I grow bhuts and now carolina reapers (the hottest of the hottest), but no, I'm not dumb enough to actually eat them. I grow them mostly for the novelty and for the fun products I make out of them.

For example, with my ghost peppers I like to make what I call 13 Ghosts vodka. I powder 13 ripe ghost peppers, and infuse the powder into vodka for a few days, then take *most* of the powder back out. If I strain all the powder out, the vodka is yellow, if I leave a little bit in, its cartoon red.

I then take my 13 Ghosts to conventions and parties and dare people into taking a shot by telling them "This is the hottest thing you've ever tasted. You're not man enough to take a shot of this, you'll be rolling around on the floor choking and throwing up in 2 minutes if you drink this." and then watch idiots fight to take a shot of it.

What can I say? I don't drink, I don't like dealing with drunk people, so this is how I entertain myself at drinking parties, by torturing the other guests. ;)

NewMexMike, what are your favorite New Mexico varieties? I'm with you, I don't need that superhot stuff.

1. i usually have some specific use in mind when i pick something. Like poblanos for stuff peppers. Cayennes/thai for powders.

2. i like pretty stuff, so i'll grow some less common white, brown, black peppers.

3. of course the "hottest" novelty stuff(which actually taste good in moderation). Like i used 1/2 moruga scorp on a pot of chili and it was really good.

4. picked some pubescens out since they grow a bit different and the black seeds i think will be funny.

kentishman: When it comes to the New Mexico varieties, I'm currently growing the Big Jim, NuMex 6-4, Joe E Parker and Hatch red. The hatch reds are a little to hot to slap in a tortilla, but I really like the other ones. I almost considered growing poblanos (my absolute favorite) but with limited space, it's best I just buy them since they're so readily available.

Edymnion: Nice story :)

JonOklahoma: Pubescens and their black seeds are so strange to me. One day I was really hungry so I cut off a piece of a pubescens chile about the size of the tip of my pinky. I put it in my mouth not realizing how hot it was. It started burning real bad so I just swallowed it. My stomach was in for quite a surprise and besides feeling queasy, I completely lost my appetite...

I chose to grow some superhot and some regular hot. Originally it was because the local markets here have very limited selections of hot peppers and I love cooking and eating really spicy hot dishes.

I am not into eating my ghost peppers straight or anything (I have tried, ouch) the thing I love most about the superhots is a little goes a long way. A fourth of one in a small dish makes me sweat just enough.

Now it has become more of a passion for growing , experiencing new flavors and knowing exactly what's in the food I'm eating.

dj

My interest is based on cooking food from all over the world- I want the *right* peppers for the job. I'm especially interested in Aleppo peppers and various paprika peppers right now but also various Italian frying peppers, various Mexican/ Latin peppers, Thai, Trini/Chinese, Indian, the right Ethiopian peppers for Berbere, etc.

This week alone has Chiles en Nogada, Doro Wat and Czech gulas on the menu. When you add in the various snacks of stuffed jalapenos, blistered padrons or shishitos and all of the hot sauces (and other sauces- even Hollandaise has some hot sauce in it!) we go through, we're eating peppers most days of the week and we're hitting lots of different heat levels. When they come out of the garden the quality is high and I know there were no pesticides used in growing them.

ETA: I just realized I'm even scooping up hummus with colored sweet bells for my lunch today as I read this- we eat a lotta peppers!

This post was edited by VedaBeeps on Thu, Dec 4, 14 at 14:27

VedaBeeps,

I see you're interested in Paprika peppers. They are on my grow list for next year. Folks have sent me seeds from the Czech republic, Romania, and Canada (thanks OttawaBill). Maybe we can trade a few varieties. Let me know if you're interested.

Tom

I would love to, Tom! I don't have much to trade now but will after the seed swap. :)

Years ago ( ~ 10) I saw some orange Habaneros in an Asian Market. I asked the man who was picking some from the pile : "How hot is it ?". He said it is the hottest pepper I knows". So I bought a few and ever since I am hooked. The following season I started growing it. I don't eat them straight off the hand, but use them in cooking and making hot sauce.

So far, habanero has been my hottest pepper to grow. This year I am adding Fatalii, Scotch Bonnet and few other mid heat ones. Of course I grow things like cubanelle, Poblano, Anaheim, Hungarian wax, Jalapeno, etc for everyday use in salads and cooking.
I think a lot of people grow super hots for sports and as hubby. I know few members who grow almost 100 various varieties of super hots, of various shapes and colors.

Seysonn

I started out ordering from the new Mexico Institute for a lot of my initial stuff last year and went off of "oh how PRETTY!" so a lot of my stuff was ornamental (such a noob). The rest I bought because of what I liked to cook. Poblanos, jalapenos, Pasillo Bajios, etc. Then my hubby wanted super hots so I started a bunch of those.

This year I want to actually get more into the flavor side of things, so want more paprika and allepo, Aji's etc.

Those types are on my wish list for the seed swap so I am hoping I can get some going this year! Spring here we come!

VedaBeeps,

Send me an email, and I'll let you know what I have. The guy in Romania sent me a couple of unopened seed packs. Way more seeds than I need.

NewMexMike,

Thanks for the recommendations on Numex varieties. Along with Paprika varieties, and heirloom Italian peppers, they're on the list for next year.

Tom

Hey Kentishman,

I have some Allepo seeds I could throw your way, if you haven't grown those they are outstanding flavor wise. I also have Alma Paprika.

If you have any extra of the other Paprika after you send some to Veda and wouldn't mind sharing a few more I would be interested.

Either way, I can send you some of what I have! :) (They are OP though, just FYI)

Like many said here, for cooking, paprika, chili powder, and fresh eating, the sweets for salads and such. Each pepper has many uses, just research each pepper and uses.

