Beyond the Ghost Pepper

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I was just given a Carolina Reaper pepper plant from a freind. It's healthy and strong. It should produce nice peppers. After my last batch of chilli, with too many ghost peppers, I'm almost afraid to try them. But I will, in small portions of pepper added to large portions of something, like salsa, or chili.

These peppers are supposed to be twice to three times as hot as ghost peppers. Now these are scarry.

In a couple of months, look toward Michigan's U.P. If you see an orange sky, that may be the fire emanating from my mouth. I hope these peppers are as great tasting as ghost peppers, and that I can moderate how much I use so as to tame the fire.

I think I'm going further than bunji-jumping for the tongue. This might be the thrill ride of a lifetime.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[CraigC]

There are also the Naga Viper and the Trinidad Scorpion that popped up about the same time as the Reaper. Both are claimed to match the Reaper in heat level.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I've used the Naga Viper and it wasn't so bad. I think you just use less of the pepper per unit volume to control the heat. I did make a batch of chili for a chili cookoff in the hot division. I had a couple of college guys who thought they were tough. The chili contained naga vipers, ghost peppers, jalapenos, sweet bell peppers, and crushed cayenne peppers. I had to have others taste it for me to tell me how hot it was. It was just good to me.

Those boys stated that nothing was too hot for them and said they wanted some. I warned them it was very hot. Two spoonfuls and they were searching frantically for the table that served water. One of them had tears flowing freely from his eyes.

A lady I knew from work loved hot things and asked for some. I gave her a container full, knowing that she loved hot things. She took a couple spoonfulls and told me it wasn't hot. Why did I say it was hot. She walked away. After a few minutes she came back to my table and stated that it didn't hit right away, but that my hot chili was the hottest she'd ever had.

Didn't win anything, but was told that if there was a category for the hottest chili, I would have added another trophy to my shelf at home.

I always make two batches, one that's just great tasting, with mild heat, and one for those people who want the hottest chili they can find, three gallons of each.

The first rule of chili is to make it taste great, as good as you can, then play with the heat. Often, the unique peppers have wonderful flavor profiles and really add great flavor. We'll just have to see how the Reapers work out.

I'm not into it for the heat, but for the flavor. The heat just comes along for the ride.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[RPCookin]

I honestly don't understand the battle to grow or use the hottest pepper. Beyond a certain point the heat level becomes moot - all you get is heat because a normal person can't use enough to actually taste the pepper. Sometimes high heat is the goal but not always.

I use a lot of jalapeños for that reason. I can control the heat level by how much of the core I use, or I can completely remove the core and use a lot of the pepper pod for flavor. Then I can add some habeñero for more heat, or use some ghost pepper salt or the like to up the heat level in a more controlled manner.

Most of the people I cook for are okay with spicy, but they (and I) don't want that "in your face char your lips" heat experience. That just isn't "good eats" in my opinion.

 

[Zagut]

Are you going to change your name to "Chief Dragon Breath of the South" ?

Hot for hot's sake is silly. The taste of the pepper with heat is all good in my book.

I'll keep my eyes to the sky to see if I see an orange glow.

Keep us informed on if your tongue stays attached to your head.

 

[Dawgluver]

Zagut, he would be Chief Dragon Breath of the UP. Chief lives in the beautiful state of Michigan.

I have no interest in anything hotter than a jalapeno!

 

[Cheryl J]

As mentioned, I like jalapenos for that very reason....I can leave some of the ribs and seeds in if I want a little kick. I want to taste the food, not have my taste buds fried!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

If I could find a pepper with the same flavor as the ghost pepper, I'd use it in a hot minute. I love the flavor. To get that flavor, I've learned to tolerate the heat. But then again, I swim in Lake Superior, one of the colder bodies of water on the planet.

Yup, up here in the U.P. we're made of stern stuff. (If you believe that...)

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North