Hot/sweet same plant???

erlyberd · October 4, 2011

Ever here of getting both hot and sweet peppers off the same plant? The variety was Ferbl if I'm spelling it right. Seeds came from Slovenia.Thanks for any input.

Boutique Tomatoes · October 5, 2011

Yes, all depends on the stress level of the plant when that fruit is forming. I've gotten surprised a few times with seasoning peppers that have gotten hotter than I was expecting. I usually trace it back to my being out of town on business and the kids not watering my peppers...

Tom C zone 4/5 · October 5, 2011

If I carefuly remove seeds and membrane from Scentesi Pincos paprika is only midly spicy. If I leave 'em on, its got a lot more zing.

lurley · October 6, 2011

I've heard that that is the case with the Spanish Padron pepper, generally sweet but every so often you get a spicy one, pepper routlette.

Tracydr · October 7, 2011

My habaneros get very sweet and mild in the winter, especially when we get a lot of rain. They also get tiny. I actually love the flavor. I've been trying to find a seasoning pepper with a similar, flowery, sweet flavor but it seems most places have been out of seeds when I've checked.
I had no luck starting my aji dulces this year. Will try harder, under lights, heat mat and earlier this winter, now that I know some tricks for starting that class of seeds.

tjg911 · October 7, 2011

maybe i misunderstood the question but he asked "sweet and hot on the same plant" not "less hot and hot on the same plant". i understood it to be the former, we know the latter happens with hot pepper plants.

i would think no but is it possible to have a variety of pepper that produces both sweet and hot? i can't see how because if the plant is producing capsicum then all the peppers would have it.

tom

Boutique Tomatoes · October 7, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjg911

maybe i misunderstood the question but he asked "sweet and hot on the same plant" not "less hot and hot on the same plant". i understood it to be the former, we know the latter happens with hot pepper plants.

i would think no but is it possible to have a variety of pepper that produces both sweet and hot? i can't see how because if the plant is producing capsicum then all the peppers would have it.

tom

Capsaicin is produced in part as a defense mechanism, more is produced when a plant is stress or threatened. A sweet pepper with barely a touch of heat may turn into one that is hot by most peoples standards.

The seasoning peppers I mentioned are chinese species from the same family as habaneros, but they have been selected over many generations to have very little heat, an Aji Dulce #2 for example might as well be a bell pepper to me with regards to it's heat level.

However, if the plant is stressed by being attacked by aphids or a prolonged lack of water, it may come as a shock if you offer one to someone expecting a mild pepper. It may go from a capsaicin concentration of 20 PPM to 100 PPM under severe stress, but that's enough to shock someone expecting a sweet pepper.

Having experienced this many times, now I typically take a slice out of one and taste it myself before having someone try them for the first time. No need to have them think I'm a sadistic practical joker without cause...

TZ-OH6 · October 7, 2011

I have a couple of high sugar (very sweet) eating/salad peppers that also have quite a bit of heat. The heat can be variable, especially when you get away from the placental tissue.

My NuMex Big Jim green chiles have quite a bit of variability in the heat levels from fruit to fruit. Most of my chile cheesburgers are mild but every once in a while one will light me up.

tam91 · October 12, 2011

Ah, I bet that explains what happened to me. I made one batch of salsa with a Jalapeno M which was nice. Next batch, I almost killed my company (oops). Wouldn't have thought a jalapeno could get that hot.

BigBrownDogHouse · October 13, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by TZ-OH6

My NuMex Big Jim green chiles have quite a bit of variability in the heat levels from fruit to fruit.

When I started reading this thread, I immediately thought of a NuMex Big Jim I grew last year. One pepper would have plenty of zing. The next one would be nothing more than a sweet green pepper. That was the plant I had more variance on then any other hot pepper I grew.

lakelady · October 14, 2011

Mark, that's interesting to know about stress levels affecting pepper heat. I've always grown a few purchased pepper plants each year but never pay much attention. Next year I 'd like to actually TRY and grow them instead of ignoring them !

Boutique Tomatoes · October 14, 2011

They are a fun hobby. I like them because I have to start the chinense and baccatum varieties in January or Febuary, so I get to garden inside in the middle of winter.

