LONG HOT PEPPER

~15 - 20 lbs Long Hot Pepper aka "Chili Pepper", "Niu-Jiao-Jiao", "牛角椒" Long hot pepper has a gangly, thin body that curves and sways with thin skin. It tastes sweet and mildly spicy. Long hot pepper is often deep-fried and roasted to bring out a delicious sweetness and smokiness. Long hot pepper is available year-round. Handling Tip Selection Long hot pepper is firm with shiny skin, unblemished, and not shriveling. The stem is moist and green. Dry lines or striations across the skin indicate a hotter pepper. These lines are not an indication of poor quality. Storage Long hot pepper should be stored at 45°F - 55°F (7°C - 13°C) with a relative humidity of ninety to ninety-five percent and no mist. The typical shelf life is two to three weeks. Shelf life can be extended by another week by packaging in moisture-retentive films under optimal storage temperature. Storage temperature above 55°F (13°C) will accelerate ripening and bacterial soft rot. Long hot pepper is sensitive to ethylene, a naturally occurring gas that regulates ripening. Long hot pepper should not be stored with high ethylene-producing products to extend shelf life and avoid softening and discoloration. Long hot pepper produces a very low level of ethylene. Long hot pepper is sensitive to chilling injury at storage below 45°F (7°c). Symptoms include surface pitting, water-soaked areas, decay, and discoloration of the seed cavity. As the pepper ripens, it becomes less sensitive to chilling injury.