Scotch Bonnet Pepper question..................

A friend of mine was given some fresh Scotch Bonnet Peppers in the Cayman Islands recently. She brought them home and would now like to grow some. How could she use the seeds inside the peppers she has.....or could she?

Thanks for any ideas.

If the bonnets were irradiated that will probably affect the seeds viability but the easiest way to find out is plant them and see what happens. I've had fresh seed germinate in under 24 hours.

If she wants to save some of the seeds she can rinse them off and pat them dry with a paper towel and then let them air dry completely before storing them.

Thank you.......your timing is perfect, as I will be seeing her today!

I might try and grow some myself.

I'm also trying to grow a couple of Scotch Bonnets this year. From what I can see so far they are short stout plants with large leaves compared to the other varieties I have growing. If you've never eaten one before be warned...they are some of the hottest peppers available, similar to the Habanero. You might have Chiltepin (wild pepper) that grows there as a native plant, which is also very hot. http://fatalii.net/chile/?u=g&c=search&word=chiltepin&id=1537 I think peppers might survive year round in Austin with minimal effort.

Good luck!

I saw her yesterday and she gave me some of the peppers. They look exactly like these.

http://74.125.45.132/search?q=cache:zuZmUXDpBb8J:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_bonnet_(pepper)+scotch+bonnet+pepper&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

They were in colors ranging from green to orange.

I'm going to grow some and see how they are....in moderation. :-)

Use the orange ones for seed, as the green ones aren't mature. (they're probably still pretty hot so eat one and see)

This message was edited May 18, 2009 9:05 AM

I am NOT eating one of these!!!! Do you think I am insane!! :-)

I might use a tiny, TINY bit in some dish......but my pepper of preference is Mild Hatch Chilies. Would love to grow those.
Roasted Hatch Chilies on a burger is just the best!

the scotch bonnet won't kill you, although the first one i ever ate left me incapacitated for about fifteen minutes. i eat green chili almost daily but if you're not sweating and/or crying it's just not hot enough =) i'm also trying to grow something much hotter, the bhut jolokia. if all goes well i'll be tasting them near the fall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NNzI3RTZ7I&feature=related

Enjoy............ For me, I'll keep my taste buds, thank you!

I'd just like to point out that peppers do not destroy your taste buds. Some people still believe "they'll burn a hole in your stomach!!!" but that's been proven to be false. Ulcers are now known to be caused primarily by bacteria, and the capsaicin (the hot stuff) in hot peppers actually kills that bacteria, thus reducing the risk of getting an ulcer. They are also higher in vitamin c than citrus fruit. Some studies suggest they reduce the risk of heart disease. In New Mexico where most people eat chili to some extent our heart disease rate is lower than the national average. Other studies have even suggested it kills cancer cells. Some people use it for arthritis pain and toothaches. Some people use it for muscle aches. Not a factor in Austin but if you sprinkle some crushed pepper in your socks it will keep your feet warm in the winter. Works in gloves too.

The real reason I eat them is because it's fun. When you eat a hot pepper and start "burning" your body releases endorphins to fight the pain. Endorphins are like your body's version of morphine. The end result is a sense of well being. If you know any long distance runners ask them about "runner's high", because it's the same thing except instead of running 20 or 30 miles I just have to sweat and cry for a few minutes on my sofa. Since I'm lazy that works out really well for me.

So your mild hatch chili is good for you and certainly tasty but with it's low capsaicin levels it will not have much effect on ulcer causing bacteria or heart disease, and you'll never experience the euphoria hot peppers can offer. Maybe I'm a sadist but it cracks me up watching people's responses to hot peppers I've convinced them to eat. I join them of course, and it usually ends up in lots of laughter coming from all those involved. The pain is temporary and soon replaced with endorphin induced happiness. This is why I encourage everyone to try it.

Some people enjoy a glass a wine or other vices, but for me it's usually a hot pepper.

I'll retire from the thread now, but EVERYONE EAT A HOT PEPPER! =)

You make it sound so wonderful.........I may have to reconsider.

:-)

ROFLOL! Dorkasaurus I hear you. A day without peppers is like a day without sunshine.