   The Chile Pepper, Part II - April 7, 1999 Jeff Schalau, County Director, Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County Last week's column discussed how to grow chiles and sweet peppers. Sweet peppers (or bell peppers) are going to be left behind in this column. From here on we will discuss the highly interesting and challenging world of chiles (this column is not for the faint hearted or tender paletted). Most hot chiles are of the genus Capsicum. There are twenty to thirty species depending on which botanist you ask. The heat scale most commonly used is measured in Scoville Units. Wilbur L. Scoville was a pharmacologist with Parke Davis: a drug company that used the compound capsaisin (the hot stuff in chiles) in its muscle salve called "Heet". In 1912, Scoville developed a test that used five human heat samplers that tested the heat by taste of exact dilutions by weight of various chile extracts. This was in the forefront of science of the time. Today, we use high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mr. Scoville has been immortalized. The amount of capsaisin is still measured in Scoville Units (pure capsaisin equals 16,000,000 Scoville Units). Bell peppers have 0 Scoville Units, hence their omission. New Mexico chiles, such as NuMex Big Jim, Anaheim, Sandia, and New Mexico 6-4, range from 500-2,500 Scoville Units. These are the chiles roasted green and used in green chile. The ancestors of these chiles were first grown in the 1600's and were introduced to North America by Spanish explorers. New Mexico State University has worked to develop many of the commercial varieties available today. These chiles turn red and, when dried, are the chiles used to make ristras. This chile is the New Mexico state vegetable. Pasilla chiles have dark brown pods and are sometimes called chile negro. Pasilla means "little raisin". These chiles range from 1,000-1,500 Scoville Units. Pasillas are thought to be the immediate predecessors of the New Mexico type. They are grown in Mexico and used to make mole sauces. It should also do well in the home garden. Jalapeno chiles range from green to purple in color and range from 2,500-5,000 Scoville Units. They are used in fresh salsa, pickled and canned or bottled, and smoked to produce chipotle. Jalapenos have a unique balance of flavor and heat that make them popular in many mainstream American foods such as poppers and nachos. Serrano chiles are dark green and narrower than jalapenos. They often ripen to red, orange, or yellow and range from 10,000-23,000 Scoville Units. Serranos are popular in Mexico and gaining popularity in the United States. They are commonly used in fresh salsas and are sometimes pickled with carrot and onions. Tabasco chiles are probably one of the best known chiles in the United States. They range from 30,000-50,000 Scoville Units. Maunsell White, a banker, introduced the seeds from Tabasco, Mexico. A friend, Edmund McIIhenny, began growing them on Avery Island off the Louisiana coast. The plants survived the Civil War and Mr. McIlhenny began marketing the now famous sauce in 1869. These chiles grow well in home gardens but grow best in the subtropics (i.e., Avery Island and Mexico). Chiltepin chiles are wild ancestors of today's commercial varieties. They start at 70,000 Scoville Units and go upward from there. They are small, round, red fruit that bear profusely. The Tarahumara Indians of Sonora believe that these chiles protect them from sorcerers. I have seen these growing in southern Arizona and would think that they would produce here also. Finally, habanero chiles are a different species (Capsicum chinense) and weigh in at 200,000-300,000 Scoville Units. These are reputedly the hottest chiles in the world. It is of South American origin and seeds have been found in Peru that dated from 6500 B.C. They are available in markets and would grow in the Verde Valley (as undoubtedly some people already know). Someday, I'll write about the many ways to put out the fire once ignited. For now, start growing some of these chiles and let me know how they do. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has publications and information on vegetable gardening and varieties. If you have other gardening questions, call the Master Gardener line in the Cottonwood office at 646-9113 or E-mail us at mgardener@kachina.net and be sure to include your address and phone number. |