That's Awesome! It's always exciting to get your first Bhut pod! It's a very nice looking one too! Yeah I tried a raw pod and MAN WAS IT HOT! Enjoy and as esox07 stated record and post :)

I really appreciate your enthusiasm! Please take a video of the tasting!

I will definitely document the tasting. Thanks everybody! My pepper growing journey thus far has been amazingly fun, and all the support /advice I get on this forum makes it that much more rewarding. Thank y'all so much!

It always feels like it takes longer for the first mature pod to ripen than it took to get there from seed, lol! Hope you enjoy it and keep a bowl of ice cream nearby!

Aren't the first peppers off of the plant not as hot? Or is it the length of time you leave it on the vine? I'd love to know how hot it is as I'm growing some for the first time too!

RE: first peppers. There may be some validity to that assertion, I haven't really specifically tested it but I haven't noticed it to be an issue either. I do know that the longer you leave the pepper on the vine and the closer you let it get to being fully ripe, the more heat it will have.

I also read things such as stressing the plant a bit before you harvest will yield hotter peppers.. Such as not watering it as frequently.. Take it with a grain of salt, just something I read on the internet.

I don't know if one should try to make a bhut any hotter lol...

Well, much to my disappointment, my wife did NOT take the opportunity to video when I ate the first pod. I ate about 3/4 of the pod and WHOA. 15 mins of solid gnarly burning haha. The first 10 seconds were marvelous, as the taste of the pepper itself was REALLY good. Then came the pain. Shortly after, a second pod ripened. However, instead of eating it raw (no longer need to do that!) I diced it and threw it into a skillet with some ground beef and it was perfect.

Now since I pulled those 2 pods off the plant, the rest of the pods are quickly following suit. This was taken this morning. All of the remaining pods are on their way to harvest, and to add to the excitement...9 NEW pods set almost overnight. My first growing season is underway!

Sounds like you are doing quite well for a first time grower. Those Bhut plants can put out an awful lot of pods over the course of a growing season. You might want to think about dehydrating some of them to save for later on.

That's awesome and good to know the first was hot!

Thanks man! Definitely! The plan is to venture into hobby sauces, jams, etc. As well as powders and flakes. My habanero plant is currently holding 35+ pods in it's first set. There will definitely have to be some preserving that takes place haha. I love to cook, and as a powerlifter, I cook A LOT. And having all these peppers at my disposal will greatly help when forced to eat the occasional boring, bland meal.

and Kelly,

YES the first one was ABSOLUTELY hot hahaha. I LOVE spicy food. I spice everything up if I can. To where I'm sweating and sniffling usually. But that first pod was EASILY the hottest thing I've ever eaten. The biggest hurdle was the throat heat. You can let milk sit in your mouth, but the throats doesn't get any relief hahaha. I couldn't say more than a couple words at a time for almost 10 mins!

Omg, I could never eat it. I grow them for my husband who loves hot. I don't think any of my reaper seedlings made it but I have scorpion and white ghost that have the flowers. We'll see if it's hot. I may just have to take a bite like you!

That's Awesome! Glad your plants are doing well and sounds like you have good plans for you other peppers ripening. Check out this link our contribution to hot pepper recipes from fourm members to give you some ideas.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2129677/your-favorite-recipes-here?n=47

odsrandy, did the ¾ of that bhut include the seed membrane?

Isgen it sure did! My 3/4 was from the stem down. I saved the tip of the pepper for the wife to try.

And hab, thanks for the link! That'll definitely come in handy!

Please record it and post it here.. I derive pleasure from other people's pain :-P