Hot peppers

[rwsaunders]

So my middle kid; oldest son...the biochemistry major; likes to grow vegetables and he experimented this Summer growing some hot peppers...I mean really freaking hot peppers. From top to bottom...Carmel ghost pepper, 7 Pot Madballz pepper, 7 Pot Pink pepper and the freshly germinated, Carolina Reaper (1,569,300 on the Scoville scale) pepper.

[mnoble485]

RW,
My dry wall crew is mostly Hispanic and have a small plot behind their trailer where they grow peppers. I learned early on that if they say no caliente not to listen to them.

Mike

[JoB]

I can't even imagine -- I've been making hot sauce out of Habaneros (which are between 300,000 and 500,000 SVU) and they are unbelievably hot.

[pdxharth]

Nice work! I grew some Carolina Reapers a few years ago after my dad bought me a package of seeds. I had never heard of these peppers, but some quick research told me they were something I shouldn’t mess around with. I cannot imagine mine reached their heat potential here in the Pacific NW, but they are still quite hot. I have half a jar left of the ones I dried. Now I use them in my favorite store-bought salsa. I buy a new jar of salsa, then submerge a dried pepper in it and let it sit til I need to use that jar. I dice up the now-rehydrated pepper and stir it in the salsa. Mostly, it works well but sometimes I find myself sweating up a storm after eating it because I didn’t stir it enough. They taste similar to a habenero, which is a flavor I love.

[bking]

A different kind of pepper story. A lifetime ago I spent two years in the Yucatan serving a mission for my church. In the backyard of the house we stayed in there were several kinds of peppers growing and I'd picked a few and set them on the old wooden desk I used. One morning reading at that desk I accidentally smashed one of the small yellow peppers. I picked it up and the small smashed bits and threw it away. A few minutes later, eyes tired from reading, I rubbed my eyes...don't ever do that.

[Shinomaster]

I tried a ghost pepper hot sauce once and it made my heart flutter. no fun!

[rwsaunders]

My son just showed up at the door with these two lovelies...7 pod pink Chinese chiles which are very hot, but fruity according to him...850,000 Scoville Heat Units...a jalapeño is about 8,500.

[benito]

Fermentation is the way to go, particularly for the really hot peppers. For instance I have found that as the heat mellows in a habanero ferment, all the latent fruit flavors are amplified and really stand out.

I recommend a digital scale to nail the salt/water/chili ratio.

If you have access to some nice sauerkraut, you can leach off some of the liquid and it will kick start the lacto-fermentation process.

To elaborate on the flavor: fermentation creates a broad spectrum of flavor compounds; your carrot tastes even more like a carrot, and a little sour/tangy too. Often there are surprises.

For stuff that’s not too hot, say Cherry peppers: just chop them into rings and plunge them into a vinegar pickle. Put it on pizza, sandwiches, etc.

[Tom]

Wouldn't you get in trouble sending hazardous material like that in the mail? I mean, they won't let you mail dynamite or stuff like that. Those little babies ain't much different.

[Tom]

We're doing a half share CSA from the local cooperative and our friends tell us they made hot sauce from the peppers in theirs last year. There's a significant population of people from Guyana in town (backstory here, that mayor's proverbial blind pig moment https://www.metrofixbook.com ) and they donated their own seeds. "Wear gloves and don't touch your eyes" our friends were told. Will report back when they come in.