on. You can eat this pepper raw, or pickled. You can snack on them instead of unhealthy food.
How Is Pepperoncinis Measured On The Scoville Scale?
To measure the hotness of Pepperoncinis, experts extract the capsaicin oil in it and mix it with a solution of sugar and water. Tasters taste the brew until they can say it has no trace of heat or pungence.
They count how many times they have to dilute that mixture of sugar and water to arrive at a unit of 100 to 500 on the Scoville Scale.
Pepperoncinis are mild in the class of other peppers. They are compared in hotness to the pimento pepper. Jalapenos are 40 times hotter than pepperoncinis.
Have you had a Pepperoncinis before? They are sweet but peppery. That is, you will be able to eat it without losing your mind because the sweetness overpowers the spiciness.
Why Does Pepperoncinis Taste Like?
If you have never eaten this pepper before it is possible to wonder what it tastes like. Especially considering how beautifully the Pepperoncinis is talked about.
It tastes peppery. But not so hot that you can’t eat it raw if you want to. Some varieties are also sweet. Some have described it as a mix of tangy, sweet and hot, with the heat being an undertow that you feet below the other tastes. For one thing, it is an enjoyable addition to meals that anyone would love.
Is Pepperoncinis Better Than Other Peppers?
There are hotter peppers than pepperoncinis. There are jalapenos, which are many times hotter, and there are banana peppers which are very much like Pepperocinis in that they’re mild. These two share almost the same SHU rating on the Scoville Scale.
Peppers have a way of looking alike in color and shape. They are usually green but red when ripe. The major difference is in their shapes and spiciness.
None is better than the other when it comes to peppers. It depends on your recipe, culture, and preference. Sometimes one can fill in for the other. For example, banana peppers can be used when Pepperoncinis are not available.
In fact, some grocery attendants have a hard time distinguishing the two from each other. And there are people who think they are the same.
Do you know Pepperoncinis are available in jars, pickled? They are so tasty that you can consume them raw from the jars. Here is where people confuse the Banana and Pepperoncinis. Banana peppers are pickled and sold in jars too.
Can I Cook With Pepperoncinis?
One of the challenges a person may have with cooking with Pepperoncinis is fear that they will get burned by the spiciness. As you have seen above, Pepperoncinis are mild and rate low on the Scoville Scale for spiciness.
So yes, you can cook with Pepperoncinis. Apply caution though. With all peppers, even with the ones that rate low in spiciness.
The skin is capable of absorbing the capsaicin oil in the pepper leading to a burning sensation that can last for most of the day, making you uncomfortable.
If you are going to be using the pepper for an extended period during the preparation of your meal, it’s best to wear a glove. Especially so if you are using pepper the first time.
What Are Pepperocinis?
This is how to pickle your pepper:
Get a jar and stuff your Pepperoncinis in it, as much pepper as you need or that the jar can take with a little room for what follows.
- Add a cup of clean water
- Add a cup of vinegar
- Add some peppercorns
- Add some fresh dills
- Add 2 or 3 crushed cloves of garlic
- Add one tablespoon of salt
- Add one tablespoon of sugar
- Sprinkle celery seed in it
And your pickle is ready…
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Pepperocini hotter than habaneros?
Habanero is hotter than Pepperoncinis many times over. Habaneros are 100,000 to 350,000 on the Scoville Scale, while Pepperoncini is 100 to 500.
2. Is Pepperocini hotter than jalapenos?
No. Jalapenos are way hotter. On the Scoville Scale, they are 2,500 to 8,000 units. Pepperoncinis are just 100 to 500 units.
3. How many Pepperoncinis can you eat?
It comes down to the recipe in question. And also what your tolerance is of peppers. The USDA however suggests eating four Pepperoncinis per meal, which gives you 10 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of carbohydrates.
4. Are pickled Pepperoncinis hot?
Pickled Pepperoncinis are not hot. That means they can be stuffed or eaten straight out of the jar. They are not extremely spicy and hot like other peppers. They can be added to meals easily and mixed into your recipes.
Final Thoughts
The Scoville Scale helps determine how hot a pepper is. However, some would have to find out how spicy a pepper is by tasting it. A general knowledge of the hotness of major peppers is enough to equip you in making the best choice for cooking.
It also helps to know which peppers are generally mild and which are on the hotter side. Pepperoncini is one of the mildest peppers as this article has shown.
