when are peppers hottest?

[wiscopeppers]

there are a couple threads going right now with similar content, and maybe this could have just been posted in one of those, but I didn't want to hijack someones thread.

I get conflicting answers as to when they are the hottest when I look around the intertubes, some people say if you leave them on too long they will lose heat, others say the longer you leave them on the hotter they'll get. so I was hoping you all might give me your thoughts on when to pick peppers to ensure maximum pain.

I ate this one two days ago, it incapacitated me for about a half hour. it was almost the level of heat I'm going for

[img]https://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lp8ghxdVPE1qh7v2m.jpg[/img]

[cherishedtiger]

everything I have heard leans to leaving them on the plant longer. Of course then that same rumor goes straight to if they are left on the plant too long then they lose heat. Its kind of a catch 21 from what I can tell

[soil]

they are both right, you want it to mature fully. but you don't want to leave it on there so long it starts to fade away.

I find the hottest peppers come from those in the hottest temps. my spring and fall peppers are no where near as hot as the ones I harvest mid summer. light drought stress also increases heat imo.

[wiscopeppers]

thanks for the replies!

any thoughts on whether picking them and letting them ripen on the counter would make them considerably less hot? I have ~ 200 habaneros that have been fully grown and green for nearly 3 weeks, I've already eaten the 4 that have turned red, I'm getting impatient

[soil]

be patient....

[dave103069]

Take about 20 off and put them in a brown paper bag for a few days to ripen... That way you can still eat them and test the heat driffrence from picking them now to when you pick them later as they start to ripen...

[ThePepperSeed]

Peppers are typically hottest right when they start to ripen. Capsaicin (what makes peppers hot) is used for or turns into sugar as the pepper ripens which causes it to lose heat.

[garden5]

Wisco, I'm glad you asked this because I've been wondering about it myself!

Not so much about letting ripen longer, but about the climate it's grown in.

I too have heard that peppers that grow in hotter, dryer climates have more heat than peppers that grow in cooler, wetter ones.

I've always wondered if that really was true. It sounds plausible at least.

[wiscopeppers]

Peppers are typically hottest right when they start to ripen. Capsaicin (what makes peppers hot) is used for or turns into sugar as the pepper ripens which causes it to lose heat.

intersting. so picking them just as they turn color might be a good idea? once off the plant, will the capsaicin continue to convert to sugar? I.e., should I dry, can, infuse, or otherwise use the peppers as quickly as possible? or will picking it stop this process?

also, pepperseed, on your website top banner, what is the pepper on the far left of the picture? they look a lot like what I'm growing, which were sold to me as ghost pepper seeds, but obviously are not.

thanks!

[john gault]

This is my first Jalapeno pepper plant and I've only picked three peppers from it, all about the same size, but with different characteristics.

Characteristics:
1. Green Pepper (with whiteish/tan lines -- seemed like cracking lines going the length of the pepper) -- That was a very hot pepper.
2. Red Pepper, also had some cracking. -- very, very hot...damn hot...
3. Green Pepper without any cracking. NOT hot at all. However, being my first time eating a non-hot fresh jalapeno I was pleasantly surprised of the taste.
(Note, when I say cracking I don't mean that there's actually a crack in the skin, it's almost just like a drawing of a crack than an actual crack).

That's my results after only 3 peppers; I know, not a sufficient sampling, but it's a start

[garden5]

Hmmm, you know, I'm wondering if one would have to live down south to get red jalapenos. Mine start to get covered in bark, so I pick them....I just keep feeling that if I leave them, there will be so much "bark" on them that they wouldn't even take good.

[Gary350]

Just before the Green peppers start to turn RED is when the oils and juice is at maximum levels they are the hottest. Capsaicin 8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide, (CH3)2CHCH=CH(CH2)4CONHCH2C6H3-4-(OH)-3-(OCH3) )is what makes all peppers hot.

Pepperoncini peppers are rated 100 to 1000 Capsaicin I like these excellent flavor not too hot.

Chili powder is rates about 2000 to 5000 Capsaicin.

Jalapeno is rated about 8000.

Cayenne pepper is rated about 50,000.

Habanero about 300,000.

Click the link https://www.hotsauce.com/Scoville-Hot-Sauce-Heat-Scale-s/78.htm

[ThePepperSeed]

intersting. so picking them just as they turn color might be a good idea? once off the plant, will the capsaicin continue to convert to sugar? I.e., should I dry, can, infuse, or otherwise use the peppers as quickly as possible? or will picking it stop this process?

also, pepperseed, on your website top banner, what is the pepper on the far left of the picture? they look a lot like what I'm growing, which were sold to me as ghost pepper seeds, but obviously are not.

thanks!

