Hot Peppers and Scoville Heat Units
Add a little spicy heat to your meals this season by growing a few hot peppers.
Their spicy heat is measured in the Scoville Heat Units. Poblano and Siracha rate between 1,000 to 2,500, jalapenos up to 8,000, cayenne can peak at 50,000, habaneros up to 350,000 and one of the hottest, the ghost pepper, at as much as 2,200,000 units.
Ornamental peppers are edible but most are spicy hot at anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 units.
You can turn down the heat when preparing your favorite recipes. The majority of the capsaicin that gives hot peppers their heat is in the white membrane that houses the seeds. So, remove this and the seeds if you want to turn down the heat.
Consider wearing rubber gloves and avoid touching your face and eyes. Then wash your hands and utensils when done.
A bit more information: Don’t worry about destroying your taste buds or burning a hole in your stomach, these are just a few of the hot pepper myths you may have heard. But do drink milk, not water, when trying to neutralize the heat. The casein in the milk binds the spicy capsaicin oil and helps wash it away. And if milk isn’t handy, try a cube of sugar or honey instead.
Related
Audio
Article
Categories
Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars
April 3, 2024
Garden Trends
Franklin Public Library, Franklin, WI
April 10, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Container Gardening Throughout the Year
Register now
April 11, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
7 Steps to Managing Water Where it Falls in Your Yard
Register now
April 17, 2024
Landscaping for Birds:
A Gardener’s Perspective
Glendale, WI
April 18, 2024
Be a Waterwise Gardener
Golden Rondelle Theater, Racine, WI
Register now
April 20, 2024
Pruning Hydrangeas and Other Shrubs
Pasquesi Home & Gardens, Lake Bluff, IL
April 27, 2024
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
Viroqua, WI
April 28, 2024
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 1, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables
Register now
May 9, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
How to Plant Your Rain Garden
Register now
WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Learn More