Capsicum
Capsicum questions and answers
Learn more about Capsicum at Diet & Health.net.
Q: What is the best way to oven bake capsicum in order to remove the skin for use on a pizza for example?
I think it's normally called chargrilled capsicum but I want to do it in the oven.
A: I do this all the time. I spray the peppers with oil, place them on a baking sheet, and roast in a 425 F oven about 30-40 minutes. You'll see when they are done. After they cool, they can easily be peeled. Some people don't use the oil, but I've never oven roasted peppers without it. They're delicious!
Q: Nice way to cook Mushrooms, Capsicum and Onion?
I have some Mushrooms, Capsicum and Onion and want to know a nice way to cook them. I was thinking in the oven with some oil, salt, vinegar.
Does anyone have any nice tips on what I should do with theses ingredients?
A: PIZZA!
Q: What is the difference between red and green capsicum apart from the colour?
I have noticed that some recipes choose one or the other or they say to use both. Does it matter which one I use when the recipe only asks for one colour? Does it matter if I only use one colour if the recipe asks for both? Why are the green capsicum always cheaper than the red?
A: Red and Green Peppers (Capsicums) are exactly the same fruit of the capsicum plant, only the green is picked earlier and when the green matures it goes red, as with any mature fruit the longer it is on the plant the sweeter it gets and the longer it stays, the longer it has to pay rent to the farmer. Hence the higher price. If you can use both, use them, if you can't then dont, the red pepper adds great colour and taste as does the green, but dont break the bank for the sake of colour. If you can afford it use both, I have found that there is always a plentiful supply of fresh peppers at the grocery store, so only buy what you need when you need it.
Good question and enjoy your peppers.......
Q: A question about cooking stuffed capsicum?
I am cooking that in a pan. What my dilemma is how do I get the inside stuffing of the capsicum to get well-cooked. becoz if I turn it upside down, the contents will spill out. Any ideas? Thanks guys.
And by capsicum I mean green peppers.
A: Make sure you pre-cook whatever you stuff them with. I stuff mine with rice and vegies and then put in the oven to cook the capsicum.
Q: Which hot chili pepper has the highest amount of capsicum in it? Does it realy increase your matabolism?
Please include any of your sources. Also how much capsicum is in that pepper?
Are capsicum supplement pills considered diet pills? If so are they bad like other diet pills?
A: Habanero peppers have the highest scoville units. (measures of heat). They are BY FAR the hottest pepper. They are small and usually red, yellow, or orange. Eating spicy foods does increase your metabolism BUT I wouldnt recommend eating a habanero, its impossible!! Heres a nice rule of thumb: The smaller the pepper, the spicer!
Q: Can anyone explain what climatic conditions are needed for growth of capsicum annuum?
Capsicum annuum. the chilli pepper. Links to good sources will also be appreciated. Thank you for your time.
A: While paprika plants, capsicum annuum, tolerate nearly every climate and are grown all over the world, they are especially productive in warm and dry climates. The paprika pods are harvested during the late summer and early autumn. In Peru and some other equatorial countries, farmers have been able to harvest year-round. Paprika color is closely related to sun exposure, while a warm climate produces a strong aroma.
Q: What are the laws on police officers using capsicum spray?
I was an innocent bystander about 10 meters away from where the capsicum spray was let off, but I got it pretty bad causing an asthma attack, and I am just wondering if the police are liable for causing that attack? I live in Australia so the laws here may be different to those of you who live elsewhere.
A: No not liable
Q: If I collect seeds from a capsicum I bought in the supermarket, will the seedlings be the same?
I know with apples and stuff like that the seeds dont germinate true to their parents but with things like capsicum, tomato, pumpkin, lettuce etc. If i just by something from the supermarket, save the seeds, then plant them will they be the same as the pllant I took them from?
A: Probably, but it depends. Some companies intentionally genetically modify their produce so that the seeds are sterile. It's called "terminator technology." The idea is to force farmers to buy seeds every year rather than using seeds from the previous year's crop.
"The U.S. government has been funding research into terminator technology, which could make it impossible for farmers to grow their own seeds. Plant species that have been manipulated this way will be sterile."
Q: Whenever i make capsicum kaju masala after 2 hours it tastes a bit odd .?
It tastes good just after being cooked what can be the reason can anyone give me a perfect recipe for kaju capsicum masala and a few north indian veg recipes.
