Chili pepper size vs heat
Does the size of the pepper have any affect on how hot/spicy the pepper will be? ex. Is a smaller ghost pepper less hot than a ghost pepper twice its size?
Best Answer
As an overly broad generalization, yes, smaller peppers tend to be more spicy.
To answer in more detail, the heat in peppers comes from a molecule called capsaicin. The concentration of capsaicin is what determines how spicy peppers are relative to each other.
Incidentally, this is also how spiciness can be measured. The Scoville Scale is a measure of how many times you need to dilute the pepper's capsaicin before it is no longer detectable by taste. While this is subjective, it's a decent point for comparison between different varieties.
Larger peppers like bell peppers or banana peppers are low on the Scoville Scale (0 & up to 500 Scoville Heat Units respectively), while smaller peppers like Serranos (up to 25,000 SHU) and Habaneros (up to 350,000 SHU) are usually much hotter. Thus you have a trend with smaller peppers being hotter.
NB: Scoville units per pepper listed as 'up to xx', as there can be huge variations dependent on things like soil composition and climate. This is why you can get some Jalapenos that aren't terribly spicy, but then get others that are (relatively) really hot. SHU listings from Wikipedia.
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Does the size of a pepper affect heat?
The smaller the chile, the hotter it is. This is because smaller chiles have a larger amount of seeds and vein (internal rib). These veins are the parts that contain up to 80 percent of the capsaicin (heat) of the chile. There is a controversy as to which is the most popular chile pepper \u2014 the jalapeno or the Anaheim.Are bigger peppers less spicy?
If you're shopping around for some new chile peppers, keep in mind that the little guys typically pack way more heat than the big guys. Note the Scoville ratings below each pepper \u2014 that's a quick way to gauge their heat, the higher the value the hotter the chile.Does size of pepper matter?
Larger pieces generally give a punchier burst, while a finer grind distributes the flavour more evenly throughout the dish. The size of your pepper grind can also impact how fresh it stays and how long it lasts. As a general rule, the bigger the piece of peppercorn, the longer the flavour lasts in storage.How big should a chili pepper be?
Bell peppers are ready to pick when they are full size, about 3.5 to 4 inches and firm to the touch. However, if you planted a variety other than green, you should wait until the pepper has turned the expected color.Peppers comparison! List of Hottest chili Peppers on Earth by heat level (Scoville Heat Units)
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Images: Artem Beliaikin, Artem Beliaikin, Eva Elijas, Pixabay