Here is another “lesson” from me on a chile pepper. I will again endeavor to make this a fun yet
informative experience for you so relax and enjoy.
I always have to start
off slow, like a professor. Just stay with me, I promise to keep it interesting
and SHORT!
Origins and History:
Grown in the Yucatan
Peninsula in Mexico , when
the Habanero was found by the Spaniards prior to the 18th Century
they took it all across the globe.
Scientists rediscovered and recorded the Habanero in the 18th
century and named it for China ,
Capsicum Chinense, a name it still bears.
Now we can find this hot little pepper growing in other countries such
as, Belize , Colombia , Costa
Rica , Ecuador
and Panama
where it is called aji chombo. The
Habanero is also grown in a few parts of the United
States including Texas , California , and Idaho .
Here’s what to look
for.
Features:
These small peppers are only 2-6 centimeters when fully
grown. They are green until they ripen
at which time they will be orange or red (the colors we are most used to). Habaneros will also ripen to be white, pink
or brown. The Scoville Scale measures
this pepper up to 350,000 SHU. So this
little package packs quite a punch. Unlike
the friendly Jolokia, the heat reaction you get from eating a Habanero will
come across you tongue. It will build up
slowly at first, but it will definitely let you know it’s there!
Now if you read my Jolokia blog, you will hopefully remember
that a peppers heat can be influenced by the climate, humidity and other
factors in the region where it grows.
This is also true of the Habanero.
Do not confuse the Habanero with the Scotch Bonnet Chile . These two peppers have a similar flavor and
placement on the Scoville Scale. However,
they are two different varieties of the same species of pepper and have
different pod types.
Cooking with peppers
is fun and rewarding, just watch your tongue!
Uses:
People of the Yucatan
Peninsula
In Mexico
it is common to place a Habanero in a bottle of tequila or mescal to spice up
their drinks. Now that’s what I call a “shot
with a kick!”
At Flaming
Garden
Other favorite uses for the Habanero are in hot sauces and
salsas, although there are innumerable others.
Here’s where things
get tricky, so pay attention!
Handling Tips:
As with any pepper that has capsaicin, you should always
wear gloves and a face mask when working with them. Protecting your eyes, skin and lungs is
important.
If your skin is exposed you should always wash your hands
with warm soapy water first. Wash them
well for more than a minute at least.
Soaking the skin in alcohol or a dairy product like milk should help to
counteract the capsaicin reaction. If
neither of these are available, you can try applying vegetable oil to the cleaned
skin and leave it on for a minute or so then rinse it off.
If you have ingested some Habanero and it has burned your
tongue or upset your stomach you can drink some milk or eat some dairy. The casein in the dairy counteracts the capsaicins heat reaction on your nerve endings.
If you inhale the fumes of the pepper from cooking, you can
use any asthma medication you may have, such as inhalers. If this is not available, you should consult
a physician or get immediate help for the irritation in the lungs from the
capsaicin.
If you get the capsaicin in your eyes, flush immediately
with plain water or saline only! Then
consult immediately with a physician or seek medical help if the problem is
serious. There are treatments that will
help with the pain and burning from the pepper.
Time to wake up! The teacher is turning on the lights and the
film strip is over.
Closing
I hope I didn't make Habaneros or chile peppers sound
too scary for some of my readers in that last section. It’s just that sometimes the good things come
with a price. For lovers of hot food and
hot peppers, it's the effects of Capsaicin on our skin, eyes, tongue and
lungs. Flaming Garden believes that
pairing such a hot pepper with the sweetness of our jelly is a terrific way to
enjoy this tasty little Latin Hottie.