A: Here are two recipes that are interchangable, the first you add kaju in the amount you wish, the second the addition of Graham Marsala gives it the kick, about 1tsp.
Capsicum Masala
Ingredients:
1 Onion chopped into thin strips
1 Small Tomato, halved
1 Small potato
1 Large Capsicum chopped into 1" pieces
1tsp Jeera
1tsp Ginger/Ginger-garlic paste
2" Cinnamon stick
3-4 Cloves
1tsp Soy Sauce(optional)
1tsp Tomato ketchup(optional)
1tsp Garam masala
1tsp Chilli powder
2tbsp Oil
salt to taste
Prep:
Take 1tsp oil in a kadai and fry the sliced onions for a minute.
Blend the above onions, tomato, ginger paste, cinnamon and cloves into a smooth paste using a blender.
Meanwhile wash, peel and chop potatoes into 1" cubes. Boil them on stove with salt and water until they are cooked.
Take the remaining oil in the kadai and add jeera.
Add the capsicum pieces after the jeera seeds splutter. Add very little water; cover and cook until Capsicum pieces change colour and become tender.
To this add the onion-tomato paste, soy sauce-tomato ketchup and the cooked potatoes.
Add garam masala ,chilli powder and salt. Garam masala would already have some spicy conent in it;So, add only little chili powder initially and you can add more later, as per your tatse. Add water if required and boil for 2-3 mins.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with puris/rotis or even rice.
********************************
Kaju Capsicum
Ingredients:
3 capcicums/green peppers, cut into ribbon shapes
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup kaju/cashews
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 cups yogurt, beaten
1/2 cup coconut
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
4 tbsp oil
a pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
cilantro for garnishing
Prep:
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and roast onions, tomatoes. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Remove and blend 3/4th of this mixture along with half cup kaju/cashew.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same pan again and add cumin and fry for a minute.
Add capsicum and fry until it is cooked. Add the remaining 1/4th onion mixture. To reduce the time in cooking capcisum here, you can cook that in the microwave for 5 mins after chopping.
After capsicum is cooked, add the blended gravy, red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder, remaining half cup kaju/cashew and mix everything for a minute.
Add yogurt and cook for 10-15 mins under reduced flame. Keep mixing in between.
Add salt and cilantro at the end.
Serve hot with either Rice or Chapathi.
Q: Does capsicum work for treating caterax in dogs?
just wondering if a herb called capsicum works for treating catterax.
Thanks!!
i heard it works
A: No way!!!!!
Capsicum is the scientific name for chilli pepper, and should not be near anyone's eyes, man or beast. If your dog's got cataracts, see the vet.
Q: Is it true Capsicum is used to treat homesickness? Does it really work?
I was searching online for a pill to handle homesickness and found Capsicum. Does it really work?
A: no...it's the 'heat' from a pepper...it'll cause heart burn if you aren't used to it...it'll cause whatever it touches to burn so don't get it in your eyes...(have a thought..if it cured homesickness then there would be NO homesick people, cause people all over the world eat hot (spicy) food.)
Q: What are the pigments found in Capsicum frutescens?
We did a column chromatography experiment so as to separate the following pigments with their distinctive colors (in oder of elution): yellow, red and orange. Following that experiment, we performed Thin Layer chromatography and found out that the pigments have the following relative polarity to our eluent, DCM: Hexame (1:1): yellow>red>orange.
I would just like to ask if anybody of you know the names of these pigments and what are their respective colors.
Thank you.
A: in general, plant pigments other than chlorophyll are called carotenoids. there are several types of carotenoids however. xanthophylls are yellow pigments, carotenes are orange pigments and anthocyanins are red. still, one type of xanthophyll that is abundant in capsicum species is capsanthin.
Q: What is the primary ingredient in a water based oleoresin capsicum spray?
what is the primary ingredient in a water based O.C spray?
A: Capsicum, it’s the Pepper (Capsaicin) of Pepper Spray or Mace
The oleoresin is just a resin carrying agent. It is also what makes it useless to try and wash the pepper spray off because it is sticky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin).
The water is what keeps it in a mist form and dilutes the concentration.
Capsaicin is the primary ACTIVE ingredient because it is stuff in pepper that makes it burn. In chemical sprays like mace and pepper spray it is the harsh pepper that caused the burning, the stinging the reddening of the face, the temporary blindness from the watering eyes, and the stunned reaction.
