Hot Pepper Capsaicin
Capsaicin is the chemical that makes hot peppers "Hot". The Scoville Organoleptic
Scale, was created in 1912 by a pharmacist named Wilbur Scoville. Scoville
designed it to measure the "heat" in hot peppers.
There are five common, naturally occurring capsaicinoids. The hottest of
them is so hot (rated 16 million Scoville units), that a single drop diluted
in 100,000 drops of water will blister your tongue.
Capsaicin in Hot Peppers:
Capsaicin is the chemical ingredient in peppers that makes them "hot". A
sweet green pepper has no capsaicin. The hotter the pepper, the higher the
level of Capsaicin. It is measured in parts per million (ppm). Here are some
examples:
Paprika comes 10 to 30 ppm
Chili peppers 30 to 600 ppm
Red peppers 600 to 13,000 ppm
Common Varieties of Hot Peppers and their Scoville Rating for Hot
Peppers:
| Pepper: |
Scoville Score: |
| Anaheim |
200 |
| Paprika |
1,000 |
| Cherry Bomb |
2,000 |
| Jalapeno |
4,000 |
| Serrano |
8,000 |
| Cayenne |
30,000 |
| Tobasco |
80,000 |
| Thai |
80,000 |
| Habanero |
200,000 |
| Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) |
855,000 - 1,041,427 |
| Maximum on Scale |
16,000,000 |
Medicinal Value:
Yup, that's right. Capsaicin has medicinal properties.
It may surprise you to know, that Capsaicin has medicinal value. It helps
to reduce inflammations.
Peppery Links:
Do you know your Hot Peppers? Check out the varieties
of hot peppers.
How to Grow Hot Peppers
How
to Grow Peppers at Garden Hobbies
Tim's Salsa Recipe - it's quick and easy
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