Green chili pepper

Slice it lengthways and scrape out the pale ribs and seeds, where much of the heat is concentrated. For a milder result, use only a little of the flesh and add more after tasting.

Not necessarily: the seeds are edible, and leaving them in gives a hotter result. For a milder dish, remove the seeds and pale inner ribs; wear gloves if you are handling several chillies, and wash your hands before touching your eyes.

For a quick stir-fry, slice them and fry with the other aromatics for about 30 seconds before adding wetter ingredients. You can also blister whole chillies in a hot dry pan, turning them until the skins are charred in places, then chop them into a salsa or sauce.

Keep them dry and unwashed in a loosely closed bag in the fridge, and use them while they are firm and unwrinkled. If one becomes soft or mouldy, discard it rather than cutting around the affected part.

Yes. Freeze them whole or sliced in a sealed container; they can go straight from the freezer into a cooked dish. Thawed chillies are softer, so they work better in curries, sauces and stews than as a crisp garnish.

Add them to salsa verde, chutneys, curries, stir-fries or chilli con carne; they also work in a cheese toastie or scrambled eggs. A little lime juice and chopped coriander make a quick dressing for sliced chillies.

For similar heat, use a red chilli, though it may taste fruitier and look different in the dish. For flavour with little heat, use a small amount of green pepper and add black pepper or a pinch of chilli flakes if needed.

Yes: slice them thinly into salsa, salads or sandwiches, or serve them as a sharp, hot garnish. Taste a small piece first, since heat varies greatly between individual chillies.