They're How Hot ? Chilli Peppers - The science bit !

Chilli peppers are part of the nightshade family, (Solanaceae), which includes Potatoes and Tomatoes.

It is a substance called Capsaicin that causes the heat in chillis.  This chemical is flavourless, colourless and is concentrated in the veins and seeds of the fruits.  The newly developed “Dorset Naga” is reputed to be the hottest in the world, having reached over 900,000 scovilles in the heat test; although I only have a small crop of these little demons, they will be put to the best possible use!

Chilli’s are loaded with Vitamin A, a potent antioxidant, and with Vitamin C, which is gradually replaced with beta carotene as the pods mature and darken.  This is when the capsaicin levels are at their highest.  The alkaloids in the capsaicin stimulate the action of the stomach and intestine improving the whole digestion process.

Chilli’s are also high in compounds known as Bioflavonoids. These compounds are powerful anti-inflammatories, which are also noted to help blood vessel walls strengthen and lessen bleeding.

All chilli’s come from the genus Capsicum from the Greek kapto, ‘to bite’, which, given the heat of some varieties, seems quite appropriate really!


Below are some images and descriptions of a few of our Chillis grown organicly in our garden and greenhouses.

Bolivian Rainbow  
Bolivian Rainbow
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Grown for centuries in Bolivia, this stunning ornamental 2-3ft purple flowering plant produces hundreds of ¾" long by ½" wide upright growing edible peppers. The peppers are shaped like small bullets and mature through various shades of purple to yellows, oranges and finally to bright red when ripe. The full rainbow of colours are present at the same time. Although the fruits are highly ornamental, they are also very pungent so care should be taken when fruits are handled.

Chocolate Brown  
Chocolate Brown
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About 5cm deep, probably one of the later to mature habanero's. Ripens from green to a chocolate brown.
Used in salsas, chutneys and Caribbean cuisine, mixing especially well in salsas with fruit.

Dorset Naga  
Dorset Naga
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This rare chilli was developed by making selections from the Bangladeshi landrace chilli known as Naga Morich. Other names for this landrace include Naga Jolokia and Bhut Jolokia. In common with its relatives, Dorset Naga has a scorching heat of around a 1,000,000 Scoville Heat Units, making these chillies significantly hotter than any other chilli ever measured. Along with its heat, Dorset Naga is backed up by a powerful aroma that imbibes any dish with a wonderful, distinctively fruity flavour.

Fatalii Golden  
Fatalii Golden
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Fatalii is a variety from Central Africa and is one of the hottest, if not the hottest on earth. A Habanero relative and sometimes spelt Fatalli, this prolific plant can grow upto 4ft tall, although 2ft is more common. The plant produces good yields of 3" long by 1 ¼" wide wrinkled extremely hot fruits which turn from pale green to bright yellow when mature (100 days). They have a fruity, almost citrus-like flavour and make a very attractive-coloured hot sauce.

Joes Long Cayenne  
Joes Long Cayenne
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Capsicum annuum. Plant produces good yields of 11" long by ¾" wide hot peppers. Peppers are very hot and turn from green to red when mature. Excellent for making pepper flakes and hot sauce. Originating from Joe Sestito. A variety from Calabria, Italy.

Paper Lantern  
Paper Lantern
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Habanero, an upright growing plant produces 2.5" x 1" very hot chillis, of South American origin.  The chillis ripen from green to purple/black and finally to a light bright red. The Habanero is one of the world's hottest chillis. Fruits ripen from lime green to bright red, elongated pendant fruits.

Peruvian White  
Peruvian White
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Capsicum chinense. Plant produces heavy yields of 1" long by ½" wide hot peppers. Peppers are very hot and turn from light green, to light creamy-yellow, to creamy-white when mature. Plant has green stems, green leaves, and white flowers. A variety from Peru.

Pusa Jwala  
Pusa Jwala
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Capsicum annuum. This is the most popular hot pepper grown and used in various spicy foods in India. This variety is also often called Finger Hot Indian Pepper. The umbrella type plant produces lots of fruits in green colour in early stage and later turning into red ripe. The matured hot pepper has high pungency, excellent to use fresh or dried. The fruit with wrinkled skin is about 4" in length. This variety has wide adaptability and is easy to grow in containers.

Red Savina  
Red Savina
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Red Savina is from USA and a cultivar of the habanero chile (Capsicum chinense Jacquin), which has been selectively bred to produce hotter, heavier, and larger peppers. It is also commonly known as the Dominican Devil's Tongue Pepper. Laboratory tested and certified at over 577,000 Scoville heat units, twice as hot as regular Habanero Pepper, 65 times as hot as Jalapeno Pepper !

Tasmanian Hot  
Tasmanian Hot
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Plant produces good yields of 1 ¼" long by 1" wide hot peppers. Peppers are extremely hot and turn from green, to dark purple, to dark shiny red when mature. Plant has green stems, green leaves, and white flowers. A variety from the Caribbean region.

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