Why do hot peppers lose their heat in cool weather?

[ravishingjay]

I have noticed that peppers that previously had been scalding hot a few days earlier lose all of their heat when the weather here gets cold. Especially if there is a frost. Even if I cover my pepper plants with blankets to keep the frost off, the peppers still lose their heat. Last season, we had a very early frost. I protected the plants as best as I could with blankets. The peppers lost all their heat by the next day. Gradually those peppers regained their heat level. Any explanations?

 

[megahot]

I have noticed that peppers that previously had been scalding hot a few days earlier lose all of their heat when the weather here gets cold. Especially if there is a frost. Even if I cover my pepper plants with blankets to keep the frost off, the peppers still lose their heat. Last season, we had a very early frost. I protected the plants as best as I could with blankets. The peppers lost all their heat by the next day. Gradually those peppers regained their heat level. Any explanations?

Was there more then one variety of pepper? The only thing I can come up with as far as them loosing heat is that they like it hot, indoors or out! In thier natural environment the hot chiles have hotter weather! So, in theory places like HI, or FL would be better for growing!

 

[Maxsack331]

yea there was an article on here a few days ago that was about how stress can actually cause the peppers to be hotter, (although stress in the form of heat, not cold lol) so yea I guess the hotter it is.. the better it should be.. as long as they have enough moisture to grow.. so hot and humid is great I guess.. I noticed that last year when it wasn't too hot out, and was raining a lot which kept the temps down and the peppers were not as hot as they were the year before where it was a really hot and dry summer (it was dry but we still watered them enough.. so they soaked up the water real fast) but those peppers that year were really hot..

I think this summer should be really hot again most likely.. especially with the high point in the solar cycle (I was googling some few things the other day and was reading about the solar cycles and the solar flares we had a few days ago)