Reducing heat in hot peppers

[GailC]

This might sound odd but I want to try and reduce the heat in a otherwise hot pepper.
Peppers just don't do well here save for one, the lemon drop but its way to hot for me.
I plant to water and fertilize a lot, any other ideas to try? Maybe container grow and keep them out of the hottest sun?

[pepperhead212]

If that's way too hot for you, I'd suggest looking for other varieties. The heat of a variety varies a little, but not a lot, due to different growing conditions. With so many varieties, there has to be something out there much milder, that will grow in your area - maybe some of those types that grow in the mountains of S America?

[Shule]

Eat them with cheese. Don't eat the cheese afterward; it must be eaten with the pepper (and/or cooked into the dish that the pepper is in). This can make even extremely hot peppers easy to eat. IMO, it works a whole lot better than milk and sugar cookies. There's still heat, but a lot less.

As to how to grow hot peppers to be milder, just take really good care of them. Stress is said to make peppers spicier. Also, maybe try blocking the UV rays from the sun. They can make peppers spicier.

If you need a hardy pepper that grows and produces easily in tough conditions for peppers, in Idaho, try Aji Habanero. Not sure how its heat compares to your pepper, but it's about as hot as Cayenne to me. No, it's not 300k like a Habanero, and it's not C. chinense (probably more like 50k). Let me know if you want some seeds that I've saved.

Another thing you can do is grow sweet peppers and mix them with your hot ones to dilute them—that is, if sweet peppers aren't a problem.

One thing that helps growing peppers in my garden is mulching them with a shredded wood mulch, whether they're in the ground or in containers. It makes a huge difference for in-ground peppers, in my garden. Be careful not to overwater containers if you do this (they don't need watered very often with shredded wood mulch).

Sweet Banana and Neapolitan are some pretty prolific sweet peppers, but I probably prefer to eat Lipstick and White Cloud peppers, which do reasonably. I mention this since I mentioned mixing peppers earlier.

Also, you might find that you get more peppers from purchased plants. They tend to be pretty mature compared with homegrown ones, unless you start peppers in February or before, or unless you have a very nice light setup, or only grow C. annuum.

You also might try buying a few bags of soil (not potting soil—actual soil). I know, who buys dirt? But, it's an easy way to get soil that peppers might grow more easily in, if there's a problem with yours. My neighbors have purchased soil in their raised beds, and their peppers grow easily in it (even after some years). I haven't tried it myself, but I'm tempted.

If you need a whole yard full of soil, there are probably cheaper ways to obtain it. Just make sure it's good soil.

[worth1]

Just eat more hot peppers you will get used to them.

[stone]

Rather than eating more... slice the pepper up in the dishes you cook... like the stews, ramen, whatever... only... use 1/2 A pepper... if that's too hot... reduce until you find the sweet spot.

Alternatively... One year, I purchased ghost pepper seed from 'sample seed shop' and... the first peppers ripe were heatless habanero... colour me disappointed!
Eventually other plants produced better results... seemed like 3 varieties of peppers in that one order!

The carolina reaper seeds I got last year... much better results...

I've been planting the hotter peppers with my calico peppers in an attempt to bring some heat back into my variegated plants.
Years ago, they crossed with some habenaros, and then... they were some fine... unfortunately, they lost heat when I selected for variegation... crossing caused some green plants... really good producing peppers... but... they were supposed to be variegated!

So... you could try crossing with mild to get mild... but there are so many mild cultivars on the market now...

seriously, as good as the capsicum is for us... it's just better to cook with them as they are.

[Cole_Robbie]

Jalapenos are the only hot peppers that I have seen vary a lot in heat based on rainfall. In a very wet spring, I can't tell a jalapeno from a green bell pepper in taste.

I agree about using very hot peppers for cooking. I like a pod or two of Fatali in my beans or lentils.

[Nan6b]

Take a year and buy several varieties of mildly hot pepper seeds, and plant one of each. Whatever does well for you is your new hot pepper.

[GailC]

I've tried many varieties, hot and mild over the years. I'm lucky to get more than just a couple peppers off each plant. This includes seed started and purchased plants. It not just me either, other people have issues with peppers here.

The only other varieties that did ok was fish and some kind of thai bird. I didn't really care for the flavor of either.

I'll try the lemon drop still. If they are too hit, I'll just dry them and grind into a powder. They have a really unique flavor that I want to work with.

