PHILADELPHIA (KYW) Well today’s tip of the day is going to be with something to give your food and recipes a little bit of heat, a little bit of spice. I’m not talking about jalapeños, I’m talking about Habanero peppers.

Did you know they can be as much as 30 – 50 percent hotter then a jalapeño? Yes they are that hot, so what you want to do simply is use just a little bit sparingly to give that dish the heat or spice that you need, but you want to select them right to retain all that flavor.

Now take a look at these. These have a bright orange color all the way around. These are the hottest, and they need to be a bright orange, free from any shriveling, and the stem needs to be nice and green.

When you bring them home, store them in the refrigerator. Shelf life, 5 – 7 days, so they last longer then jalapeños do, longer then certain jalapeño varieties do.

Another thing about these hot chiles when you do cook with them is to make sure your wash your hands thoroughly after you cut them, or use gloves. That is very important. The reason why is that heat can get on your fingertips and if you touch your eye or any part of your body, believe me, you will feel it especially in your eye or in your mouth. So, wash your hands thoroughly after you cut these wonderful small chile peppers that will give your dish the heat it needs.

Today’s recipe “Fresh Habanero – Tomato Salsa “is courtesy of Melissa’s Corporate Chef, Ida Rodriquez. Enjoy and always remember to “Eat Fresh & Stay Healthy.”

Ciao,
Tony

Fresh Habanero – Tomato Salsa

Makes 2 cups

1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
6 radishes chopped into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 Habanero Chile, seeded and chopped very fine
12 sprigs cilantro
1/2 half teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in small bowl, chill at least 1 hour before eating. The longer this salsa sits the hotter it gets and is great for spooning onto tacos, grilled fish and other meats. Other chiles you can use; jalapeños, Serranos (3 - 5) or Manzano chiles (1/2 of 1).
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