Green Swallow Chile Peppers

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Description/Taste

Green Swallow chile peppers are elongated pods, averaging 8 to 11 centimeters in length, and have an oval to conical shape, tapering to a distinct point on the non-stem end. The skin is smooth, shiny, waxy, and pale green-yellow. Underneath the thin skin, the flesh is thick, striated, crisp, and also pale green, encasing a central cavity filled with thin membranes and many round and flat, cream-colored seeds. Green Swallow chile peppers are crunchy and juicy with a mildly earthy, sweet and vegetal taste.

Seasons/Availability

Green Swallow chile peppers are available in the summer through fall.

Current Facts

Green Swallow chile peppers, botanically classified as Capsicum annuum, are a sweet, fleshy variety that belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Also known as Lastochka peppers, which translates from Russian to mean “swallow,” Green Swallow peppers are an early to mid-season variety created in Moldova that is favored for use in home gardening and commercial growing. The peppers were named after the pod’s similarity in shape to a swallow’s beak or wing, and the peppers are best grown both outside in warm climates and in greenhouses. They are also highly regarded for their long storage capabilities, resistance to disease and pests, high yields, and the ability to be machine harvested. Green Swallow peppers are extensively consumed in Russia and are utilized in both raw and cooked applications as an everyday pepper.

Nutritional Value

Green Swallow chile peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that can help boost the immune system and rebuild collagen within the body. The peppers also contain vitamins A and B6, folate, potassium, phosphorus, and manganese.

Applications

Green Swallow chile peppers are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as stuffing, roasting, baking, grilling, and frying. When raw, the pods can be sliced and layered on appetizer plates with dips, tossed into green salads, chopped into salsa, or blended into sauces. The peppers are also commonly utilized in cooked preparations as the flesh develops a richer, savory-sweet flavor when roasted or baked. Green Swallow chile peppers can be stuffed with ground meat, rice, or vegetables and roasted, lightly charred and served with cooked meats, boiled in a version of borscht, or cooked in tomato and pepper stews. The peppers can also be canned for commercial use or stuffed and pickled for extended use. Green Swallow chile peppers pair well with tomatoes, zucchini, onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, mushrooms, meats such as ground beef, turkey, or sausage, rice, honey, balsamic vinegar, and raisins. The fresh peppers will keep 3-4 months when properly stored in commercial chillers. When stored in the refrigerator, the peppers will keep 1-2 weeks.

Ethnic/Cultural Info

In Russia, many families cultivate swallow peppers in dacha gardens, which are plots of land averaging six hundred square meters that are annually used for growing food during the summer. Many of these plots are located in rural locations outside of the major cities, and some Russians even drive for over an hour to reach their family’s land. Gardening is a traditional practice in Russia to allow families to feel connected to the earth and one another. It also provides space for families to escape the rising costs of food and to assert control over what they eat. As generations pass, gardening secrets and tips are shared by working in the garden together, and the plants are tended to by hand, stemming from the belief that working with the earth will improve the body and mind. In the garden, many different varieties of both fruits and vegetables, including peppers, potatoes, carrots, apples, cucumbers, berries, and pears are intermixed, and after harvest, families will trade these items with other families to have a diverse selection of ingredients without having to visit local markets.

Geography/History

Green Swallow chile peppers were developed through natural selection in 1970 at the Transnistrian Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture in Moldova. The variety acquired approval after extensive trials in 1974 to be grown in Russia, and to protect the variety name, the pepper is heavily monitored and grown by select companies to ensure that only true swallow peppers are marketed under the swallow name. Today Green Swallow peppers are commonly grown in greenhouses in northern Russia and outside in containers in the warmer regions of southern Russia. They are also cultivated in home gardens and through farms throughout eastern Europe and central Asia.