Lucy...Splain Me Suhnthin...

[LunchBox]

My wife was at the store, and picked up the staples...japs, serranos, habs.

I made some fajitas with my grilled pico...japs, onion, then tomato and cilantro tossed on at the end. It was hot as bloddy hell. I used the same jalapenos for a casserole...I used ONE...and it was hot as blazes. I used some of these japs for other things...and they were rediculously hot.

I normally use a handfull of habaneros on my fajitas...this was just as hot.

So...what is making these puny little japs SEEM as hot as habaneros?

I will add that these japs are VERY bitter...none of the creamy sweetness you expect from a jalapeno.

Ideas?

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Happens with jals.

 

[LunchBox]

Happens with jals.

But even so...they are, at their hottest, 10% the heat of a standard, store bought hab. What's more...I actually don't like them at all...to damn bitter. If I could get that heat level, with the flavor of a jap...I'd be happy.

 

[RaelThomas]

The japs I've been getting lately seem very hot too. Fresh japs do have that stingy burn though, I think thats half of it.
My better half will happily eat a pizza with 2-3 bhuts on it with me, but i made poppers with this lot and she was sitting under the tap for about 10 minutes.
I've also noticed that they burn my skin more than other, hotter varieties.
As said before, I guess it's the different balance of caspaicinoids.