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Home , Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum pubescens, Carolina Reaper, Chocolate habanero

Shelby Henning Department of Crop Sciences University of Illinois

S S One of the five domesticated species of peppers: S fructescens (ex. ‘Tabasco’ S (ex. ‘Chilitepin’) S (ex. ‘Manzano’) S (ex. ‘Aji’; ‘Peri-Peri) S (ex. ‘’) S Entire chinense species is often referred as “habanero” S Misnomer – species made up of hundreds of varieties S Habanero (‘from ’) specifically refers to a specific pod type (lantern shaped) from the Yucatan Peninsula of and Belize S If habanero’s are really from the Yucatan, why are they chinense (Chinese)? S Dutch physician Kikolaus von Jacquin mistakenly thought the pepper was from China when he collected it in the and named it in 1776. It stuck. S http://www.wdl.org/en/item/8982/

S Then what about this ‘from Havana’ thing you just told me? S Suggests importation to the Yucatan from the Caribbean, but this is speculation

S Found in all tropical regions, particularly popular in the Caribbean S Heat can range from nothing to blistering

S 1 to 4.5 ft. height (can be bigger for perennial varieties)

S Flowers with white or green petals and purple anthers and filaments

S Pods generally 2 x 2”, 2 to 6 fruits per node, but there is a lot of variation

S Pods characteristic “fruity” habanero taste and aroma.

S Diverse fruit shapes

S Due to capsaicinoids in hot peppers

S Wilbur Scoville (1912) heat units (SHU) S Derived from serial dilutions of a pepper extraction S Organoleptic test S Heat level based on dilution (1 part extract diluted in 5000 parts water = 5000 SHU) S Can be inaccurate

S More scientific methodology --> standardized testing S American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) units S HPLC determination 1 ppm = 15 SHU S Convert to SHU’s by multiplying by 15 S GC-MS determination with PAVA reference (most sensitive) Scoville heat rating Type of pepper 16,000,000 Pure capsaicin 15,000,000 Dihydrocapsaicin 2,000,000 – 5,300,000 OC 855,000 – 1,041,427 Naga jolokia, bhut jolokia 350,000 – 577,000 Red savina habanero 100,000 – 350,000 Orange habanero, Scoth bonnet 100,000 – 200,000 Rocoto, African birdseye 50,000 – 100,000 Malagueta, Thai, Chilitepin, Pequin 30,000 – 50,000 30,000 – 50,000 Cayenne Aji, Tabasco 10,000 – 23,000 Serrano 5,000 – 10,000 Wax 2,500 – 8,000 Jalapeno 1,500 – 2,500 Rocotillo 1,000 – 1,500 500 – 2,500 Pimento 0 Bell Scoville heat rating Type of pepper 16,000,000 Pure capsaicin 9,300,000 ? Norhydrocapsaicin ? 2,000,000 – 5,300,000 OC Pepper spray 855,000 – 1,041,427 Naga jolokia, bhut jolokia 350,000 – 577,000 Red savina habanero 100,000 – 350,000 Orange habanero, Scoth bonnet 100,000 – 200,000 Rocoto, African birdseye 50,000 – 100,000 Malagueta, Thai, Chilitepin, Pequin 30,000 – 50,000 Peter pepper 30,000 – 50,000 Cayenne Aji, Tabasco 10,000 – 23,000 Serrano 5,000 – 10,000 Wax 2,500 – 8,000 Jalapeno 1,500 – 2,500 Rocotillo 1,000 – 1,500 Poblano 500 – 2,500 Pimento 0 Bell Capsaicin (8-methyl-N- vanillynl-6-nonenamide)

S Oddly stable molecule

S Located in glands at junction of placenta and pod wall

S Irritant in mammals

S LD50 in mice is 47.2 mg/Kg S 22 “family members” S 6 considered important

S 1 synthetic S VNA aka PAVA – used as a reference standard for GC-MS Capsaicinoid name Abbreviation Typical concentration SHU’s (%) Capsaicin C ~70 16,000,00 0 Dihydrocapsaicin DHC ~20 15,000,00 0 Nordihydrocapsaicin NDHC ~8 9,000,000 Homodihyrdocapsaicin NDHC ~1 8,500,000 Homocapsaicin HC ~1 8,500,000 Nonivamide NVA N/A 9,200,000 Capsaicinoids continued

