daft chilli question coming up...

[janeyo]

Ok laugh if you want, but how do you tell how hot the chillis are?

My method is to cut them up and put a tiny weeny bit in my mouth. Not a great fan of hot chilli so more often than not I get a shock! Mouth and lip numb at the mo!

The trouble is they are all different even off the same plant. I normally want mildish ones for my recipes and hotter ones for OH.

Any suggestions? How else can I do it?! They are meant to be anaheim and another beginning with b (can't remember, label lost, but all were freebie seeds) and only medium but they seem either not flavoured at all or they blow my novice chiili eating head off!

janeyo

[zazen999]

Sorry chuck; but I lick them as they go in; if they blow my head off - only half goes in. Otherwise the whole one does and if it's mild then another one is taken off.

If it's too hot when it hits the plate - then it gets a serving of mayo on the side to cool it a bit.

Otherwise, keep eating the hot ones and you get more used to them!!!

[janeyo]

Sounds reasonable advice there... I will do that in future.
Not sure how to put mayo on the side of my simmering chutney though lol. Smells Greeeeat!

janeyo

[smallblueplanet]

Trouble is chilli heat isn't always predictable. Our greenhouse grown ones aren't very hot at all, not had the weather. The ones from Tescos are more consistant. Then the hot ones 'brazilian starfish' when tasted raw are much hotter than when cooked....

[Alice]

There's only one way to check the heat Janeyo - cut a little bit and taste it and see. Have some yoghurt handy right there - just in case.

[Two_Sheds]

You're right in that one plant can produce fruits of different heat strengths ... some mild, some hot. The heat changes even on the fruit .. the tip is the coolest and the shoulder (the stalk end) is the hottest. Allegedly.

[Two_Sheds]

Anaheim's meant to be fairly mild.
If that's still too hot for you (you wuss!) then try Choricero.

[danmon_81]

i have Dorset Naga's and made ther mistake of tasting too much....but i now find myself strangely addicted!
I hope the seeds germinate!

[womble]

I stick my finger in it a bit and then touch it to my tongue. Please note I would not try this with a really hot chilli without gloves.

I cut up my first frozen jalapeno to put on a pizza yesterday, I didn't really think that the heat would transfer to my fingers as it was frozen. It did, I of course had to stick my finger in my mouth... just to check... hot hot hot!

Btw the freezing has worked really well.

[janeyo]

Thanks all, I think I will be using scissors from now on and making sure OH is aorund to do the tasting! Will save me burning my mouth on my Mild (ie hot burny to me) Wussy chillis

janeyo

maybe I could get my children to do the tasting as punishment instead of the naughty step!

[rustylady]

Just don't rub your eyes after you've cut chillies. It hurts. Take off your latex gloves or wash your hands and scrub your nails before you do anything else.

[lainey lou]

suck em and see!

[terrier]

I havn't had this problem this year as my chilli plants stopped growing at about 7" high and I got no fruit They were advertised as being good for a "sunny windowsill" ?
Can anyone tell me which to grow next year that will actually GROW and produce fruit in a greenhouse? I don't care whether they are hot or mild, I just want to grow some chillies.

[womble]

Just don't rub your eyes after you've cut chillies. It hurts. Take off your latex gloves or wash your hands and scrub your nails before you do anything else.

Oh god yes, be careful, also, don't go to the toilet before washing your hands very carefully, or taking off your gloves.
Trust me, I did it years ago

[BrideXIII]

Thanks all, I think I will be using scissors from now on and making sure OH is aorund to do the tasting! Will save me burning my mouth on my Mild (ie hot burny to me) Wussy chillis

janeyo

maybe I could get my children to do the tasting as punishment instead of the naughty step!

you laugh!!
but in my house we have run the gamut of punishments for bad language, ranging from mustard to horseradish and on to chilli, i have now given up, cos i lost a bet for a fiver with my eldest that he couldn't eat a whole one seeds and all, after he swore at the xbox , now i just take the xbox away.

I should have just stuck to growing hotter chillies!