do it. how much work would it be to water one more plant?

I never eat them whole, to me that's just pointless. I'll add one to a pot of stew, or make hot sauce. in fact I make a lot of hot sauce, and add a tiny bit to a lot of things. once you get into them, you'll find that they all (well most of them) have a complex and unique flavor that you can't find in milder peppers. if you need seeds, you're in the right place. so what kind(s) do you want to try first?

Right now the only hot peppers that I am growing are orange habaneros. I'm so addicted to them that I keep finding uses for them faster than I can grow them, so now I'm having to harvest and use mine, then turn around and buy more at the farmers market! I am thinking of adding tabasco peppers and red carribean habaneros next year. I'm not sure that red carribean habaneros count as superhot and I'm sure that tabasco peppers must not, but those are two seeds I need if anyone has extras!

Other than that, I am open to ideas and experimenting with one or two plants! The ghost pepper seems to be the one that most people talk about here. Is that a good starting place? The main thing to me is that it must have strong heat, but without eclipsing the other parts of the pepper's flavor! That has been a problem for me with red habanero varieties in the past, which is why I only grow the orange ones now. So I'd want to avoid that with anything even hotter.

Angie

P.S. how does exchanging seeds work anyway? I don't want to publish my address for everyone to see!

my favorite so far (of the very limited varieties I have firsthand experience with) is the brain strain 7pot. it's a wicked looking pepper, with a sweet floral flavor that's unmistakeable, that is retained even when only one is put into a large dish. it's funny, this is my first year growing. I grew some superhots, more as a novelty than anything (there are posts on here from me earlier this year talking about how scared of them I was and that I didn't even know what to do with them), and now I love them. unless I'm mistaken tabasco is currently the mildest thing on my 2014 grow list.

you don't have to publish your address. email me your address and I'll send you some seeds for the brain strain and the bhut jolokia (ghost).

the way the exchanges often work is people like myself who have been on the receiving end of a lot of generosity from others will happily send you seeds for free as a means of paying it forward.

You need to grow Bhut Jolokia (Ghost). Terrific tasting pepper, and will impress your friends and victims.

Dennis

Judo, I'm sending you an email

I have a friend from Ecuador. She and I both like hot & spicy foods. She grew up with them as part of Ecuadorian cuisine and I grew up with them because I have a cousin who is a chili farmer and lots of family ties to New Mexico. But other than her and a couple of other friends I don't see as often, I try to keep the heat mild for people. I'm not really worried about impressing people or victimizing them. I want them to enjoy my cooking, not fear it! :)

Angie

We have grown ghost peppers this year, and use them all the time. Trick is how much you use. We use them raw, dehydrated and frozen and they have a wonderful flavor. Also trying the Trinidad scorpion in our fall garden (north Florida) waiting for the flowers to hold right now. We also have Tabasco's - very good flavor and hotter than you would think a little pepper would be. HOWEVER our favorite pepper is the datil. It's a native Florida pepper but I don't see any reason it wouldn't grow else where in the summer. It has citrus undertones and is hotter than our regular habaneros. Also our chocolate habs are as hot as our ghosts this year, Caribbean habs are the best producer & beautiful! Will upload photos this weekend if I can!

Hi Everyone,

This is my first year growing anything and I have had such fun growing the super hot peppers.
I can't eat them (or anything made with them) but my kids all love the sauce and jellys I have made.

My first attempt at sauce was made with the Choc. Ghost chili I grew for my son and grandson. I made about 1/2 a gal. of sauce and only used 4 peppers.

The second sauce I made is a Trinidad recipe I got from a friend who is a native of Trinidad and it was wonderful. I used a mystery pepper that was supposed to be a Trinidad scorpion and turned out it wasn't, but still had great flavor and a vicious heat that sneaks up on you. (I suspect it was a manzano)

My last recipe was a pepper jelly using scotch bonnets and blueberries. My son was the first to try it and he ended up eating the whole jar and 1/2 a block of cream cheese. LOL

Angie - I also have seeds to share if you are interested. Just look at my member page and my email address is there.
I was a newbie last year for seed trades and I got a lot of wonderful seeds, everything from sweets to superhots.

This post was edited by MissyGA64 on Sat, Oct 26, 13 at 23:36

MissyGA64, I would love the recipe for blueberries and spice. I've done raspberry and regular pepper jelly. Lots of bbq sauces, hot sauces and the likes. You have to grow a bhut. The punch a tiny piece packs is awesome and it has such a nice flavor I can't even describe. Whenever I try some of my stir fry's or soups and it seems to be "missing" something, I always add a bit of bhut or habanero and it's perfect!

I seriously want that blueberry jelly recipe too. I'm gonna be starting on strawberry and brain strain soon(er or later).

Hillseeker I got your email but your address is blocked so I can't reply.

The hot peppers I am growing are - Choc Ghost, Yellow Bhut Jolokia, Scotch Bonnet, Devils Tongue, 2 types of Thai (one that is 1/2- 3/4 inch long) and Black Diamond Thai, the mystery pepper that was supposed to be a trinidad but isnt, and a Macedonian pepper with no name I got in a seed trade.

the pic is of the mystery pepper, its not quite as big as a quarter.

Email me for any of the recipes so we dont turn this into a recipe chat. LOL Leitzke@aol.com

pic of the mystery pepper plant with green pods.

any guesses as to what it could be, because it certainly isn't a Trinidad scorpion

pic of two mostly ripe pods next to a quarter for size comparison.

My son and daughter said it has a great sort of fruity flavor and right when you think its not a hot pepper, the heat hits with a bang.

The color reminds me of some of my habaneros this year that have come in with kind of a waxy color. But the size and shape of the pods looks wrong for that. I have no idea!