COMPLETELY remove the seeds and veins from a Habenero. I recommend that you wear gloves or have someone else do it. Mince finely, stir into a can of crushed pineapple and bring to a bare boil. Remove from the heat and chill. Serve over vanilla ice cream.
Capsaicin, which provides the 'heat' in peppers is an alkaloid compound which dissolves in fats. This is why if your food is too spicy, you should reach for milk, half & half, butter, sour cream, even Crisco to put out the fire. Water, beer, etc won't help at all.
The Capsicum peppers are in the Nightshade(Solanaceae) family and are botanical first cousins to tomatoes, potatoes, Aubergines (Eggplants), and tobacco. They all originated in northern South America and Central America. The first introduction into Europe was courtesy of Christopher Columbus on his last voyage.
Almost all the peppers you see in the store are Capsicum Annuum. This includes the bell, jalapeno, chilies, Anaheim, Serrano, and Poblamo peppers. They will all cross pollinate so they have to be separated by some distance from others of their species.
The Habeneros, Scotch Bonnets, Bhut Jalakias, Ghost peppers, Datils, Trinidad scorpions, etc. are Capsicum Chinense. This is because the taxonomist who named them thought they originated in China rather than northern South America.
The only other species that you might have heard of is Capsicum Frutescens which includes the Tabasco and Piri Piri peppers.
The same taste receptors that allow you to taste vanilla allow you to feel the heat (Capsaicin) in peppers. A Jalapeno pepper is about 500 Scoville units. Pure Capsaicin is 16 million units. Pepper spray is about 5 million SU. Anything over about 6 million SU is a controlled substance.
Hope this helps.
WWG1WGA
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