[Nan6b]

I usually only get one or two peppers per plant, also. I've got clay soil and not enough sun. Last year I grew a Bishop's Crown variety called "Christmas Bell." It has heat in the seeds and membranes, but not in the actual flesh. I had 2-3 plants and I got HUNDREDS. I've never seen anything like it. Each individual pepper is small, maybe 1 1/2" diameter, but wow, we could hardly process them all. And before first frost, I brought in the basketfuls of green ones and they ripened indoors (almost all, even the immature ones). I don't have time right now to look & see how many seeds I have left, but I'll edit this post soon if I have enough to offer.
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Edit: Yes, I have a few packets left, if you'd like some.

[GailC]

Thanks for the offer but I really don't need another too hot pepper. jalapenos are about as spicy as I like, I just really, really like the citrusy flavor of the lemon drop.

[Rajun Gardener]

I went over to thehotpepper.com and got this recommendation, I think this might work for you. If I get more I'll post them.

[Rajun Gardener]

This might be the exact thing you're looking for. https://www.fataliiseeds.net/product/bl ... on-yellow/

[Shule]

If anyone tries Rob's suggestion, I'd love to hear about it's days to maturity.

[GailC]

This might be the exact thing you're looking for. https://www.fataliiseeds.net/product/bl ... on-yellow/

Thank you, those do sound perfect.

[worth1]

In my experience from being a long time pepper eater probably around from age two or three hot peppers are a life style.
It isn't something you just jump right into, 'by hitting it full throttle, 'you have to work your way up.
Personally I don't cook with a lot of hot peppers in my main meal so as I have to eat something hot in every bite.
Yes some of the stuff I cook may be hot to others but not me because I worked my way up.
If I don't continue to eat hot food then I lose my tolerance for it.

[roper2008]

Why is it so hard to grow peppers? It’s too hot where you live? I grow all my peppers in pots with a good potting mix. Does so much better for me than the ground. I try to avoid black pots because they get so hot. Here where I live it gets hot & humid , but most peppers seem to like it as long as they get enough water.

[DMF]

I'll try the lemon drop still. If they are too hit, I'll just dry them and grind into a powder. They have a really unique flavor that I want to work with.

I didn't read the whole thread, but maybe the solution is how you butcher them? The capsaicin in a pepper is concentrated in specific tissues, notable the placenta surrounding the seeds and the crosswalls supporting both. Jalapenoes, for instance, are about the equivalent of bells when the spicy bits are removed.

I really dislike pepper seeds in my teeth, so I always de-seed fresh peppers I use, even before pickling. It can be tedious, but you get better with practice. Hints:

• Try different knives; some will work better than others; Use a sharp one;
• Go to the bathroom first! so your fingers will be less dangerous;
• Oil on your fingers keeps the capsaicin from sticking much. It makes the knife slippery so be careful. I generally just avoid pepper contact with the right (knife) hand altogether.

I went through an entire harvest, seeded, pureed with salt and vinegar, and cold-canned them. The puree is still in the fridge, fresh and bright. Tasty and deadly.

[DMF]

Why is it so hard to grow peppers? It’s too hot where you live?

Idaho? Too hot? No, that's not it.

The black pots thing is real and both tries to cook roots and evaporates water. The larger the pot, the less the effect. A well-developed plant will shade the pot so it's not a concern for adult peppers. But it is for the kids. I use double pots or just set them inside larger pots.

[Tracydr]

Increase water, decrease stress from heat and insects. Adequate fertilizer. Stress increases heat, especially dry/hot weather and insects. Happy plants will not have as hot of peppers.
I’ve had jalapeños too to eat grown next to concrete and brick in AZ summer and habaneros so mild they are not much more than banana pepper heat when grown in cooler wet weather.

[Sue_CT]

Eating hot foods with a little sour cream with each bite really reduces the amount of heat you feel but you still get the taste. I like mild to moderate heat but my mother can only tolerate a little heat, so when I share a spicey dish with her I remind her to have some sour cream with it if it is too hot. Happened again last night, and she added some sour cream to the enchilada and then thought it was delicious. But at least since you really enjoy the taste of the lemon drops you could still use them.

Another pepper that I find easy to grow is the Anaheim pepper. I can't grow peppers that take a long time to mature here, either, but I do really well with those. I have seeds if you decide you would like to try them. I was actually finding jalapenos to have little or almost no heat and I was looking for another mild pepper and Anaheim worked for me.