Golden Cayenne chili peppers are a specialty variety of pepper, that are typically found at specialty retailers. They have a distinctive, golden yellow appearance, and a sweet, tart and smoky flavor, lending itself well to a myriad of dishes.
The Cayenne Golden chili pepper can have quite an intense heat, especially for those who do not have much of a spice tolerance. On the Scoville scale, they rate as having 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units (or SHU).
If you are growing your own Cayenne Golden chili peppers, then worth knowing that when you pick these peppers affects their heat level. For example, as their heat develops the longer that they are left on the plant, then you can pick them when they suit your spice tolerance and preference.
Pick them early if you like your dishes on the mild to moderate heat side, or pick them later on if you prefer a spicier, hot dish.
They can be used in basically any dish that calls for jalapeños or habaneros, without influencing the flavor profile too much – whilst they won’t change the base flavors, they will provide more of a kick!!
Aside from their heat, Golden Cayenne peppers are said to have a sweet-tart, and sometimes smokey flavor to them.
The Appearance Of The Cayenne Golden Chili Pepper
The Cayenne Golden chili pepper is very distinctive and attractive looking. It turns from a deep green when unripe (like all chili peppers), and progresses into a unique golden yellow as it ripens.
It has quite taut skin, unlike the more wrinkly traditional red cayenne pepper. They are also differentiable from the red cayenne pepper as they grow a little bit larger, between four and six inches long when fully mature, though they do have the same slim, tapered, and ever so slightly twisted shape.
The Culinary Application Of The Cayenne Golden Chili Pepper
As we have already said, Golden Cayenne chilies are a great substitute for jalapeños, serranos, or habaneros in food, as they won’t affect the taste too much, other than increasing the heat.
If you want to use these peppers fresh from the garden or farmer’s market, you will have to first remove and discard the white flesh and seeds, as well as wearing rubber gloves through the preparation process, to protect yourself from skin irritation caused by excessive contact with capsaicin.
After these precautions have been taken, the peppers can be chopped and added to salsas, sauces, marinades, soups, curries, and salads.
These peppers are commonly used in Southern, Creole and Cajun dishes, meaning that they work harmoniously with the herbs used in dishes such as gumbo, seafood, rices, and one pot meals. They work well with the herbal flavors of thyme, oregano, sage, parsley, as well as the vegetal taste of bell peppers, tomatoes, onions tomatoes and garlic.
They are also complimentary when partnered with protein sources, like sausage, chicken, beef, shrimp and beans.
These chilies lend themselves particularly well to being dehydrated and then ground into a chili powder or chili flakes, much like its more commonly use cousin, red cayenne pepper.
To store these chilies, keep them loose and unwashed (until use) in a paper bag in the fridge. They will last around one week fresh if you use this method.