S Dilute solutions of pure capsaicinoids possess different taste properties when compared to tasting VNA standard S Not detected in more concentrated solutions

S Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin are about 2x as potent as the minor capsaicinoids S Cause burning from mid-tongue and palate down into the throat

S Nordihydrocapsaicin – mildest, fruity, sweet, spicy

S Homodihydrocapsaicin – very irritating, numbing throat burn, difficult to quench with water

S All work together to give habanero peppers their particular taste S Decrease predation by mammals S Consumed by fruit-eating birds that eat red fruits with small seeds S Birds are unaffected, as are the seeds, leading to dispersion

S May even reduce competition by other S In the case of the habanero S Fruity aroma S Delicious ‘citrusy’ flavor S Easily combines with other ingredients S Extreme heat S Made flavorless indigenous foods tasty (ex. manioc) S Macho man syndrome S “Benign masochism”

S Seeds can take a long time to germinate S Bottom heat will definitely help

S Not frost tolerant, full sun, will need support when fully grown

S Slow-growing plants 80-130 days for ripe fruit (sometimes more)

S Can dig up and overwinter in protected environment

S Space at least 18” apart in rows 3 ft. apart (if not larger)

S Good for bonsai as well as hydroponic culture ? Carolina Reaper?

$1 a seed in 2015

Look for (online) reviews – make sure seed supplier sells true to type varieties with good germination Talk to other growers Peach habanero? Lemon habanero?

Look for (online) reviews – make sure seed supplier sells true to type varieties with good germination Talk to other growers S Lots of interest in superhot & novelty peppers S Not much known about performance of these unique pepper varieties S How do the perform in a high tunnel in N IL? S Health benefits? S Just how hot are they?

Fatali pepper S Seeds started 2/1/2015 S Transplanted into tunnel 5/9/2015 S Spaced at 18” in row spacing S 3 feet between rows S Fertigated weekly with calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate @ 7 lb 8 oz. N/A S Harvested weekly (8/7 - 9/9)

Fatali pepper S 7 Pot • Garden Bird Pepper • Peach Habanero S Bhut Jolokia • Giant • Red Habanero

S Brain Strain • Giant Jalapeno • Red Moruga Scorpion • Starfish S Bulgarian Carrot • Mayan Habanero • Tasmanian Habanero S Carolina Reaper • Mustard Habanero • Tobago Habanero • Naga Viper S • Trinidad Scorpion 'Butch T' • Orange habanero S Fatali • White Habanero 6/19/2015

Photos – 06/23 Photos – 07/01

Name # WEIGHT (OZ.) AVERAGE FRUIT WEIGHT (oz) 7 pot 57 16.7 0.3 Brain strain 125 52.8 0.4 Carolina reaper 138 40.9 0.3 Chocolate habanero 431 160.4 0.4 Fatali 516 148.5 0.3 Giant ghost 30 10.1 0.3 Mayan habanero 533 138.1 0.3 Mustard habanero 91 307.4 3.4 Naga viper 369 128.4 0.3 Orange habanero 150 49.3 0.3 Peach habanero 203 111.7 0.5 Red habanero 200 78.7 0.4 Red moruga scorpion 176 54.2 0.3 Starfish 279 91.6 0.3 Tasmanian habanero 292 113.3 0.4 Tobago 488 119.8 0.2 Trinidad scorpion 42 13.8 0.3 White habanero 121 8.6 0.1 2500.00

2000.00

1500.00

1000.00

500.00 Polyphenol Content (mg/100g)Content Polyphenol

0.00 Red Moruga Scorpion (green) Red Moruga Scorpion (red) Giant Jalepeno (Green) Giant Jalepeno (Red) Wine (red) Wine (white) 800 644.17 700 655.28

600 425.07 500 386.19

400

300 232.35 200

100

0 Mulato IslenoSerrano Pepper Finger Pepper Yatzey Pepper Habenero Habenero

Giant Jalepeno Literature Value Average Value

Serrano Pepper

0 200 400 600 800 Polyphenol Content (28 mg Gallic acid/100g raw pepper fruit ) Pepper Trial Capsaicin Determination

S How does one determine the SHU level of their peppers with limited funds and equipment?

