Manage the Heat of Hot Peppers

Turn down the heat on those hot peppers with proper selection and preparation.

The majority of the capsaicin that gives hot peppers their heat is in the white membrane that houses the seeds. So remove the white membrane and the seeds if you want to turn down the heat.

The spicy heat of these peppers is measured in Scoville Heat Units. A panel of 5 taste testers decides when the spicy heat has been neutralized in sugar water and then assigns the rating. Today many companies use a less subjective chemical process, but translate their results into the popular Scoville heat units.

Wear rubber gloves and avoid touching your face and eyes when working with hot peppers as they can burn. Wash your hands, utensils and cutting boards when finished.  And be sure to label hot peppers when growing, harvesting and storing to avoid any mix ups.  And have a glass of milk handy to help neutralize the sting.

A bit more information: Scoville heat ratings vary with the type of pepper and between individual plants within a specific type based on individual plant differences and the growing conditions. You’ll find hot peppers like Poblanos at 1000 Scoville heat units, jalapenos between 2500 and 6000 to the ghost pepper at over 2 million.

Tags

vegetables-herbs-fruits peppers

Related

Audio

Soil Temperature Influences When to Plant

Audio

Saving Leftover Seeds for Next Season

Audio

Chiltepin Bird Pepper

Audio

Garden Fresh Recipe: Ratatouille

Article

2025 Energy Park Gardens

Audio

Grow Your Favorite Vegetables in a Container

Audio

Grow an Ornamental Christmas Pepper Indoors

Audio

Freezing Peppers

Audio

Colorful, Nutritious and Shapely Sweet Peppers

Audio

Orienting the Rows in Your Veggie Garden

• ← Previous
• 1 (current)
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• Next →