Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
barely.

This is starting to **** me off.

Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
> often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
> not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
> peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
> barely.
>
> This is starting to **** me off.
>
> Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
> don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
> Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.
>
> Bob
Raise your own and don't harvest until ripe.
I raised some Jalapenos one year.
I harvested them barehanded, about half a bushel.
For many many days some, of my favorite parts, were plenty hot.
I can kid about it now.

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:30:30 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
>> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
>> often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
>> not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
>> peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
>> barely.
>>
>> This is starting to **** me off.
>
> I think you have a problem with your hot-receptors. As far as I
> know there is no mild serrano or thai bird - and no drastic
> changes in growing conditions.
>
> I have not noticed any heat reduction in either of those peppers
> and I use each of them almost weekly. I've heard this from
> several people here (not the first for you), but I just think
> you're taste buds are wearing out.
>
> For the record, I have probably decreased my hot pepper/sauce
> consumption slightly, while others usually increase it to maintain
> the same level of heat they're used to.
>
> Have you tried giving one of those hot peppers to someone who
> doesn't eat hot stuff and have them try it? That should be your
> next step.
>
> -sw
They breed and grow shippers now days. Low on substance high on
appearance. Like the empty flavorless cardboard California strawberries
that smell somewhat good but you would have to chase me down to get me
to eat one.

Steve wrote:

> I think you have a problem with your hot-receptors. As far as I
> know there is no mild serrano or thai bird - and no drastic
> changes in growing conditions.
>
> I have not noticed any heat reduction in either of those peppers
> and I use each of them almost weekly. I've heard this from
> several people here (not the first for you), but I just think
> you're taste buds are wearing out.

Well, I have also run across mild serranos, and I know my heat receptors are
*not* wearing out because a roasted locally-grown jalapeño made me gasp with
surprise at how hot it was.

Bob

On Jul 11, 10:12*pm, lil abner > wrote:
> Sqwertz wrote:
> > On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:30:30 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:
>
> >> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. *Not just slightly hot, but mild
> >> like a bell pepper. *(I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
> >> often have a little heat.) *So I started buying serranos, but they are
> >> not really hot either now. *Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
> >> peppers thinking at least they would be hot. *Well, some of them are,
> >> barely.
>
> >> This is starting to **** me off.
>
> > I think you have a problem with your hot-receptors. *As far as I
> > know there is no mild serrano or thai bird - and no drastic
> > changes in growing conditions.
>
> > I have not noticed any heat reduction in either of those peppers
> > and I use each of them almost weekly. *I've heard this from
> > several people here (not the first for you), but I just think
> > you're taste buds are wearing out.
>
> > For the record, I have probably decreased my hot pepper/sauce
> > consumption slightly, while others usually increase it to maintain
> > the same level of heat they're used to.
>
> > Have you tried giving one of those hot peppers to someone who
> > doesn't eat hot stuff and have them try it? *That should be your
> > next step.
>
> > -sw
>
> They breed and grow shippers now days. Low on substance high on
> appearance. Like the empty flavorless cardboard California strawberries
> that smell somewhat good but you would have to chase me down to get me
> to eat one.


The strawberries my grandmother used to grow were good, really sweet
right off the vine. The ones the grocery store sells look prettier,
but they need to be macerated in sugar for about six hours just to
make them taste vaguely like strawberries. I'd hate to see hot peppers
going the way of strawberries (and tomatoes, cantaloupes, etc).
Marzetti's has a pickled, "hot" pepper that used to be a lot hotter
than it is now. I thought it was just me getting used to them, or
maybe it was a seasonal thing, but now I'm not sure. It's like The
Borg are taking over the produce department, replacing items with
other, identical items, "assimilating" them. They look the same, but
they're not the same.

On 7/11/2010 9:57 PM, lil abner wrote:
> zxcvbob wrote:
>> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
>> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins,
>> they often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they
>> are not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little
>> Thai peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them
>> are, barely.
>>
>> This is starting to **** me off.
>>
>> Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
>> don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
>> Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.
>>
>> Bob
> Raise your own and don't harvest until ripe.
> I raised some Jalapenos one year.
> I harvested them barehanded, about half a bushel.
> For many many days some, of my favorite parts, were plenty hot.
> I can kid about it now.


I've had several years in a row of crop failures. :-( Looks like I will
at least get a few this year.