I'm not sure if picking stops it, I would assume it does not. I really don't think it will matter much with the peppers you're growing though, they will be hot little nuggets no matter what. The pics on my site (what you're growing) are Caribbean reds. Shorty stocky plants that are heavy producers, most of the pods have a distinct point or tip on them. I would say they are also the pepper most commonly sold a ghost pepper / bhut jolokia that's not Real ghost peppers / bhut jolokias look like these:

My 2010 Bhuts:
[img]https://thepepperseed.com/wp-content/gallery/peppers/img_3263.jpg[/img]

Here's one from this year just starting to ripen:
[img]https://thepepperseed.com/wp-content/gallery/peppers/img_4498.jpg[/img]

Here's another from this year prior to ripening:
[img]https://thepepperseed.com/wp-content/gallery/peppers/img_4455.jpg[/img]

You have a winner though with the Caribbean red. I have two plants of it growing his year, great pepper with solid heat and good flavor. Makes great powders.

[ThePepperSeed]

Hmmm, you know, I'm wondering if one would have to live down south to get red jalapenos. Mine start to get covered in bark, so I pick them....I just keep feeling that if I leave them, there will be so much "bark" on them that they wouldn't even take good.

I get red ones from my plants here in Northern Illinois.

[mattie g]

Hmmm, you know, I'm wondering if one would have to live down south to get red jalapenos. Mine start to get covered in bark, so I pick them....I just keep feeling that if I leave them, there will be so much "bark" on them that they wouldn't even take good.

I've been letting some of my jalapenos turn red this year, and have found these to be much hotter than green ones, but with a really nice sweetness accompanying the heat. I find the green jalapenos to be a little too bitter (they're much better pickled), and much prefer the red ones...even if they aren't as pretty as the greens.

As for the "bark" you mention, that's what happens to jalapenos as you leave them on the plant longer. In my experience, they develop tan striae when they go from lighter green to a deep green, but those striae tend to level off in number once they start to turn red.

[stella1751]

I too have heard that peppers that grow in hotter, dryer climates have more heat than peppers that grow in cooler, wetter ones.

I have a theory; don't laugh. It's my belief that if you under-water your peppers, you get super hot ones; if you over-water them, you get less heat.

I've been under-watering my Super Chilies this year. I put them in the window boxes at the front base of two of my 5 x 5 raised beds. Generally, I put flowers there, but this year I wanted to experiment with these little ornamentals instead. I have five pepper plants crammed together in each 1' x 5' window box. They're out by the sidewalk and easy to forget about. Whenever I do chance to remember them, poking a finger at their soil, it is as dry as a bone

The other day ago, I asked the neighbor's grandson, a hot pepper aficionado, to do a taste test for me. Because I prefer a mild pepper, I didn't want to take a chance on these peppers, which are on the hot side of medium heat normally. He took one bite, chewed for a split second and ran for the house with Grandma and his mother yelling at him to get milk.

I think my neighbor will speak to me again once the memory has faded. I do know I kept telling the kid to throw the rest away. The last time I saw him, he was holding half a Super Chile aloft as his mother drove him away. I suspect a friend, um, ate the rest.

Anyway, after decades of growng hot peppers, having dud years and five-alarm years, I really believe watering has an influence on heat level

[wiscopeppers]

has anyone seen a purple/brown scotch bonnet? I have 20 of these plants growing, and have been expecting the peppers to turn red, I went out this morning and there are a dozen or so fruit that are a deep deep purple almost brown. I googled purple scotch bonnet and the only thing I found was pictures of chocolate hab's, but these are shaped much more like scotch bonnets than habaneros. maybe they just aren't ripe yet? these seeds came from the same place that sold me the "ghost peppers", so maybe I should just assume that nothing I'm growing from them is what it's supposed to be

[stella1751]

Frequently peppers turn a purplish brown before they change to their final color. I have some HBC II's right now that are a rich brown. When they are done changing, they will be bright red.

[wiscopeppers]

good to know, maybe I'll give them some time and see what happens. thanks.

[garden5]

I've got some jalapenos that get dark spots on them. This seems to be a natural thing for them, so I'm not worried about it. They still taste the same.