Tabasco pepper
Tabasco sauce pepper · McIlhenny Tabasco
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About this variety
The iconic Tabasco pepper is a Capsicum frutescens variety made world-famous by the McIlhenny Company's Tabasco sauce. These vigorous plants produce upright, tapered peppers that mature from pale greenish-yellow through orange to bright red, with a distinctive tangy heat that intensifies when fermented. Originally from the state of Tabasco, Mexico, this variety has been cultivated on Avery Island, Louisiana since the 1860s.
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Culinary uses
Primarily used for making Tabasco-style hot sauces through fermentation with vinegar and salt. Excellent for pepper vinegars, fresh salsas, and adding bright heat to seafood dishes. The thin walls make it ideal for sauce-making but less suitable for drying whole.
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