A pimiento or pimento or cherry pepper is a variety of large, red, heart-shaped chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) that measures 3 to 4 in (7 to 10 cm) long and 2 to 3 in (5 to 7 cm) wide (medium, elongate).
| Pimiento | |
|---|---|
 Pimiento peppers | |
| Species | Capsicum annuum |
| Cultivar | Pimiento |
| Heat |  Mild |
| Scoville scale | 100–500 SHU |
Description and habitat
editPimientos can have various colors including yellow, green, red, and maroon. Like most peppers, immature pods are green and develop other colors as they reach maturity.[1]
The flesh of the pimiento is sweet, succulent, and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper. Some varieties of the pimiento type are hot, including the Floral Gem and Santa Fe Grande varieties.
Peppers grow in hardiness zones 4 through 12.[2]
Name
editSpanish pimiento and Portuguese pimento both come from Latin pigmentum ("pigment; coloring") and came to be used for bell peppers. The English borrowed "pimiento" and "pimento" as loanwords for what is distinguished in Spanish as pimentón and in Portuguese as pimentão.[citation needed]
Note that in Jamaican English pimento usually refers to allspice (Pimenta dioica).[3]
Uses
edit
"Sweet" (i.e., neither sour nor savory) pimiento peppers are the familiar red stuffing found in prepared Spanish or Greek green olives. Originally, the pimiento was hand-cut into tiny pieces, then hand-stuffed into each olive to balance out the olive's otherwise strong, salty flavor. Despite the popularity of the combination, this production method was very costly and time-intensive.
More recently, for ease of production, pimientos are often puréed then formed into tiny strips, with the help of a natural gum (such as sodium alginate or guar gum). This allows olive stuffing to be mechanized, speeding the process and lowering production costs.[4][5]
The fruits are typically used fresh as a salad ingredient, cooked, or pickled.
Pimientos are commonly used for making pimento cheese.[6][7][8][9] It is also used for making pimento loaf, a type of processed sandwich meat.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Bosland, Paul W.; Votava, Eric J.; Votava, Eric M. (2012). Peppers: Vegetable and Spice Capsicums. CABI. ISBN 978-1-84593-825-3.
- ^ "Pimiento Overview". Smart Gardener.
- ^ "Jamaican Pimento". UWI Department of Chemistry.
- ^ Kovalchik, Kara (2023-08-01) [A version of this story originally ran 2014-02-07; it has been updated.]. "What Are Pimentos, And How Do They Get Inside Olives?". Mental Floss. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
- ^ Patent description Archived 2017-03-27 at the Wayback Machine of stuffing manufacturing.
- ^ Pixie Sevilla-Santos. "Homemade Cheese Pimiento". Yummy.PH. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ "Cheese Pimiento Sandwich Spread". panlasangpinoy.com. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ "Filipino Cheese Pimiento". filipino-food-recipes.com. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ TaGa_Luto (25 April 2010). "Inato lang Filipino Cuisine and More". bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- Webster's Dictionary of the English Language – Unabridged Encyclopedic Edition, Publishers International Press, New York, 1977.