One of my cowhorn (aka cayenne) pepper pods gradually turned red over several days, then another one jumped to red in a single day. I pulled one to cook with tonight, but then started ruminating about the other. I'd rather leave it on the plant until I am ready to use it, rather than pull it and put it into the fridge. So I'd like some guidance here - I know you can still only leave it on the plant for so long, but how long is that? Does it vary significantly from plant to plant, or is there a general time frame that it should be pulled by? The jalapenos are just starting to turn red, and I know we'll gobble those down quickly enough (I've only got 3 plants total), but I'm thinking that with the cowhorn being much hotter than anticipated, I'll have to do some planning for next year if I don't kill it over the winter - probably look into drying some at that time, but this year it doesn't have many fruits. For now, though, just wondering how long I can leave them on the plant.
And some silliness here - I've done some experimenting with the cowhorn. Slice just the tip off one I've pulled, and put it in my mouth, then just hold it there in one place until the capsaicin spreads and completely covers the mouth. It's kind of funny - depending upon where you put it, the initial heat perception on the tongue is very different, and of course, the way the capsaicin spreads through the mouth is very different. Take measures to get the heat out of my mouth, then take another small piece and place it in a different area, and see what results I get this time (so I know the differences in the initial heat perception are truly a result of differences in the tongue, since I took the pieces from the same pepper.) Okay, okay, I know we're not supposed to play with our food, but who can resist?
And some silliness here - I've done some experimenting with the cowhorn. Slice just the tip off one I've pulled, and put it in my mouth, then just hold it there in one place until the capsaicin spreads and completely covers the mouth. It's kind of funny - depending upon where you put it, the initial heat perception on the tongue is very different, and of course, the way the capsaicin spreads through the mouth is very different. Take measures to get the heat out of my mouth, then take another small piece and place it in a different area, and see what results I get this time (so I know the differences in the initial heat perception are truly a result of differences in the tongue, since I took the pieces from the same pepper.) Okay, okay, I know we're not supposed to play with our food, but who can resist?