Capsaicin is also the primary ACTIVE ingredient in most of those rub on body pain relief medications like Ben Gay. Here in lower doses the pepper irritates the skin (the warming sensation) and promotes blood flow, which reduces inflammation and so the pain. Therefore if you get something like Ben Gay in your eye it is like a mild shot of pepper spray.
According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleoresin_Capsicum_spray
"Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from "Oleoresin Capsicum"), OC gas, capsicum spray, or oleoresin capsicum) is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears. It is a less lethal agent that can be deadly in rare cases. The American Civil Liberties Union documented fourteen fatalities from the use of pepper spray as of 1995. The active ingredient in pepper spray is capsaicin, which is a chemical derived from the fruit of plants in the Capsicum genus, including chilis. Long-term effects of pepper spray have not been effectively researched.
Extraction of oleoresin capsicum from peppers involves finely ground capsicum, then the capsaicin is extracted in an organic solvent such as ethanol. The solvent is then evaporated, and the remaining waxlike resin is the oleoresin capsicum. An emulsifier such as propylene glycol is used to suspend the OC in water, and pressurized to make it aerosol in pepper spray. The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method is used to measure the amount of capsaicin within pepper sprays. Scoville Heat Units (SHU) are used to measure the hotness of pepper spray."
According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsicum
"Capsicum is a genus of plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae) native to the Americas, where it was cultivated for thousands of years by the people of the tropical Americas, and is now cultivated worldwide. Some of the members of Capsicum are used as spices, vegetables, and medicines. The fruit of Capsicum plants have a variety of names depending on place and type. They are commonly called chili pepper, red or green pepper, or sweet pepper in Britain, and typically just capsicum in Australia and Indian English. The large mild form is called bell pepper in the US. They are called paprika in some other countries (although paprika can also refer to the powdered spice made from various capsicum fruit).
The original Mexican term, chilli (now chile in Spanish) came from Nahuatl word chilli or xilli, referring to a huge Capsicum variety cultivated at least since 3000 BC, according to remains found in pottery from Puebla and Oaxaca."
According the first Wikipedia article:
"Pepper spray is an inflammatory. It causes immediate closing of the eyes, difficulty breathing, runny nose, and coughing. The duration of its effects depend on the strength of the spray but the average full effect lasts around thirty to forty-five minutes, with diminished effects lasting for hours....
The European Parliament Scientific and Technological Options Assessment (STOA) published in 1998 “An Appraisal of Technologies of Political Control” with extensive information on pepper spray and tear gas. They write:
"The effects of pepper spray are far more severe, including temporary blindness which last from 15-30 minutes, a burning sensation of the skin which last from 45 to 60 minutes, upper body spasms which force a person to bend forward and uncontrollable coughing making it difficult to breathe or speak for between 3 to 15 minutes." ...
The US Army concluded in a 1993 Aberdeen Proving Ground study that pepper spray could cause "Mutagenic effects, carcinogenic effects, sensitization, cardiovascular and pulmonary toxicity, neurotoxicity, as well as possible human fatalities. There is a risk in using this product on a large and varied population."”
It was non the less approved for use by the FBI and the agent in charge of that was found to have been bribed by the company who makes it and spent 2 months in prison for taking that bribe.
The article continues: "Pepper spray is banned for use in war by Article I.5 of the Chemical Weapons Convention which bans the use of all riot control agents in warfare whether lethal or non-lethal."
Other states and nations have other laws controlling its use (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleoresin_Capsicum_spray#Legality). It is less than lethal, but it can still be dangerous to use. In the US only 4 states restrict the use and sale of pepper spray, but only 2 of those restrict the content (strength) the other two just restrict the sale and who can carry it.
Q: What is the FDA Regulatory status of Capsicum as a topical analgesic in patch form?
Cannot seem to find a suitable answer from the FDA. Doing R&D on use with other topical warming and cooling agents in an occlusive gel patch.
A: Try looking it up as capsaicin
Q: How do I get a red pepper (capsicum) juice stain out of a white T-shirt?
I have washed it once but the stain is still there. Any ideas? T-shirt is cotton.
A: Don't dry it in the dryer, that sets the stain more.
You can try liquid dish soap on the spot.
If this doesn't work I would fill the washer like you are ready to run it, then dab straight bleach on the spots, wait a sec till they are gone, then toss directly into the running washer. bleach will take it out, but if left on the fabric too long will eat a hole in it.