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chinense My ghosts are not ghosts?

I bought a couple of ghost pepper plants this year because I didn't get my seeds started in time. The one is bearing fruit and the other is just starting. The peppers look like ghosts, but they have stingers and they do NOT smell or taste like ghosts. There is no fruityness at all, just heat and maybe a dirt flavor. They don't smell "good" (I think they kind of stink) and the heat is all wrong. The heat runs right back into your throat like a ghost, but then it moves around the mouth and feels like acid burning holes.

Maybe I got spoiled on my last crop of ghosts? They tasted like fruit loops and the heat was right there, but almost pleasant if that makes sense. They were stupid hot but it was a hot you came back for because it tasted so good. I had some SUPER hot ghosts last time. Amazing flavor, and nothing like these new ones that just want to melt your face and leave a horrible taste in your mouth for hours.

Does anyone have any ideas? I want to say reaper cross, or something that ended up like a reaper. Just no fun at all.

I did save a ton of seeds from the good ones I grew before, so I can jump back.
 

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Isaaccarlson said:
I bought a couple of ghost pepper plants this year because I didn't get my seeds started in time.


Does anyone have any ideas? I want to say reaper cross, or something that ended up like a reaper. Just no fun at all.
 
Where?
 
Be kind and make friends here. This is a trustworthy community that will gladly help you however they can if you don't act greedy or rude. This place will become your seed source.
 
Hello Isaac.

Wow, that bad luck. The ghosts is really good, hot and tasty. Years ago I saw people describing these flavors of their ghosts, that taste of battery acid. They also described the same flavor for butch-t.
It happened to me 2 years ago with butch-t red. It was really gross, sour dairy taste, like chewing on gastric reflux.
Maybe your ghost crossed paths with my butch-t!

It may not be effective to worry about whether your ghost is a cross or a failed mutation. In my opinion, the best thing would be to throw the peppers and plants in the trash.
"Sometimes things don't go the way we would like."

The positive is that you have a lot of wonderful ghost seeds for the next season.

Health and good luck, my friend.
 
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Really? I felt the Butch T's were delicious and flavorful while the hotter Morugas had more heat and less flavor.
 
Hi Ruid.
I prefer moruga over butch-t, I think, IMO, the flavor is longer lasting.
I've planted butch-t other times and found them tasty too. Only once was I unlucky enough to grow a bad plant. At that time I did research on the acidic taste of some super hots and read several comments from ghost and butch-t about it.

Greetings!
 
Ruid said:
I can't help but wonder if having hard water or not plays a role in how well your peppers taste.
 
I kind of doubt it, plants like (and need) calcium and magnesium.  Whether or not they are in usable forms in hard water, I'm not sure, but I will say - If you're concerned about water quality, just get an inline hose filter.  Commonly used in RV's, they hook right up to a garden hose and can be pretty effective and long lasting.  I use one because my municipal water is garbage and contains chlorine and chloramine, the latter of which doesn't simply evaporate if you let it sit out.
 
As far as using it affecting how the peppers themselves taste, I'm not sure.  But overall it can improve the health of the soil, and therefore the plants, and therefore the peppers.  It all comes back to the basics, providing just what they need.
 
Edit: Yeah, looks like you didn't get what you thought you were buying, but that's not uncommon if you bought them at a big box store's garden section.  They sell all kinds of stuff, i.e. Reapers or Ghosts but they're actually just habaneros.  If you really want to get into it, get a set up to grow from seed and purchase some from a reputable vendor.  Then, the options are limitless (and much more reliable, too.)
 
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