Email sent, Tom.

I favor the ghost pepper, I use it to make hot sauce and have no problems using it. I make powder to add to chili and its great. I tried a whole pod and once is enough no need to do that again.

I am hoping to grow wild peppers this year and hoping the galapagos sprouts for me.

For flavor MOA Scotch Bonnet and Chocolate habanero.

I will be growing the Carolina reaper too but if the flavor is not there for me I will kick it to the curb.

Fatalii is a great tasting milder of the hot peppers, I don't have room this year for it but maybe the next.

Mark

I mostly grow common chilies, such as Habanero, Serrano, Jalapeno, Piquin, Cayenne, Tabasco, etc. that I find at Home Depot. I have not been growing anything from seeds - yet. I have grown milder peppers in the past, but I find it more convenient to buy those at the store or farmers' markets, and I do not need those every day like I do the hotter chilies. I make a chili sauce with Mesquite grilled Habaneros, red bell pepper, and garlic, and I use this sauce every day. When I try cooking with milder chilies, I find that I have to use a lot of them, and so I will often add half a Habanero for heat. I really like the flavor of Habanero chilies, and they are so prolific that I give more than half of them away. The more I harvest the plants, the more chilies they make, and I have one plant that is over three years old that has been making chilies almost continually. I never buy hot chilies any more, but I do buy mild ones for certain dishes. I have one or two plants making mild chilies, and one of them looks like a Habanero, except that the chilies are smoother and not pointed at the bottom. I can usually find Habanero chilies in the market, but they are three for a dollar, and so it seems wise to grow them.

Lars

I will be growing some Mexican varieties for chili powder, rellenos; numex types for roasted green chiles. Also, love the smoked pepper powder! Along with peppers , I want to add tomatillos for salsa Verde.
Gary

I definitely think of what I want to eat first. I love making salsas and marinades come spring and summertime BBQs. I will always have Jalapeños and Habaneros. Last year was my first real garden. We moved though this past Labor Day and we will have way more room so my garden is expanding.
Going to add Lemon drops, poblanos, more variety of habs, aleppos, among others and a few superhots as well.
The superhots are more for experiment and novelty. I have to at least experience the hottest pepper in the world if I can just grow it in my yard lol. Plus it's just fun to grow different varieties. You don't know what you're missing unless you try a little of everything.

This past season was the first time I was able to put effort into what I was growing. I'm hooked. The cost of vegetables is getting higher and my trust is getting lower in what is put on the shelf these days. I made some powdered pepper for the first time this year and found it taste way better than what you buy. The first one I made was from the Bolivian Rainbow Chili. First try - it was hot. I sent some to somebody in a seed exchange and she said it was hot but not too hot, Haha! My tongue was wimpy I guess, lol. But now when I get some it's not quite so hot as it was from the first. Now, I get a craving for Pepper. So far I've made some Cayenne, Habanero Orange, Serrano, and the Bolivian powders. Each one a different taste and heat levels. After experiencing that, I now want to have some powdered peppers of each kind. I also made some Mango Habanero sauce (may actually be jelly? it's creamy and thick). I saw a recipe from here and had to treak it a bit due to not having all the ingredients. That stuff is great on sandwiches. No one else seems to touch it after the first try? It's not as hot to me. Maybe my tongue has gotten it's workout. Haha!

But other than that, like everyone else has responded... I love roasted and stuffed peppers too. I didn't realize the size of the variety as with all vegetables I've seen. Just pure awesomeness when it comes to eating peppers.

The super hots, never had one and I gotta feeling I'm gonna wind up eating one, then kick myself in the arse afterwards, Lol. But I would also like to bottle some up and grind them down just for the extra zing! Goal, big spice rack with all the peppers I've grown. If, of coarse, they are good for drying.

I never grew Tomatillo's before, but next year I will be. I noticed there doesn't seem to be many of those out there?

Next year is gonna be interesting considering all the different tastes from the variety I'll have. Enjoyment all Year Long!!! From Obtaining seed to mouth!

Oh, and someone turned me on to Hot Cocoa with Cayenne Pepper and Cinnamon in it. A Mexican type Chocolate drink. I just can't seem to get enough of it. Everyone around me now thinks I'm nuts! They will not even try it. They're missing out! I have also had it in coffee. Yeah, what a combination. It's very good with the Sumatra dark coffee's. The other night I put some Cayenne on Butternut squash I baked in the oven with brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Just a little. Yep, it's good too. Am I turning into a Pepper nut? I think so...

I have to admit something here:

I am Capsaicin addicted. If I don't eat spicy stuff I feel like something is missing. I want that kick as my fix. I have never been in any stuff other than tobacco, though. I can do without salt but not without the heat from peppers. And maybe you should know that capsaicin is a mood enhancer too.

Seysonn

Lol Seysonn I'm with you on adding spice. Sriracha is my sauce of choice. I put that stuff on everything.

I have a bunch of varieties that I like (I grow over 100 for sale, plants, not seeds, but I don't grow that many varieties for myself). I have tried and tried to like the flavor of the chinense peppers but I just can't force it, those are the only peppers I outright just do not like the flavor.

for ornamental: numex twilight, bolivian rainbow, acapulco orange, filius blue, orange peter.

I grow several different varieties of poblanos, I like them dried for chili (along with dried chilaca and guajillos), for stuffing, and fresh to chop up for things like eggs.

I like jalapenos, mariachis, fresnos, and hot hungarian wax, good all around peppers.

I like chilacas for drying.

tabasco, cayennes, and serranos for sauce.

padrons, I think are my favorite, great for tapas.

chocolate cherries, red cherries, and hungarian cheese for stuffing.

sure I left some out too. ;-)

Pam

I enjoy Bulgarian Carrot for the heat, flavor, and plant hardiness.