August heralds the end of summer and the beginning of new school years as well as the turning of the seasons, with fall and cooler temperatures around the corner. Speaking of heat, August is also when our local farms have in abundance one of our most dynamic, flavorful, and hottest fruits around (gastronomically speaking): peppers! Today we will highlight peppers, the sweet and the spicy, and the plethora of ways they make an impact, not only for our taste buds, but on the global stage in cultural cuisines and for our state’s agricultural economy. We hope this article piques your interest about peppers, their history and use in our foods, as well as cooking with them in the future!
Peppers: Versatile, Cosmopolitan Fruits
Although peppers grow well in North Carolina, like many of the fruits of vegetables we enjoy on our plates, peppers are not from around here! Peppers are in fact native to parts of Central and South America. Native peoples in Mexico introduced Spanish explorers to peppers in the 1500s, who then brought the seeds to Europe where they continued to be spread to the rest of the world. Peppers are now prominent ingredients in many different cultural cuisines, including dishes from Latin America, Africa, the Mediterranean, and Asia. From chile rellenos to Indian curries to Korean kimchi, peppers are versatile and enjoyed in numerous ways around the globe, and the peppers themselves reflect a history of human experiences and choices to select traits valued for their culinary use.
Did you know that there are thousands of varieties of peppers cultivated globally? Five species of peppers (all in the same genus Capsicum) were bred over the years into the numerous peppers we have today of all different shapes, sizes, colors, and spiciness levels! The species Capsicum annum composes the majority of commercially-grown varieties today and includes bell peppers, poblanos, jalapeños, as well as thai chiles peppers.
NC Pepper Production
When it comes to growing peppers (at least sweet ones), North Carolina is a serious national contender! Our state ranked 6th in the US for bell pepper production in 2023 (North Carolina Agricultural Statistics 2024 data), harvesting 4% of the US’s national supply that year. The counties producing the most bell peppers in our state are clustered in the central Coastal Plain and include Johnston, Sampson, Duplin, Wayne, Pender, and Columbus. Most NC peppers are grown to be eaten fresh versus for processing into value-added food products such as soups and sauces.
On the very hot side of things, the Carolina Reaper is one of the hottest peppers commercially available, but we in North Carolina cannot take the credit for developing it! This pepper was bred in South Carolina by the PuckerButt Pepper Company, along with Pepper X, the current hottest pepper on the market. However, you can definitely find Carolina Reaper, ghost peppers, and plenty of other hot varieties from our local farms in NC!
Power-Packed Peppers: A Nutrition Powerhouse with a Spicy Side
Whether they are sweet or spicy, peppers are also power-houses for nutrition. The different colors of peppers we see at the farmers’ market or store represent different levels of ripening; green peppers are unripe while other colors like yellow, orange, red, and even purple are ripe. But all colors of peppers can be eaten! It might also surprise you to learn that there is more vitamin C on average in peppers than oranges! Peppers also contain carotenoids that keep our eyes and immune systems healthy, with red and orange peppers having the highest concentrations.
Last but not least, why are some peppers spicy and others are not? The spiciness of some peppers comes from the chemical capsaicin, which is naturally produced in the white tissue attached to the seeds inside the pepper fruit. The amount of capsaicin determines the spiciness level, with more capsaicin producing more heat. The spiciness of pepper varieties is measured using the Scoville Heat Scale, with Scoville Heat Units (SHUs) corresponding to the amount of capsaicin in the peppers. Some peppers do not produce significant levels of capsaicin, like bell peppers, and have 0 SHUs. In contrast, the spiciest pepper on record, Pepper X, produces over 2.6 million SHUs! One final fun fact about peppers: all peppers can be chiles, and not all chiles are hot! A chile is basically a pepper that has been picked ripe and dried, like a raisin is to a grape. There are sweet chiles out there too!
For more information on finding locally-grown peppers as well as growing and cooking with peppers, contact the North Carolina Cooperative Extension - Lee County Center and ask for Meredith Favre, our Local Foods Agent.
