Pimiento facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pimiento |
|
|---|---|
Cherry peppers
|
|
| Species | Capsicum annuum |
| Cultivar | Pimiento |
| Heat |  Mild |
| Scoville scale | 100–500 SHU |
A pimiento (also spelled pimento) is a type of chili pepper. It is often called a cherry pepper because of its shape. These peppers are usually large, red, and shaped like a heart. They are about 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm) long and 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 cm) wide.
Pimientos can be many colors, including yellow, green, red, and even maroon. Some start green when they are young and turn red as they grow.
The inside of a pimiento is sweet and juicy. It has a nice smell, even more so than a regular bell pepper. Most pimientos are mild, meaning they are not very spicy. But some types, like the Floral Gem, can be a bit hot! People often eat pimientos fresh or pickled in a jar.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The words "pimiento" and "pimento" come from Spanish and Portuguese. In those languages, "pimiento" or "pimento" means "bell pepper." These words originally came from a Latin word meaning "coloring" or "pigment."
When English speakers started using these words, they borrowed them to talk about this specific type of sweet pepper.
Pimientos in Olives
Have you ever seen green olives with a little red bit inside? That red part is usually a sweet pimiento pepper!
Long ago, people would cut tiny pieces of pimiento by hand. Then, they would carefully stuff each piece into an olive. This was done to make the salty olive taste better. It was a very slow and expensive process.
How Olive Stuffing Changed
Later, during the time of big factories, machines made the job easier. A strong pump would push the cut pimiento into one end of the olive. At the same time, it would push the olive's pit out the other end. This made stuffing olives much faster.
Today, pimientos are often mashed up into a smooth paste. Then, they are shaped into small strips using natural ingredients like sodium alginate. This allows machines to stuff olives very quickly. It helps keep the cost of olives down for everyone.
Other Ways Pimientos Are Used
Pimientos are also used in other foods. They are a main ingredient in pimento cheese, which is a popular spread. You might also find them in pimento loaf, which is a type of sliced sandwich meat.
