Colorful Spiral Pepper by Erich Stekovics, mild
The Colorful Spiral Pepper by Erich Stekovics is a fully matured pod of the heirloom variety "Altweibersommer" (Indian Summer), twisted like a chili yet completely without any heat. It is pickled in a vinegar made from their own tomatoes, which balances its sweetness with a fruity acidity.
Colorful Spiral Pepper is a pickled pepper from Stekovics in Frauenkirchen, Burgenland. The narrow, twisted pods remain on the vine until late into the autumn; they are cleaned by hand and preserved in tomato vinegar with sugar and salt, keeping them wonderfully crisp.
Sweet and sour, crisp, and without heat
The red, orange, and yellow twisted pods are layered together, making the jar look as if something fiery is in store.
The first bite clears up the misconception: the pod provides a bright crunch, tastes sweetly of fully ripened pepper, and receives a round, fruity acidity from the vinegar. Because the fruit hung in the sun for so long, its sugar content is clearly perceptible, yet the flavor remains distinct. What remains is a juicy bite that invites you to go back for seconds.
Why it looks like a chili
Botanically, bell peppers and chilies originate from the same species; the only difference is a substance called capsaicin.
It is found in the white membranes inside the fruit, and this variety simply does not produce it. What looks like a small peperoncino is therefore a mild vegetable that even children can sneak from the board. Its narrow, twisted shape is a natural characteristic and has nothing to do with heat.
Altweibersommer, an almost forgotten variety
The variety is named after those warm September weeks when delicate spider webs drift across the fields.
It is in full harvest during this late season, and only then does it acquire its colors. Stekovics cultivates this variety because it has long since disappeared from the market, and hardly anyone else goes to the trouble of waiting so long for the harvest. Each pod is individually de-stemmed and layered whole into the jar, as cutting them would cause them to lose their twist.
With farmhouse bread, cheese, and grilled dishes
On a platter with bacon, cheese, and hearty farmhouse bread, this pepper needs no other accompaniment.
Sliced into rings, it adds a finishing touch to a salad of leafy greens and onions, where the pickling liquid doubles as the dressing. Alongside grilled food, its acidity cuts through the fat from the grill, and on a sausage sandwich, it replaces both pickles and mustard. On a warm slice of buttered bread, it is a meal in itself.
If you have guests, simply place the open jar on the table, as the spirals look like more than just a side dish. The mild seasoning from Stekovics also works wonders with roasted potatoes or in rice dishes without overpowering the plate.
Every harvest is colored differently
A note from nature: the color mixture in the jar varies from batch to batch.
Depending on the harvest time, there may be more yellow and orange or predominantly red pieces layered together, as the peppers ripen in the field rather than on a schedule. The flavor profile of the variety remains consistent, and an unopened jar keeps well in a cool, dark place throughout the winter. More from Stekovics can be found under our Rare Peppers, alongside the Apple Pepper and the Mangalica Pepper.
Content 380 ml – Drained weight 250 g