I made a couple of batches of picante sauce last year. My recipe has
5:2:1 ratio of tomatoes, peppers, and onions, by weight. One batch was
made with 2 pounds of grocery store jalapeños. It turned out "medium"
(I was pleased that it was that hot; the peppers were pretty mild but
got hotter when cooked). The other batch had 1.5 pounds of the same
barely-warm jalapeños and 1/2 pound of home grown green jalapeños from
my brother's garden in Houston. That batch will knock your socks off.
I'm going to enter a jar of the "hot" in the county fair next month.

I think the growers are just pampering the pepper plants and then
rushing the peppers to market before they develop their heat. I'll try
some Fresno chile peppers next time I see them. They have to wait for
those to turn red.

Bob

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 22:57:18 -0400, lil abner wrote:
>
>> Raise your own and don't harvest until ripe.
>> I raised some Jalapenos one year.
>> I harvested them barehanded, about half a bushel.
>> For many many days some, of my favorite parts, were plenty hot.
>> I can kid about it now.
>
> The capsaicin is safely enclosed *inside* the pepper. You can't
> get capsaicin on your hands from picking peppers (properly).
>
> -sw
Wanna bet?
It may have been from pulling off the stems afterwards of something.
I can assure you it was memorable.
Some of the peppers may have rupture or whatever. It's been a while.
Properly would be with rubber gloves.
Just breathing over that many peppers will open your sinuses.
They do smell good though.

On 7/11/2010 9:30 PM, zxcvbob wrote:
> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
> often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
> not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
> peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
> barely.
>
> This is starting to **** me off.
>
> Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
> don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
> Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.
>
> Bob

Either that or start testing the chiles before you buy them. Talk to
your grocer about it, maybe they can order you some hot ones.

I didn't even grow hot chiles this year, we can't handle the heat
anymore, probably already burned the lining of our throats and stomachs out.

On Jul 12, 12:30*pm, zxcvbob > wrote:
> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. *Not just slightly hot, but mild
> like a bell pepper. *(I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
> often have a little heat.) *So I started buying serranos, but they are
> not really hot either now. *Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
> peppers thinking at least they would be hot. *Well, some of them are,
> barely.
>
> This is starting to **** me off.
>
> Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
> don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
> Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.
>
> Bob

Hi Bob,

What YOU should be using are Thai grown chillies. If it is hot n spicy
you are looking for, these will almost certainly do THE trick for you.
Just not sure if they would be available in your local Californian
green grocer though.

Kind Regards,
Brian Anasta

zxcvbob wrote:

> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins,
> they often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but
> they are not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of
> little Thai peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some
> of them are, barely.
>
> This is starting to **** me off.

Same here, if this can cheer you up. Only one pakistani-run store delivers
the real deal almost always, but even there I got screwed a couple of times.

> Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
> don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
> Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.

Dry cayenne pepper is practically tasteless, apart of the hotness, when I
just want hotness I use them, the very small (1" max length) dry ones.
--
Vilco
And the Family Stone

zxcvbob wrote:
>
>Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
>like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
>often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
>not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
>peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
>barely.
>
>This is starting to **** me off.
>
>Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
>don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
>Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.

Maybe it's you... all sensory perception occurs in the brain... did
you ever consider that perhaps the taste sensing portion of your brain
is dead... try shoving those peppers up your ass (TIAD). LOL

Sorry, you gave me no choice. hehe

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:08:24 -0500, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:05 -0400, lil abner wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>> The capsaicin is safely enclosed *inside* the pepper. You can't
>>> get capsaicin on your hands from picking peppers (properly).
>>>
>> Wanna bet?
>
>Yes.
>
>> It may have been from pulling off the stems afterwards of something.
>
>Too late. You already lost the bet. You owe me $100.
>
>And yes, picking the stems off can release capsaicin. But you
>don't want to pull of the stems until you're ready to use them.
>
>> Properly would be with rubber gloves.
>
>Bare hand are just fine for harvesting jalapenos.
>
>> Just breathing over that many peppers will open your sinuses.
>
>Care to lose another bet?
>
>Fresh picked jalapenos do not release any capsaicin or noxious
>fumes. Pulling the stems off or otherwise mutilating them will.
>
>-sw

I put up pickled jalapenos every year, I leave the stems on. I dry
various hot peppers too, the stems remain for threading... the stems
are only removed prior to crushing after they're fully dried.

If one is careful they won't get capsium on their hands during
harvesting but invariably there will be peppers with soft spots, that
have split, and have been partially eaten by critters. I harvest
crops with garden gloves, I'm especially wary of the spines on cukes,
I find those far more irritating than the heat of peppers.