S Back to 1912! Sometimes the old methods shouldn’t be left behind!

Scoville, L. W. (1912). Note on . The Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, 1, 453 – 454. S 1 g dried pepper in 95% alcohol for 2 days. Filter.

S Serial dilutions are made until no heat is detected by a panel of 5 tasters

S Remember a single unit of dilution is called a Scoville Heat Unit (SHU)

Red Habanero

Red Habanero (Green)

Highest SHU Bhut Jolokia Tested AverageSHU Lowest SHU Jalapeño

Hungarian Yellow Pepper

Serrano Pepper

0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1000000 1200000

S Most commonly encountered variety

S “True habanero” – Yucatan

S 200,000 – 300,000 SHU S Does not taste like chocolate in any way shape or form!

S Caribbean origin

S AKA ‘Congo Black”

S 425,00 – 577,000 SHU

S Very productive S Originates in Central (one of the few)

S Developed from peppers returning Portuguese explorers brought back home

S Good for containers

S Very hot – high levels of dihydrocapsaicin (intense prolonged heat) 125,000 – 400,000 SHU

S Delicious fruity flavor

S Heavy producer

S One of my favorites S Also known as ghost pepper

S One of the hottest 855,000 – 1,041,427 SHU

S C. chinense and C. fructescens hybrid

S Was world record holder until displaced by the Trinidad scorpion S 200,000 – 300,000 SHU

S Delicious fruity flavor

S Prolific S 455,000 SHU

S Same great flavor as orange and red, but roughly 2x heat

S Probably originated in the Yucatan Peninsula S Originated in PA gardens of James Weaver

S Weaver worked with the variety to stabilize it

S Beautiful coloration

S Can be very large

S 200,000 – 300,000 SHU

Note: not a very ripe or large specimen S 923,889 – 1,853,936 SHU

S Not uncommon to slice and see pools oil oil

S “One pepper can make seven meals hot”

S Great habanero flavor

S Face-melting heat S Bumps all over gives brain resemblance

S Face melting heat 1,000,000 – 1,350,000 SHU

S From Trinidad

S 7 pod/pot variety S One time record holder 1,463,700 SHU

S Derived from Trinidad scorpion stock

S Named by Neil Smith (The Hippy Seed Co.) S Original seeds from Butch Taylor of Zydeco Farms, MI

Note: ‘stinger’ normally more wickedly pointed S Slender, elongated shape compared to traditional habanero

S Red, but cooler than red habanero at ~150,000 SHU

S Early maturity and good production even in cool climates S Face melting heat 1,349,000 SHU

S Brief world champion

S Created in England by Gerald Fowler of The Chilli Pepper Company (Cark, Cumbria).

S Unstable hybrid of , Bhut Jolokia and Trinidad Scorpion S Peach/salmon in color

S Highly productive, compact

S Great in containers

S 150,000 – 325,000 SHU S Not from Tasmania, but shaped like it

S 200,000 SHU S Jelly bean shaped

S Very small

S ~575,000 SHU

S Do not underestimate heat of this small pepper S 1,400,000 – 2,200,000 SHU

S Current world record holder

S Bred in Rock Hill, SC by Ed Currie

S Cross between ghost pepper and red habanero

S Hot an understatement

S Weak (?) @ 5,000 – 30,000 SHU

S Super crunchy, fruity, normally loaded with seeds

S Normally a carrot orange

S Delicious flavor

S Originates in Hungary

S Rumored to have been smuggled out in the 1980’s S Capsicum annum

S Originates from

S Good producer

S Sweet, fruity, heat similar to jalapeno S Manzano means apple

S Unique black seeds

S Flavor resembles hot green pepper S Heirloom variety

S Delicious

S Heat similar to cayenne

S Good drying pepper

S Great for eating fresh

S Delicious http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/peppers/hot-peppers/habanero/pepper-hot-zavory-prod000820.html http://www.seminis.com/global/us/products/Pages/HotPepperChichenItza.aspx