#CAROLINA REAPER PLANT HOW TO#

Carolina Reaper seedsĪrguably the most important piece of kit is, of course, your Carolina Reaper seeds themselves! High-quality seeds ensure you start off on the right foot with any pepper project. You may even find that you have most of them at home already. Fortunately, the items themselves won't break the bank, and you'll find that you can reuse them again and again.

Growing Peppers For Beginners In 10 Easy Steps Growing Carolina Reaper: equipment & suppliesįirst things first-you're going to need a few pieces of equipment to get your pepper project underway.

So for how long the Carolina Reaper remains at the top remains to be seen. In fact, Ed Currie is looking to best his own creation, as he claims to have created a new chili, known simply as Pepper X, that has the potential to hit an insane 3.18 million SHU. While some have tried to top it, none have been able to exceed the power and consistency of the Reaper. Given the highly competitive race to create the hottest pepper in the world, Carolina Reaper’s ability to hold on to the title since 2017 is an incredible feat. In comparison, the bell pepper ranks at 0 SHU, the jalapeño pepper ranges from 2,500–8,000 SHU, and the habanero can reach up to 350,000 SHU. Today, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is used over SHU, but we maintain the latter as a general measurement system.Īs you might imagine, a SHU of 2.2 million is, quite frankly, insane. Created in 1912, the process essentially involves drying and dissolving the chili in alcohol, then diluting this solution with sugar water until no heat can be tasted. This measurement system, created by its namesake Wilbur Scoville, forms the basis of how the heat level of a given pepper is determined. We've mentioned that this is an extremely hot pepper-but just how hot are we talking? Well, this reigning champ has the potential to reach around 2.2 million Scoville heat units (SHU). Seen as a rite of passage for any true pepper aficionado, Carolina Reapers are highly sought after primarily for their record-breaking heat. It's pretty intimidating in both appearance and heat, but chili fans can't seem to get enough of it. Not only bold in colour, it typically has a wrinkled, lumpy body that narrows to an accentuated spiky point. The Carolina Reaper is also known for its distinctive appearance it has vibrant red colouring that immediately acts as a warning signal for the uninitiated. The result is a scorching chili that also boasts some pronounced fruity flavours. This devilishly hot specimen was created by crossbreeding the La Soufriere and Naga Viper peppers. What is Carolina Reaper?ĭeveloped by American chili pepper breeder Ed Currie and grown in South Carolina, USA, the Carolina Reaper was officially recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's hottest pepper in 2017, and has remained at the top since.

#CAROLINA REAPER PLANT HOW TO#

Sound good? Then allow us to take you through everything you need to know about the Carolina Reaper, including how to successfully cultivate it at home, regardless of prior experience. While many of us can go to our local market and pick up some Carolina Reaper products, where's the fun in that? How about growing some yourself! Not only do you get complete control over your plants, but you'll also have an abundance of peppers you can use however you'd like at the end. But that's not to say it doesn't have many uses! Heat lovers are turning to this insanely flavourful hot pepper to produce sauces, chili powders, or to simply add a fiery kick to any recipe that needs it. With a little know-how and care, achieving a harvest of prime Carolina Reapers can be an easy affair.Īs the hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper is undoubtedly a formidable and intimidating chili. Not only that, but it's a joy to grow at home. Alongside unmatched heat, this pepper also boasts a fruity flavour that makes it highly sought after. Since 2017, the Carolina Reaper has held the title of the hottest pepper in the world.

Carolina reaper plant