The EverGreen 7 Pod is kind of an enigma. The fruit starts green, and then…. well it stays green. The Pods are pretty big. Like some of the largest habaneros. Mine may have been on the small side because the photos that Judy posted showed some that seemed really huge. They are a nice lime green with a thin feeling skin and smooth but very wavy and undulating shape. They look really interesting. Mine was soft and squeezable unlike some of the Red 7’s that are like hard plastic. Slicing them open there was no rush of aroma. Smelling it up close revealed a light signature 7 pod scent with an interesting medium strong bouquet of Jolly Rancher green apple candy. It was unusual as it really did not smell fruity in the normal sense of the word. But a few seconds after you smell it and the brain process it, the green candy apple aroma comes through pretty clear. Seeds counts are low in this one. Maybe 10 or 15 max and many of those looked tiny. Placenta was medium around the seed pod but the interior surface of the skin had very little. The skin did look nice and oily but there were no droplets like Douglah or some of the other 7’s. Skin looked very thin but when chewed seemed more like medium-thin because it was pretty juicy and had a nice crunch. Flavor was nice. The first impression I got was like eating a nice hot New Mexico green chile without the poddy flavor. Later I remembered the green apple aroma and if I closed my eyes and chewed a bite it was not hard to imagine it being a somewhat bland apple. The aroma was much stronger than the taste but apple nonetheless. The bottom 2/3 of the pod was very balanced and had that nice green chile / apple flavor. The top 1/3 by the seed pod had a much stronger 7 pod flavor. It really came through strong on the last bite and I lost the nice gentle flavor of the bottom part. Heatwise it was a bit under a Bhut Jolokia. I got a nice burn on the tongue (especially the sides) and a good amount of drool. The burn lasted about 70% as long as a Regular 7. No throat burn and nothing uncomfortable but still nice. I now know it had some heat because it gave me a decent stomach ache that lasted a good 5 – 7 minutes. I did eat a whole half pod, but the discomfort was more than I was expecting when compared to the mouth burn it gave me. I think these stuffed with white cheddar, onion and a smoked ham would be delicious. The flavor was not a perfect match for me to eat fresh, but it was so unique and unlike any other that I want to grow some to try cooking with them. I am quickly finding that so many of the pepper varieties taste the same. This Evergreen had a flavor that kept me eating the whole half pod so it is definitely in the top tier for taste. As far as the flavor of 7 pods go, it is my 2nd favorite behind the Chocolate 7. Thanks again Judy for letting me try your one of a kind pepper. I hope you will have this on your website next year.
