Cubanelle Peppers: in album food
| Feb 27th, 2011, by Alex Zorach |
These green (unripe) Cubanelle peppers were for sale at the Newark, Delaware farmer's market.
These are a sweet pepper, with absolutely no heat. They provide an interesting alternative to bell peppers, as they have quite different characteristics: thinner skin, often firmer texture, and a lighter aroma.
When ripening, these peppers turn orange and then eventually a deep red. I rarely see ripe cubanelles for sale but when I do, I snatch them up as they are absolutely delightful, combining some of the characteristics of the familiar unripe cubanelles with the sweetness and aroma of red bell peppers.
There are no commonly available substitutes for cubanelle peppers, but I find that if you are in the mood for heat, Anaheim peppers, a slightly-hot chili pepper, have a similar flavor while raw (very different while cooked, however). If you can get them, sweet banana peppers usually make the closest substitution for cubanelles.