Learn how to cook shish*to peppers in 3 different ways. I also include 8 unique and tasty shish*to pepper recipes to help get you started. All of these recipes are easy to prepare; perfect for beginners!
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So you found shish*to peppers at your farmer’s market or store, and you don’t know what to do with them?
What Are Shish*to Peppers?
Until a year ago, I had no idea what shish*to peppers were. Friends of ours all met us for dinner one night in downtown Campbell. (There weren’t a ton of gluten free appetizers on the menu, so we decided to give these shish*to peppers a try.) Their recipe called for fire roasting with chunks of garlic.
Can I say YUM any louder? We inhaled those peppers so quickly that I think our waitress was surprised.
I love peppers, but I always walked right by them for some reason. Now I know how to have fun with these little peppers in my kitchen. Shish*to peppers are incredibly versatile and work in many different recipes.
Where To Buy Shish*to Peppers?
You would be surprised how many stores now carry these peppers.
Farmer’s markets
Grocery stores
Trader Joe’s even carries them year-round in their refrigerated produce section!
How Long Do Shish*to Keep Fresh?
Freshly picked shish*to peppers will last 10-14 days in the fridge. Once the peppers become soft, they start to go bad. Use them up right away at this point.
For best results, store the shish*to peppers in the crispy and uncovered. Never store them in plastic containers or bags because air will be trapped inside, and they will spoil quickly.
If you can’t eat all the peppers quickly enough, you can dice them into small pieces and store them in the freezer. Place the peppers in an airtight container or freezer bag.
They should last anywhere from 10-12 months. If you notice them becoming freezer-burnt, the flavor will be altered, but they are still edible. Frozen shish*to peppers are fantastic in soups, tacos, and other recipes.
How Do You Know When Shish*to Peppers Are Ripe?
If you are growing shish*to peppers in your garden and want to know when they are ripe, go by the size. Ripe peppers range from 3 to 5 inches long. If the peppers are left to grow, they will turn red.
You can still eat them when they are overripe, but they won’t taste as good. When they are in their prime ripened state, they are a light-medium green.
There are several different ways you can cook these peppers. I say try them all because each method is terrific! Here are a few ideas:
Grilled – Char them on the grill in a grill basket and serve them with steak, chicken, or any other meat.
Air Fryer – Toss them in the air fryer with some oil spritzed and cook for 5-6 minutes at 375º F. This is another option for blistering them.
Baked – Toss in avocado oil and bake for 5-7 minutes at 450º F.
When you are cooking shish*tos, many recipes call for them to be blistered. You will be surprised to know it is super easy to blister peppers.
You only need to heat some oil (olive or avocado are my favorites) and cook them in a heavy skillet. Turn the peppers until all sides have blisters. Then they are ready to go.
Shish*to Pepper FAQ:
Are shish*to peppers spicy? Are you not into spicy?? Not to worry. They say only 1 in 10 shish*to peppers is spicy. (*I will add I have yet to find a spicy one. I haven’t even broken out into a sweat over one.)
Can you eat shish*to peppers raw? Shish*to peppers can be eaten raw like any pepper, but they are more fun to use in recipes when they are cooked.
Can you eat the whole pepper? You can eat the whole pepper, but I highly recommend not eating the tops.
Can you eat the seeds of shish*to peppers? Absolutely!
Are They Considered Seasonal?
No, these peppers are so popular you can now buy shish*to peppers anytime at your local grocer. Their peak season is in the summer and the beginning of fall. Unlike other fruits and vegetables, shish*to peppers still taste good when they aren’t in the peak season!
If you like spicy, check out my most popular Hatch Green Chile recipes. I also teach you how to roast these peppers without burning your hands and eyeballs!!
More Delicious Pepper Recipes To Try:
Blistered Padrone Peppers
Roasted Red Pepper Panini Sandwich
Beef Stuffed Pasilla Peppers
Gluten Free Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers
The Best Shish*to Pepper Recipes:
Blistered Shish*to Peppers with Garlic
Sandi Gaertner
An easy roasted shish*to pepper and garlic recipe. It makes a delicious appetizer
Check out this recipe
Sauteed Chicken with Shish*to Pepper Sauce over Cheesy Polenta
Roasted Shish*to pepper sauce over chicken and cheesy polenta. Pan sautéd chicken with a shish*to pepper sauce.
