Evaluating hot peppers for heat and flavor without blowing up your mouth?

[Bart]

Is there a way to dilute the heat of hot peppers so you can evaluate the different flavors and amounts of heat they produce?

The easiest way is of course to take a bite, and then spend the next 10 minutes with your mouth under the faucet, but I was hoping for something a little less intense.

Anyone have any ideas?

[astrid]

You can blend them with a little grapeseed (or any other neutral tasting) oil based on weight, then taste with chunks of a bread.

Or do the bite tasting with a gigantic bowl of full fat ice cream :-)  

[Pat]

With the really hot ones, I can usually tell from the smell once I cut into the pepper.  That doesn't help distinguish at the lower registers, though.  It's a crude measure.

[Al Dente]

Take a pepper that you know to be in the the heat range you're seeking, slice in half lengthwise, run finger down the length of the inside of the pepper, and then rub your left eye. Do the same with the other pepper and rub your right eye. This will give you a good comparison.

[farmer john]

I have grown as many as 108 types of hot peppers in a season and for the most part have relied on simply biting the bullet or having one close friend who is even more of a hothead than I am do the sampling for me. My feeling has always been that I should at least try a pepper if I am going to sell it, regardless of the pain involved.

That being said, I think Astrid has a good idea. Sampling medium definitely needs to be an oil based one if you are going that direction.

I would also be happy to tell you what I think about various varieties.

[Bart]

I would also be happy to tell you what I think about various varieties.

Thanks!

I've been making pickles with actual peppers instead of red pepper flakes (what I did last year) and I've been trying to understand the taste of the peppers better.  Unfortunately, now that my peppers are really coming in, my cucumber vines have died, but I have a second planting going and I'm just starting to get flowers.  Anyhow, I had some jalapenos come in early enough to make pickles with them and I could definitely ID the jalapeno taste in the pickles, and that's what got me wondering about the other peppers.

Here's what I have:

Jalafuego (jalapeno type)

Red Hot Cherry

Cayenne

Bird's Eye Chili

Jamaican Scotch Bonnet

Any thoughts on flavor or spice level would be appreciated.  Thanks!

[farmer john]

Jalafuego- jalapenos vary wildly in heat from almost none to about 100k scovilles... i have not grown that particular variety but one thing all jalapenos have in common is that distinct flavor regardless of heat.

red hot cherry- hot but should not blow your doors off...should carry a bit of sweetness along with the heat- very good pickling pepper.

cayenne- can vary wildly in both heat and flavor. in general i think the fatter ones have much better flavor than the skinny ones. they tend to carry some sweetness along with the heat. skinny ones not so much.

bird's eye- most likely hotter than the ones listed prior, not a lot of distinct flavor once again.

jamaican scotch bonnet- should be considerably hotter than the others you have listed. (it's a habanero basically) should also have nice fruity/citrus flavor.

[Bart]

Thanks!

I bit into a Red Hot Cherry the other day and after a couple of minutes had to make an emergency sprint to the hose.  It LIT ME UP!  And I have a high tolerance for hot food.

If I get enough cukes for more pickles I'll definitely make some with the Scotch Bonnets for the fruity citrus flavor.

Thanks again!