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:58:11 -0500, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:30:30 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
>> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
>> often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
>> not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
>> peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
>> barely.
>>
>> This is starting to **** me off.
>
>I think you have a problem with your hot-receptors. As far as I
>know there is no mild serrano or thai bird - and no drastic
>changes in growing conditions.
>
>I have not noticed any heat reduction in either of those peppers
>and I use each of them almost weekly. I've heard this from
>several people here (not the first for you), but I just think
>you're taste buds are wearing out.
>
>For the record, I have probably decreased my hot pepper/sauce
>consumption slightly, while others usually increase it to maintain
>the same level of heat they're used to.
>
>Have you tried giving one of those hot peppers to someone who
>doesn't eat hot stuff and have them try it? That should be your
>next step.
>
>-sw

I've grown hot peppers for many years and they do vary in heat
intensity with every crop but I've never had any that are so mild that
I'd complain, if anything I've had years when jalapenos were too hot.
And peppers have a habit of cross pollinating... last year all my mild
frying peppers were as hot as the hottest jalapenos... I won't be
planting different peppers near each other anymore.

brooklyn1 wrote:

> Maybe it's you... all sensory perception occurs in the brain... did
> you ever consider that perhaps the taste sensing portion of your brain
> is dead... try shoving those peppers up your ass (TIAD). LOL
>
> Sorry, you gave me no choice. hehe


I just set 'em up. ;-)

Bob, the straight man

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:58:11 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:

> On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:30:30 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
>> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
>> often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
>> not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
>> peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
>> barely.
>>
>> This is starting to **** me off.
>
> I think you have a problem with your hot-receptors. As far as I
> know there is no mild serrano or thai bird - and no drastic
> changes in growing conditions.
>
> I have not noticed any heat reduction in either of those peppers
> and I use each of them almost weekly. I've heard this from
> several people here (not the first for you), but I just think
> you're taste buds are wearing out.

i don't often buy fresh peppers, but i've not heard of 'mild' thai peppers,
either.

your pal,
blake

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:30:30 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:

> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
> often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
> not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
> peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
> barely.
>
> This is starting to **** me off.
>
> Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
> don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
> Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.
>
> Bob

i think you should try asian and mexican stores. not only is success
likely, it would be fun.

your pal,
blake

On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:06:30 -0400, blake murphy
> wrote:

>On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:58:11 -0500, Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:30:30 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:
>>
>>> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
>>> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
>>> often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
>>> not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
>>> peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
>>> barely.
>>>
>>> This is starting to **** me off.
>>
>> I think you have a problem with your hot-receptors. As far as I
>> know there is no mild serrano or thai bird - and no drastic
>> changes in growing conditions.
>>
>> I have not noticed any heat reduction in either of those peppers
>> and I use each of them almost weekly. I've heard this from
>> several people here (not the first for you), but I just think
>> you're taste buds are wearing out.
>
>i don't often buy fresh peppers, but i've not heard of 'mild' thai peppers,
>either.

It's very possible. Peppers are easy to hybridize... most every
pepper grown for market is a hybrid. Peppers also readily cross
pollinate, making mild peppers hot and hot peppers mild.

Sqwertz wrote:
>
> On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:30:30 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:
>
> > Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
> > like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
> > often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they are
> > not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
> > peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them are,
> > barely.
> >
> > This is starting to **** me off.
>
> I think you have a problem with your hot-receptors. As far as I
> know there is no mild serrano or thai bird - and no drastic
> changes in growing conditions.

They don't "wear out", but that's not a bad
description. It's called substance P depletion,
and after long-term exposure to high levels of
capsaicin there is some permanent nerve damage.
However, it only affects the sense of pain.

I've sometimes wondered whether there would be
any ill effects from spraying myself in the
face with pepper spray, a little every day,
to desensitize myself. I remember seeing how
the protesters against logging the redwoods
were being sprayed right in the face with it,
and wouldn't that be something if they had
a few members who were completely immune to it.

