What happens to the heat/capsaicin content of a pepper when you roast it?

What happens to the heat/capsaicin content of a pepper when you roast it? - Delighted multiethnic couple with drinks and food on street

We received some extremely hot peppers of some sort in our CSA bin. They're a light green color and look like under-ripe habaneros, and we can't for the life of us figure out what kind of pepper they are. My dad used to tell me that eating spicy things would "put hair on my chest," but I think these peppers would burn the hair right off of my body, given the chance.

Since I'm not the biggest fan of deathly spicy peppers, we're considering roasting them to reduce their heat to something similar to the peppers we normally use. I'm curious what happens to the capsaicin content of the pepper as a result of roasting it. Does anyone know how that works?



Best Answer

I don't believe roasting will reduce the 'heat' of the peppers, only make them tastier and more easily digested.

Only removing the seeds and the white membrane inside will reduce the heat, as far as I know.




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Do peppers lose heat when roasted?

Does roasting peppers make them taste hotter? The same typically holds true for roasting peppers \u2014 chilies tend to lessen in heat when roasted. The roasting releases the chili's oils and capsaicin, but in this instance the capsaicin isn't then spread across the entire dish. The chili eaten alone, may taste milder.

Does roasting a pepper make it hotter?

It has always been my understanding that the actual "heat" of a pepper does not change... BUT, is further "released" via the cooking/roasting process. The hottest part of the chili isn't the seeds, as many believe, but the membranes. They contain capsaicin, an alkaloid that makes the pepper hot.

What happens when you roast pepper?

He has written two cookbooks. Roasting chilies and peppers adds a smoky flavor that can enhance any recipe or be served as an appetizer or side dish. Many people buy roasted peppers and chilies in cans, but it's so easy to do and the flavor is so much better, that you really should roast your own.

Does cooking denature capsaicin?

When it comes to cooking with chiles, chile experts say that capsaicin is very stable\u2014heat doesn't destroy it, freezing doesn't wipe it out, even acids don't seem to neutralize it (although acids do have some effect; the vinegar in Tabasco sauce, for instance, helps preserve its heat).



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