personally, I use scissors (sorry, had to do it).

in addition to the scissors, I use a plastic cup to catch them in, that way I have the option of wiping the sweat off my eyes without severely regretting it.

interesting idea about not watering as much before harvest to make them hotter. personally I'm a sissy. I think my superhots are plenty hot already. also, there's plenty of variation in heat from pod to pod, enough that in my mind it's not worth trying to make them hotter the day or two before harvest.

Judo, why do you need to use a cup when you are picking your peppers? the hot stuff is on the inside, no?

First time I eat my super hot I hiccuped and a lot of words F.and..S came out from my mouth :-) Today is something different.

Using a small scissor is a very good idea.

Caelian

First off, I don't think peppers change their heat according to a watering schedule. Some claim they get hotter if you stress them by with holding water but I don't think they lose any heat shortly after watering. I think ripeness has more to do with it than anything. Let them ripen more if you want more heat. Better yet, simply grow a hotter variety if you want more heat and don't stress out on the watering cycle. Besides, what is going to happen is that you will forgo watering to increase heat and then the day before you are to harvest, it will rain 2" guaranteed. Instead of Cayennes, grow some Habaneros and don't worry about the watering cycle.

not all of it, apparently. sometimes if you're like me you end up learning the hard way.

Esox07, thank you for sharing. Probably I ate unripe pods today, the color of the pods made me think they were ripe.

I hope your plants are doing very well.

Caelian

If you're going to stress plants you need to do it for a few weeks, not a few days. It won't make a lot of difference over the course of a few days.

That said, stressing peppers for heat production is debated for effectiveness with no smoking guns...whereas stressing plants like melons for flavor/sweetness is also debated, but believed (and more evidence favoring stressing) to be much more beneficial for flavor.

I think cutting of the water just makes the stuff in the pepper more concentrated.
I don't think stressing a plant has much to do with heat.

There is going to be X amount of the hot stuff in a pepper.

If the pod is starved for water,there is less water in the pod making it seem hotter,sweeter or whatever.

The stuff in peppers that makes them hot is to deter it's natural enemies from chowing down on them.

I don't think it has much to do with plant growth or whatever.

I'd think messing up a plant physically might make it think something is eating it and possibly cause it to make more of the hot stuff.
I don't know.
I've read for some plants driving a piece of wood or whatever into the main stem is supposed to put it in survival mode and put out more buds etc.
Never tried it.

Several people like using different compost teas claiming dead bug juice males the plant think it's being attacked by bugs so it pumps out more heat to fend the bugs off.

My best pods are mostly from happy plants as far as production,flavor and heat.

IIRC the wikipedia article on habaneros said that if they're over watered they get bitter...

commentary?

LOL... I don't really like the flavor of habs. They taste bitter and medicinal overwatered or not. Commentary finished.

:)

Kevin

the good thing about opinions, they're always valid. personally I love habanero flavor, and really love their aroma. maybe I'm a weirdo, but the hab flavor is my favorite of all the pepper flavors I've experienced thus far. that may change when my bhuts get ripe though, they seem to be everyone's favorite.