Check out this recipe
Roasted Shish*to Pepper Sauce
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Charred Cauliflower and Shish*to Peppers with Picada Sauce
Picada is a Catalan-style pesto, made here with almonds, parsley, and chocolate—a surprise ingredient that adds a pleasing touch of bitterness to this delicious side dish.
™ Shish*to Peppers are as good as they taste. SUNSET® Peppers are a wonderful source of vitamins A and C and have been known to reduce inflammation from arthritis and asthma.
Have you heard of the shish*to pepper yet? It's the Japanese cousin to the more well-known padrón pepper. Like padróns, shish*tos are mild, but compared to its Spanish counterpart, there's an even smaller chance of coming across a spicy one (usually about 1 in 10).
“As the plant matures and you pick more and more peppers, the later peppers tend to get the heat,” Kurdieh explains—a phenomenon that can happen just weeks into the growing season if there is enough heat and dryness, factors that cause stress on the plant and produce heat in the peppers.
Shish*to peppers pack a punch with their nutritional content. They're brimming with vitamins and antioxidants, essential for maintaining good health. Each pepper is a mini treasure trove of Vitamin C, contributing to immune defense, and Vitamin A, supporting eye health.
Shish*to Peppers are a petit Pepper variety with a highly distinctive flavor profile. Every Pepper is light green in color, with some ripening further to acquire an orange tinge. With thinner walls and a slender form, Shish*to Peppers are best suited for appetizers, side dishes, or finger food platters.
Some people with arthritis swear that nightshade vegetables — such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers — cause their arthritis to flare. While there aren't any studies to support a link between arthritis pain and most nightshades, tomatoes may be an exception. That's because they raise levels of uric acid.
Low in Calories: For weight watchers, including shish*to peppers in your diet is highly beneficial because they are incredibly low in calories. A single serving only has approximately 30 calories. Shish*to pepper, therefore, can be a good addition to weight management plans.
Stomach health: Multiple studies have shown that capsaicin inhibits acid production in the stomach, which may help prevent ulcers. Gut health: Perhaps surprisingly, spicy foods can have a calming, anti-inflammatory effect in the gut and improve the microbiome.
The name, "Shish*to", derives from the Japanese words "shishi", which means "lion", and "togarashi", which translated to "chili pepper". Hence, in Japan, it is known as the "Lion Head pepper".
Keep shish*to peppers in a paper or plastic bag in the warmest area of the refrigerator. If purchased when fresh, they can last in your crisper drawer for up to 2 weeks. Have some fresh leftover shish*tos? Freeze them whole, and save for a little bit of summer during colder months.
Shish*to peppers, Capsicum annuum, is a small and thin-walled East Asian variety of pepper. About a finger length long, its cousins are bell peppers, jalapeños, New Mexico chile, and cayenne peppers. However, they do not contain much heat. Usually harvested green, they turn red with age.
Shish*to peppers will last up to two weeks (maybe longer) when kept dry and stored in the fridge. They're still good as long as they're firm and not mushy. Ripe shish*tos are bright green, but if you find a red or orange pepper in the bag, it's perfectly normal and fine to eat.
Earning their name from shishi, the Japanese word for lion, Green Shish*to peppers have a creased tip that some believe resembles the head of a lion. The peppers are also known as Kkwarigochu in Korea and have a mild to moderate level of spice, averaging 100-1,000 SHU on the Scoville scale.
Younger peppers will have a greenish hue. As they mature, the color transitions to orange, and eventually will turn red. With Shish*to peppers, the color of the pepper has no impact on the spice level. As a rule of thumb, 1 in 10 Shish*to peppers has a kick of heat, no matter if it's green, orange, or yes, even red!
Decide how you want to incorporate shish*to peppers into your dish. They can be sliced into rings, chopped into small pieces, or left whole if you prefer. The choice is yours!
Keep shish*to peppers in a paper or plastic bag in the warmest area of the refrigerator. If purchased when fresh, they can last in your crisper drawer for up to 2 weeks. Have some fresh leftover shish*tos? Freeze them whole, and save for a little bit of summer during colder months.
Shish*to peppers score a measly 100 to 1,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), while jalapenos boast a more respectable range of 2,500-8,000 SHU. In other words, the spiciest jalapeno can be up to 80 times spicier than the mildest shish*to pepper.
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