Cascabel
Capsicum annuum 'Cascabel' · Chilli pepper
Top 10 pairings
The cascabel is the dried form of the "bola" or rattle chile — a small, round, cherry-shaped pod of deep reddish-brown that takes its name from the way its loose seeds rattle inside the dried husk. Mild to medium in heat, it is prized for a rich, nutty, smoky-woody flavour with tobacco and earthy notes that give body and a toasty depth to Mexican salsas, soups and table sauces.
Picking a good onedrag
UnderripeOverripe
Red ripePeakIt's sweetest and hottest now. Roast it, make chilli oil or sauce, or string it to dry.
ColourFully turned, bright even red
The pressFirm, springs straight back
Cap and stalkCap green and tight, stalk firming
Smell at the capWarm and fruity over the green
These cues are Chilli's, and hold across its varieties; where this one differs, its own page says so.
What you get from one
73%
Edible part
45 g · fresh pod, stem and seeds out
62 g
Weight each
each one
Keeping ittap a temperature
Below 7 °C the skin pits and the cap moulds: in two weeks at 5 °C, in days at 0 °C.
90-95%
Humidity
Loosely bagged
Airflow