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January 27, 2005
Pimento
Pimentos are sweet peppers.
Pimento is the Spanish word for "pepper." Also called pimientos, it is not to be confused with the pimento tree that grows in the West Indies and produces allspice. These sweet peppers are sweet, juicy, aromatic, heart-shaped miniature peppers. These are highly productive plants that produce early maturing fruit measuring 3-4 inches long by 2-3 inches wide. Pimentos are best when fully mature and scarlet red, but are also eaten when green or yellow. Pimentos are available fresh in late summer and early fall, but are available year round preserved in oil in your grocer's condiments aisle. The flesh of the pimento is the familiar stuffing found in green olives.
In the processing of pimientos, the tough skin must be removed. The old Spanish way (it is native to tropical America but was made popular in Spain) was to suspend the pods on sticks and pass them through a fire. The skins were charred by burning, then removed with a rough cloth. Today, while many improvements have been made, the same principle of "roasting" is still used by some commercial companies. Georgia and Florida are the leading states in pimento production. Pimentos are mainly used for paprika and for stuffing olives.
Storing:
Pimento peppers can be stored up to a week in the refrigerator. Place it, unwashed, in a plastic bag within your vegetable bin with similar items - peppers, non-fruit - for best results.
Qualities to Shop For:
Firmness
Solid color, preferrably red
Lack of wrinkles and spots
Suggested Uses for Peppers:
Fresh off the plant
Fresh and chopped (ex: pasta salad)
Spreads (for additional flavor and color)
Roasted or Sauted (ex: with meat, seafood, or vegetable dishes)
Pimento Bisque
Canning or jarring
Posted by Kelli Little at January 27, 2005 04:05 PM