Some Like it Hot!!!!

How hot are those peppers?

The Scoville scale is a measurement of the spicy heat of a chili pepper.

The number of Scoville heat units indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Capsaicin is a chemical compound that stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes.

The scale is named after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville. His method, devised in 1912, is known as the Scoville Organoleptic Test. The modern commonplace method for quantitative analysis uses high-performanceliquidchromatography, making it possible to directly measure capsaicinoid content.

How is the heat scale generally broken down?

Mild----------0-5000

Medium------5000-20,000

Hot----------20,000-70,000

Extreme-----70,000-300,000+

So how hot are the peppers you are eating?

Sweet Bell, Sweet Banana, Pimento ---------------------------------- 0

Cherry---------------------------------------------------------------0-500

Tam Jalapeno,Poblano, Ancho,Anaheim------------------------------1000-2000

Jalapeno, Mucho Nacho----------------------------------------------2500-8000

Cayenne-------------------------------------------------------------6000-8500

Hot Hungarian Wax--------------------------------------------------5000-9000

Serrano--------------------------------------------------------------8000-22000

Tabasco-------------------------------------------------------------30000-50000

Habanero-----------------------------------------------------------150000-325000

How do you stop the burning after eating jalapeno peppers?

Because of the innate hotness of all chile peppers, they can burn not only the inside of your mouth, but your skin as well. If you find that you simply can't bear the heat after eating a chile pepper, try to consume a dairy product, like milk, yogurt, or ice cream. Dairy products contain a chemical called caisen that combats the effects of chile peppers' capsicum by stripping it from its receptor site on the skin. I've also tried sugar and that seems to work in a pinch.

Jalapeno Skin Burn

Try rubbing alcohol first to remove the burning oil. Then, soak the skin in milk or another dairy product. Only use water or saline for your eyes, however, and please remember that the best way to combat the chile pepper heat is to use rubber gloves when handling peppers.

Also, this was suggested by a poison control center for those times you do not have a dairy product on hand: Wash the skin with warm, soapy water. Rub the skin with vegetable or olive oil and let set a minute. Rinse.

After all that information about how hot peppers are to the taste. Here is a

recipe for fresh salsa.

Fresh Salsa

1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/3 large onion, finely chopped

½ large green bell pepper, finely chopped

½ to 1 whole jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

4 large Roma (paste) tomatoes, chopped

1 small bunch of cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Juice from ¼ lemon

Mix ingredients together and serve, altering the recipe to suit your own taste preferences. Store covered in the refrigerator. To keep calorie and fat content low, serve with baked tortilla chips.

Makes four servings.

Best of all, the ingredients can all be grown in your home garden! The lemon

juice might be a problem to grow in some northern states.

Gardening is always about digging in the dirt, it is also about enjoying the produce you grow.

Happy Gardening, Terry