Wear gloves, eye protection, and respiratory protection. Where does the ghost pepper stack up on the Scoville Scale? You can also buy fresh ghost peppers online from individual growers. Handling ghost peppers requires safety precautions. There have been cases of people vomiting aggressively after eating ghost peppers, leading to potential throat rupture. Similarly spicy to the original pepper, the peach ghost pepper is no joke. While eating capsaicin is not toxic, it can cause adverse reactions in some people. Ghost pepper plants plants typically take 100+ days after transplanting to produce ripened pepper pods! When Calvin isn’t gardening or learning more about peppers and botany, he might be traveling new places or playing some music. However, don’t be fooled. You’ll thank us later! Once again, we had relatively early ripening from these plants. However, there are a few things to know specifically about growing ghost peppers. As is the case with all pepper varieties, they will change color when fully ripened. Put simply, the ghost pepper comes in at approximately 1,000,000 SHUs on the Scoville Scale. We find that an upwards motion works well to get a clean ‘pop’ as the pepper is removed. Bhut Jolokia peppers are always super spicy. Since it has been dethroned, the ghost pepper seems tame compared to the newcomers. It is thought to be a capsicum chinense variety that was at some point likely crossed with a capsicum frutescens variety. Slice your bhut jolokia peppers in half lengthwise before dehydrating. In India, the ghost pepper was cultivated by local hands and still grows naturally in Northeastern India. If you have never tried a highly spicy pepper, we don’t recommend eating ghost peppers. If you got some of the ghost pepper oils on your hands, milk is still the best help. I hope this article helped you learn a few new things about ghost peppers. However, there are ways to buy live plants as well. We wrote a detailed guide on saving pepper seeds here. When compared to a common hot pepper, say a jalapeno, it isn’t even close. If you want to grow ghost peppers at home, you can either start from seed, or you can simply buy live plants online. Brandeis University: Some Like It Hot -- Really Hot! Read More: Cures for hot pepper hands/eyes. These versatile spicy peppers can be used in a number of ways. Many ghost pepper varieties are named after Nagaland, India, where the peppers grow naturally. Ghost peppers announce harvest time with clear indicators: pepper skins turn bright, fiery red. They are a pepper to respect and use in moderation. We are happy that the pepper was discovered and seeds are now widely available across the globe for home growers! A great, bizarre look in the garden, and perfect for making extra-spicy foods. You’ll want to be careful not to overdo this, but you can try making some ghost pepper chili. The change in color is obvious and will usually take just a few days once the peppers begin to turn. That means you may start seeing fresh bhut jolokia peppers for sale in stores. The ghost pepper, or bhut jolokia, is a pepper variety discovered in India. Seeds will stay viable for years if stored properly, meaning you can re-grow your favorites in the future. Add a splash of yellow to your garden with these ghost peppers. In these climates, the plant will produce a crop of fruit each summer. Work your way up from less spicy varieties like jalapenos and serranos. How to save ghost pepper seeds: Use fully ripe ghost peppers. However, we also recommend washing your hands thoroughly (even under the nails) with dish soap. Unlike jalapenos or banana peppers, ghost peppers are almost always picked when fully ripe. Slice off the very end ( not the stem end) Roll the pepper between your fingers, seeds should drop out of the opening. Immature ghost peppers begin green and mature through stages of yellow and orange before their undulating surface reaches blazing red. You’ve still got options. If you desire to dry the chile, leave it on the plant until partially or completely dry. Our method for harvesting peppers is a simple one. Some things to keep in mind about ghost peppers: Knowing when to pick your ghost peppers is usually very easy. Slice pepper lengthwise. Ghost pepper plants are not a huge demand, so you likely won’t find them at Home Depot or Lowe’s. Using a simple preparation of peppers, vinegar, salt and any other fruits and spices, you can blend up your very own sauce. We love dehydrating foods, especially peppers. We sure do love making homemade hot sauce. One of the oldest peppers was found over 6,000 years ago, fully preserved in a cave in Peru. Surprisingly, ghost peppers are one of the easiest hot peppers to grow. This number refers to the time between sprouting and fruit production. There are ghost peppers of all different colors and sizes. Growing ghost peppers is similar to growing other varieties. If you are new to spicy food, and happen to try a ghost pepper, you’ll likely need some relief from the pain. Happy growing! Many gardening centers cater to the local demand, so if you call asking, they might grow them next year! This ghost pepper has a much more sinister look, and a truly scorching heat level. By comparison, jalapeno and habanero peppers measure 5,500 and 200,000 respectively on the Scoville scale. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. The detergent in the soap helps emulsify and remove the pepper juices. If you plan to process the chile while fresh, harvest fruit at this red stage. Just be sure to use at least 2% salt, and around 50% vinegar. In USDA zones 11 and above hot peppers can be grown perennially outdoors. Throw a half of a pepper, finely chopped, into your next batch of chili to kick things up. Oh, and go easy on the ghost peppers (try using some jalapenos to decrease the heat level). Also known as ghost pepper, "Bhut Jolokia" should be fully mature when picked. This is a great option if you want to save your peppers for later, or create a spicy pepper powder. Flowers are small to medium in size, and are white. It offers the quickest and best relief from any type of chili pepper burn. Warning: Always take precautions when slicing or cooking with ghost peppers. Usually made with jalapenos, salsa is begging to be made spicier. Behind the peachy exterior of this bhut jolokia variety is a serious punch. If processing the fruit, including cooking, protective eyewear and excellent ventilation are essential. Read our guide to dehydrating peppers here. Simply cut the pepper’s stem about halfway up, being careful not to nick the plant’s branches or leaves. Given enough soil, light and fertilizer, ghost peppers will grow to about 2-3 feet tall in a single season. Thanks to the huge boom in popularity of spicy food, the ghost pepper is famous. When handling a chile that measures over one million Scoville heat units -- ghost pepper's rating on this standard scale of chile heat -- caution and good sense should prevail. Saving pepper seeds is always worth the extra effort. We recommend buying seeds online and growing them yourself. Tip: We love using fresh fruits, especially pineapple or blueberries, in our sauces. Like most pepper varieties, ghost pepper plants are fairly easy to grow and the pods are highly resistant to pests. Hansen's work appears regularly in consumer and trade publications, as well as numerous internet gardening and lifestyle channels. Pruning is optional for ghost pepper plants, though we recommend at least bottom pruning to protect against soil borne pathogens. These peppers are thin, so they should dehydrate in around 8-10 hours at 125°F (in a proper food dehydrator). Scoville Heat Units: 1,000,000 SHUsDiameter: 0.75–1.25 inchesLength: 2–3 inchesColor: Green to orange to redBuy Seeds: Seeds NowBuy Live Plants: Etsy. Even ghost pepper's fumes can cause pain and distress. You’ll have no trouble knowing when to pick these. A common question regarding the ghost chili is how spicy it is. Similar to hot sauce, this vinegar, tomato and onion based dip is a classic.