Some like it hot!

by

In a comparison that is as classic as it is true, like moths to flames, many pepper growers continually seek out the hottest of the hot peppers. Curiosity, I guess, is the main reason, because it sure isn’t self-preservation, as several selections are, to me, just unholy hot.

So, how can you tell how hot a hot pepper is? Well, bite into one and take your chances, or let the Scoville Scale be your guide. Using Scoville Heat Units as a pucker meter helps determine whether a pepper is as cool as a cucumber or hot enough to make you go running to momma.

Bell peppers are at the bottom of the Scoville Scale, with their gentle sweetness coming in at zero SHUs. Like to spice meals up—safely? Espanola, Poblano and Anaheim, all rated around 2,000 SHUs, deliver tasty twangs with a minimum of heat. Need more bite? Get your culinary kicks from Tabasco (2,000 to 5,000 SHUs), Serrano (10,000 to 23,000 SHUs) or Cayenne (30,000 to 50,000 SHUs).

Want to go for some real burn? For years, Habanero was at the top of the molten heap with a sizzle that rates upward of 350,000 SHUs. I bit into one once to experience its supposedly sweet, fruity taste. I found it, along with a swift biochemical conflagration follow-up that made the rest of my day different.

However, as hot as the Habanero pepper is, it doesn’t hold a candle (pun intended) to some of the five-alarm fires that have been introduced in recent years. Coming in at 1.5 million SHUs, both Dorset Naga and Ghost Pepper (also known as Bhut Jolokia) are over four times hotter than a Habanero. Add another 500,000 SHUs, and you’re dancing with a devil of a pepper known as Trinidad Scorpion.  

But which pepper is the hottest of the hot? Look no further than Carolina Reaper, an insane inferno conjured up by Ed Currie from his aptly named PuckerButt Pepper Company in Fort Mill. A super scorcher since 2013, Carolina Reaper lives up to its name, smoldering upward of 2.2 million SHUs.

If you are a moth searching for such flames, many of these peppers can be found as starter plants at local garden centers brave enough to carry such sizzlers. All of the selections mentioned are also easy finds online, especially as seeds, and here are a few e-retailers to check out:

- PuckerButt Pepper Company (puckerbuttpeppercompany.com)

- Pepper Joe’s (pepperjoe.com)

- Twilley Seeds (twilleyseed.com)

- Seeds ‘n Such (seedsnsuch.com)

May in the Garden

• This month is a prime time to plant gladioli. The best location for the corms of these pretties is in a well-draining, sunny site protected from the wind. For faster development, mulch around the corms and water weekly after glad spikes start to pop out of the ground. 

• The time of the cool-season vegetables in the garden is coming to a close. Remove any spent or bolting plants of kale, lettuce, spinach, collards and broccoli to make room for summer veggies.

Tip of the Month

Want to enjoy (?) the most heat from your hot peppers? After the peppers set fruit, cut back on watering them by irrigating only when the leaves just start to wilt. This will lessen the amount of moisture in the fruits, enhancing the snap, crackle and pop factor.

Prime time for plucking these peppers is when they are fully ripe, meaning after the fruits totally change from immature green to their advertised hot hues. Picking too soon will not allow capsaicin (the chemical compound that creates the scorch) to build to maximum levels. 

L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.

---

Related stories

Behind the scenes at PuckerButt Pepper Co.—The devilish Carolina Reaper super-hot pepper is a “gift from God” that changed everything for Fort Mill’s “Smokin’ Ed" Currie.

Made in S.C.—From famously hot Blenheim Ginger Ale to the world’s hottest pepper, the Palmetto State is home to several one-of-a-kind items and products

Man on fire—"Smokin' Ed" Currie holds the Guinness World Record for his insanely hot Carolina Reaper chili pepper—and he's just getting started.