A pimiento or pimento or cherry pepper is a variety of red, heart-shaped chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) that measures 7–10 centimetres (3–4 inches) long and 2–3 centimetres (3⁄4–1+1⁄4 inches) wide.[citation needed]
Description and habitat
Pimentos grow in hardiness zones 4 through 12.[1]
Like most peppers, immature pimento pods are green and develop other colors, including yellow, green, red, and maroon, as they reach maturity.[2]
The flesh of the pimiento is sweet, succulent, and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper.[citation needed] Some varieties of the pimiento type are hot, including the Floral Gem and Santa Fe Grande varieties.[citation needed]
Name
Spanish 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]
In Jamaican English pimento usually refers to allspice (Pimenta dioica).[3]
Uses
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.
Today, 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] They are also used for making pimento loaf, a type of processed sandwich meat.
See also
References
- ^ “Pimiento Overview”. Smart Gardener.
- ^ Bosland, Paul W.; Votava, Eric J.; Votava, Eric M. (2012). Peppers: Vegetable and Spice Capsicums. CABI. ISBN 978-1-84593-825-3.
- ^ “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. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. 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.
