Cubanelle Peppers

[JMediger]

Rachel Ray uses these all the time it seems on her show and I've noticed them frequently in her cookbook but I can't find them where we are living (nor could I find them, though, in the town in Oregon we lived in so ...).
What other pepper can I use as a substitution? Are they sweet? spicey?
Thank you for any advice!

 

[Aurora]

Cubanelle peppers are a long, thin tapered sweet pepper. They can be light green, red or yellow in color. They are sometimes called banana peppers or Italian sweet peppers. The closest I can think for a substitute would be an Anaheim pepper.

See the following link for more information:

http://www.truestarhealth.com/Notes/1962007.html

 

[Andy M.]

Here's what they look like.

http://www.foodsubs.com/Peppersw.html

You could easily sub bell peppers.

 

[JMediger]

Thank you both for the information - I've seen her chop but couldn't really tell what it looked like. Andy, with subsituting either red or yellow (like the site you sited suggested) - do you think more? less?
Also, sorry about the mis - spelling in my original post!

 

[Andy M.]

..with subsituting either red or yellow (like the site you sited suggested) - do you think more? less?...

I'd go with one for one. Figure a medium-sized bell pepper is about the same as a cubanelle. In a recipe a little more or less won't matter.

 

[Constance]

Let me step in here, if I may. I was in the plant business for 22 years, and Cubanelle was one of the most requested peppers I raised. They are an early (65 days) and prolific sweet Italian frying type with delicious taste. Long, green, thick-skinned fruits have 2 to 3 lobes and turn yellow, then bright red at maturity. Peppers measure about 5-1/2" x 2-1/2" and are tastiest when fried in olive oil.
If I had to substitute, I would use sweet banana.

 

[JMediger]

If I had to substitute, I would use sweet banana.

Thank you again to everyone!
Constance - 2 questions ... can I substitute with jarred sweet banana peppers (like the sandwich ones) because that's as close as I could probly get. Second, living in central Wisconsin, do you think they could be grown here?

Thank you!!

 

[ronjohn55]

Thank you again to everyone!
Constance - 2 questions ... can I substitute with jarred sweet banana peppers (like the sandwich ones) because that's as close as I could probly get. Second, living in central Wisconsin, do you think they could be grown here?

Thank you!!

I'm not Constance (For which I'm sure she's very glad! ), but I'd hazard a guess that the answer to both of your questions would be yes, based on the fact that we've grown them in Michigan, and we've canned them with pretty decent results. The pickled pepper rings we made of them are actually quite tasty on pizzas!

John

 

[Constance]

Ronjohn is correct, except I don't think the canned ones would work very well for sauteeing. I use canned sweet banana peppers quite often. They're great on sandwiches and in salads.
Since the Cubanelles are an early pepper, you shouldn't have any problem raising them in Wisconsin. You should be able to find plants at a local nursery.

 

[jennyema]

Jarred or canned really can't be subbed for fresh unless the fresh ones are going to get pickled in the recipe, as the packaging liquid changes the taste and texture of the peppers.

And I agree that you can probably grow them in WI. I grew them in Boston and have a ton still in the freezer. I agree with Constance that it would probably be better to buy a plant rather than a seed, unless you have a greenhouse to start seedlings in -- or a place in your hosue that is appropriate.

 

[JMediger]

Thank you all again!
I will have to find a spot in my little plot of garden to try to grow these devils! At this point, I just would like to taste one!!
I'll stick with red or yellow at this point I guess.
Thank you all - such a nice group of people!