Source for Fresh red chiles

Got the newest edition of Saveur and in their top 100, they have an interesting recipe for hot sauce. The recipe calls for 1 pound of fresh red chiles such as fresno, holland or cayenne peppers but I was wondering what store stock these. Most of the stores that I go to have the green thai finger-hots but I can't recall seeing these varieties available. I live in the western burbs but would travel to find a good source.

Any suggestions or leads would be appreciated.

I see something red at Whole Foods...but haven't paid attention to what type it is. Mostly I see red chiles of different varieties at Asian grocers - Thai, Indian, Chinese, etc - and at the larger Hispanic grocers.

I wish I paid specific attention, but I can just see the red in my mind...not the varieties. Hopefully someone else will have much more specific info. My guess is that if you have a largish ethnic grocer, you'll find what you want.

Muttster wrote:The recipe calls for 1 pound of fresh red chiles such as fresno, holland or cayenne peppers but I was wondering what store stock these.

Something to consider - the recipe is just giving you names of three chiles. Use your favorite red chiles. And, also, the recipe is calling for red chiles probably because if you use a mixture of different colored chiles, the sauce turns out looking like sewage (red/green mix.) I make batches of hot sauce every year, but the looks of it don't matter to me at all. I'll be shopping around in near west burb fruit markets later today, hopefully. I'll keep an eye out, but I don't think you are LIMITEd to just those three peppers. Unless you are baking, recipes are guidelines. Your recipe uses the term "such as" which is pretty much (to me, anyway) saying "use your favorite red chile."

Pete's Market has 6 locations where the very large produce sections are filled with beautifully arranged chilies of many varieties along with a wide selection of other, usually very fresh, fruits and vegetables. The stores are huge and offer excellent values in their mea, fish, dairy and grocery well. See the web site:
http://www.petesfresh.com/locations.html

I just made it a couple weeks ago and it turned out great. I got red Chile peppers from Assi plaza and would bet they also have a variety at Super H Mart both are in Niles. Im going to try the Worcestershire sauce next.

Jane wrote:Pete's Market has 6 locations where the very large produce sections are filled with beautifully arranged chilies of many varieties along with a wide selection of other, usually very fresh, fruits and vegetables. The stores are huge and offer excellent values in their mea, fish, dairy and grocery well. See the web site:
http://www.petesfresh.com/locations.html

Pete's Market is great ($0.99/lb pork butt over Superbowl Weekend) but their fresh pepper selection is almost exclusively green peppers. Once in awhile you'll find red jalapenos (and, of course, orange habaneros and orange peron peppers), but not the ones listed in the OP -- at least not at the locations on 43rd and Pulaski and 47th and Kedzie.

I've often noticed Holland peppers in Whole Foods. Couldn't give you a price, through.

Last week Friday Carniceria Jimenez in Melrose Park (717 N 19th Ave. Melrose Park, IL 708.343.6465) had a large display really nice fresh red jalapenos, if that helps.

I'd call first (facility with Spanish would be helpful) if it's a long drive for you as they were very popular when I was there...

seebee wrote:

Muttster wrote:The recipe calls for 1 pound of fresh red chiles such as fresno, holland or cayenne peppers but I was wondering what store stock these.

Something to consider - the recipe is just giving you names of three chiles. Use your favorite red chiles. And, also, the recipe is calling for red chiles probably because if you use a mixture of different colored chiles, the sauce turns out looking like sewage (red/green mix.) I make batches of hot sauce every year, but the looks of it don't matter to me at all. I'll be shopping around in near west burb fruit markets later today, hopefully. I'll keep an eye out, but I don't think you are LIMITEd to just those three peppers. Unless you are baking, recipes are guidelines. Your recipe uses the term "such as" which is pretty much (to me, anyway) saying "use your favorite red chile."

What I was looking for is any semi-hot red pepper. I actually went to Whole Foods and got some red jalapenos but they weren't very hot so I picked up 3 habaneros and some Thai -red-hots. That should kick it up a notch and looking forward to seeing how it works. I wanted to stick to red for the color and to get a baseline of what this should look like when its finished. With what people are saying, it sounds very good and then I will experiment with the red and green mix.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Another point to consider:

The best source for an abundance of inexpensive chiles is to grow your own. They grow astoundingly well, like weeds, and critters aren't too fond of them, I find. One plant will produce a lot of peppers, two will produce more than you need.

Pepper plants are easy to come by at the beginning of the summer. The only drawback here is that you have to wait until the hot, hot months for them to start to fruit. But you'll have bushels of exactly the peppers you want for next to nothing.

Best,
Michael