We wash the 5 kg (about 11 lbs) of red peppers, place them in a pot, fill halfway with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt, and boil them. After boiling, we drain them and remove the skins and seeds. We blend them in a food processor and transfer to a pot. We add 1 tablespoon of salt and half a water glass (about 200 ml / 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) of vegetable oil and bring to a boil. We fill jars, turn them upside down, and the next day store them in the refrigerator or in a place out of direct sunlight.

Pro Tip

Letting it rest for 1 night is enough. Once opened and in use, you can pour vegetable oil over the top and keep it in the refrigerator with the lid closed.

About This Recipe

Capsaicin, a compound found in peppers that helps increase heat in the body, is highly beneficial for reducing sprains, spasms, and similar types of pain. Joint research by the American Cancer Research Association and the University of Nottingham has shared findings that peppers can destroy certain cancer cells. Thanks to an acid called carnosic acid found in peppers, it is possible to preserve memory health. For migraine headaches, if you place some dried peppers in a pot, bring them to a boil, and inhale the steam produced, you will find that your migraines ease. Be careful — you must not be suffering from asthma or similar conditions to inhale this steam. For the common cold and a persistent cough, mixing a small piece of pepper with honey and consuming it increases heat production in the body, providing relief from coughing. Additionally, peppers lower blood pressure, are very helpful in protecting eye health, relieve toothaches in children, cleanse the skin, and open pores. In particular, hot peppers help with losing excess weight and provide energy.

The alkaloids that give peppers their heat are, in the truest sense, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. The degree of heat is determined by the concentration of capsaicin, which is responsible for the spicy sensation we experience. Excessive consumption of hot peppers can cause irritation in the stomach and intestines. The level of heat in hot peppers is measured using a scale called the Scoville scale.

The Scoville Scale: The unit of heat measurement for peppers. It was developed in 1912 by Wilbur Scoville. The measurement method involves diluting a small amount of pepper with sugar water until a group of testers can no longer detect any heat, at which point the ratio of sugar water to pepper is measured.

The world's hottest pepper is the Carolina Reaper, with a heat measurement of 2,200,000 SHU.

Today we have prepared our Red Pepper Paste (Kırmızı Biber Salçası) recipe for you. We almost forgot! If you haven't tried our Köfte (Turkish Meatballs) with Hot Pepper Paste recipe, you absolutely must try it as soon as possible. Bon appétit!