On Jul 11, 9:58*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:30:30 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:
> > Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. *Not just slightly hot, but mild
> > like a bell pepper. *(I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins, they
> > often have a little heat.) *So I started buying serranos, but they are
> > not really hot either now. *Yesterday I bought a handful of little Thai
> > peppers thinking at least they would be hot. *Well, some of them are,
> > barely.
>
> > This is starting to **** me off.
>
> I think you have a problem with your hot-receptors. *As far as I
> know there is no mild serrano or thai bird - and no drastic
> changes in growing conditions.
>
I've never had the problem with serranos either. I started buying
serranos too, for exactly the same reason as zxcvbob. Now my
jalapenos, which are Mucho Nacho Hybrids are coming in, and also my
serranos.
>
> -sw

--Bryan

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> On 7/11/2010 9:57 PM, lil abner wrote:
> > zxcvbob wrote:
> >> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
> >> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins,
> >> they often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they
> >> are not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little
> >> Thai peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them
> >> are, barely.
> >>
> >> This is starting to **** me off.
> >>
> >> Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
> >> don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
> >> Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.
> >>
> >> Bob

You do need to try those shops. Their customers are unlikely to tolerate
any dumbing down of capsaicin content

> > Raise your own and don't harvest until ripe.
> > I raised some Jalapenos one year.
> > I harvested them barehanded, about half a bushel.
> > For many many days some, of my favorite parts, were plenty hot.
> > I can kid about it now.
>
> I've had several years in a row of crop failures. :-( Looks like I will
> at least get a few this year.
>
> I made a couple of batches of picante sauce last year. My recipe has
> 5:2:1 ratio of tomatoes, peppers, and onions, by weight. One batch was
> made with 2 pounds of grocery store jalapeños. It turned out "medium"
> (I was pleased that it was that hot; the peppers were pretty mild but
> got hotter when cooked). The other batch had 1.5 pounds of the same
> barely-warm jalapeños and 1/2 pound of home grown green jalapeños from
> my brother's garden in Houston. That batch will knock your socks off.
> I'm going to enter a jar of the "hot" in the county fair next month.
>
> I think the growers are just pampering the pepper plants and then
> rushing the peppers to market before they develop their heat. I'll try
> some Fresno chile peppers next time I see them. They have to wait for
> those to turn red.
>
> Bob

That is very true. Chiles (like grapes) are best when they are not
pampered. Let them suffer a bit for best results

I'm a crackhead, too (when it comes to Jalapenos). Perhaps the ones you're buying are hybridized to grow in northern climates en masse. Grow your own; they're easy(at least, here in WI ) Mine are semi-hot. I like the flavor of pequins better; but they're pretty far apart.

On 7/12/2010 7:43 PM, Arri London wrote:
>
>
> zxcvbob wrote:
>>
>> On 7/11/2010 9:57 PM, lil abner wrote:
>>> zxcvbob wrote:
>>>> Most store-bought jalapeños are mild. Not just slightly hot, but mild
>>>> like a bell pepper. (I seek out the ones with cracks in the skins,
>>>> they often have a little heat.) So I started buying serranos, but they
>>>> are not really hot either now. Yesterday I bought a handful of little
>>>> Thai peppers thinking at least they would be hot. Well, some of them
>>>> are, barely.
>>>>
>>>> This is starting to **** me off.
>>>>
>>>> Fresh habaneros, dried chilitepins and chipotles, and cayenne pepper
>>>> don't taste right for a lot of uses, even though they are still hot.
>>>> Maybe I need to try the Asian and Mexican grocery stores.
>>>>
>>>> Bob
>
> You do need to try those shops. Their customers are unlikely to tolerate
> any dumbing down of capsaicin content
>

I stopped by the Asian market on the way home today. Bought a little
handful of Thai peppers. I asked the grocer if they were hot and he
said yes. After he weighed them, I took one out of the bag and ate it.
A little heat if I used my imagination. He said when they get red
Thai peppers in, those sell out quickly. I probably shouldn't have
bought them but I didn't want to make a scene over 50¢ worth of peppers.
I ate the whole bag of 'em tonight. A few were kind of warm. Some
were as mild as bell peppers, although they tasted like Thai peppers
except for the heat (unlike the mild jalapeños that don't really taste
like anything)

They did have red scotch bonnet peppers (which he pointed out) but I'm
not stupid -- besides, their fruity taste doesn't work except in a few
recipes.

I have a tabasco pepper plant growing in a big pot. It's about to start
blooming, so maybe I'll get some fruit this year. I put it in a pot
right from the start so I can bring it indoors this winter without
having to dig it up. It should do well for me next year if I can keep
the spider mites from destroying it in February.

Ultimately I'm going to have to rework my recipes to use a mixture of
mild jalapenos and dried bird peppers.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

> They did have red scotch bonnet peppers (which he pointed out) but I'm not
> stupid -- besides, their fruity taste doesn't work except in a few
> recipes.

I discovered that they go extremely well with lemons. It might be
interesting to make a kind of tagine using preserved lemons and red scotch
bonnet chiles.

Bob