Somewhere on here someone posted a link to an Australian article about how they grew the world record Trinidad Scorpion varity. Runoff from a worm farm filled with dead bugs used to water the plants was what the plant scientist in the article believed caused the extreme heat in the tested peppers. His theory was that since the plants manufacture the capsaicin as a defense mechanism, being watered with the insect bits tricked the plants into thinking they were constantly under attack.

aropupu · November 26, 2011

It's also rather common for (chilli) peppers to make a few "practice" fruits in the beginning of season, that have none or very mild pungency, even though the rest of the fruits might be hot as hell. The stress level of the plant has an effect on the overall pungency, too.

Aa_Snyder · March 1, 2012

I have some "Sweet Heat Peppers" from Burgess started for this growing season. They are supposed to be 65% higher in Vitamin C than other peppers. They say that they are 329 scovilles when green and 235 when red. 10" plants with 3.5"x 1.5" peppers. I am anxious to see how they do in Oklahoma. Anyone grown these before? I would love info.

October 4, 2011	#1
erlyberd Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: CT Zone 5 Posts: 186	Hot/sweet same plant??? Ever here of getting both hot and sweet peppers off the same plant? The variety was Ferbl if I'm spelling it right. Seeds came from Slovenia.Thanks for any input.

October 5, 2011	#3
Tom C zone 4/5 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: SE Ohio Posts: 253	If I carefuly remove seeds and membrane from Scentesi Pincos paprika is only midly spicy. If I leave 'em on, its got a lot more zing. __________________ Beyond the mountains, there are more mountains.

October 7, 2011	#6
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	maybe i misunderstood the question but he asked "sweet and hot on the same plant" not "less hot and hot on the same plant". i understood it to be the former, we know the latter happens with hot pepper plants. i would think no but is it possible to have a variety of pepper that produces both sweet and hot? i can't see how because if the plant is producing capsicum then all the peppers would have it. tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

October 12, 2011	#9
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	Ah, I bet that explains what happened to me. I made one batch of salsa with a Jalapeno M which was nice. Next batch, I almost killed my company (oops). Wouldn't have thought a jalapeno could get that hot. __________________ Tracy

October 5, 2011	#2
Boutique Tomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Northeast Wisconsin, Zone 5a Posts: 1,109	Yes, all depends on the stress level of the plant when that fruit is forming. I've gotten surprised a few times with seasoning peppers that have gotten hotter than I was expecting. I usually trace it back to my being out of town on business and the kids not watering my peppers...

October 6, 2011	#4
lurley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 741	I've heard that that is the case with the Spanish Padron pepper, generally sweet but every so often you get a spicy one, pepper routlette.

October 7, 2011	#5
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	My habaneros get very sweet and mild in the winter, especially when we get a lot of rain. They also get tiny. I actually love the flavor. I've been trying to find a seasoning pepper with a similar, flowery, sweet flavor but it seems most places have been out of seeds when I've checked. I had no luck starting my aji dulces this year. Will try harder, under lights, heat mat and earlier this winter, now that I know some tricks for starting that class of seeds.

October 7, 2011	#8
TZ-OH6 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mid-Ohio Posts: 851	I have a couple of high sugar (very sweet) eating/salad peppers that also have quite a bit of heat. The heat can be variable, especially when you get away from the placental tissue. My NuMex Big Jim green chiles have quite a bit of variability in the heat levels from fruit to fruit. Most of my chile cheesburgers are mild but every once in a while one will light me up.

October 14, 2011	#11
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Mark, that's interesting to know about stress levels affecting pepper heat. I've always grown a few purchased pepper plants each year but never pay much attention. Next year I 'd like to actually TRY and grow them instead of ignoring them !

November 26, 2011	#13
aropupu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Espoo, Finland Posts: 8	It's also rather common for (chilli) peppers to make a few "practice" fruits in the beginning of season, that have none or very mild pungency, even though the rest of the fruits might be hot as hell. The stress level of the plant has an effect on the overall pungency, too.

March 1, 2012	#14
Aa_Snyder Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1	I have some "Sweet Heat Peppers" from Burgess started for this growing season. They are supposed to be 65% higher in Vitamin C than other peppers. They say that they are 329 scovilles when green and 235 when red. 10" plants with 3.5"x 1.5" peppers. I am anxious to see how they do in Oklahoma. Anyone grown these before? I would love info.