My chilli plants have borne fruit - big long and thick green chillis.

The problem is that the taste of the chillis bears no relationship at all to
the description I remember reading on the seed packet. The seed packet
promised a deliciously hot chilli that would add fire to all manner of
dishes. What I have in my mouth is part of a chilli shaped very tame green
paper - not a hint - and I mean even a subtle trace - of heat.

Following germination in early April on a windowsill the seedlings were
transplanted to pots in a greenhouse. The relatively mild summer didn't
cause any problems in terms of too much heat and the only snag was an aphid
and ant attack (which didn't affect the taste sampled plants).

Can growing conditions dramatically alter the heat of successfully grown
chillis? My suspicion is that the seed firm incorrectly packaged a mild
variety of chilli shaped green pepper as a hot chilli.

Would I have more joy if I allowed the chillis to turn red (instead of
reaping them when green)?

Gareth.

Its a bit early for gathering chilli's, mine are no where near ready.

The trouble with saying a chilli is med or hot, is a bit vague, and is
very much down to the person tasting it. A bit like ordering a curry
??

A scale of chilli hotness exists which is measured in Scoville units.
This test was developed back in 1912 by Wilbur L. Scoville using a
human tasting panel. The Scoville scale is still in use although the
human panel has been replaced by a high-pressure liquid chromatography
machine.

For comparison of different chillis check out
http://www.chilliworld.com/FactFile/Scoville_Scale.asp

In article , Gareth
writes
Would I have more joy if I allowed the chillis to turn red (instead of
reaping them when green)?

Yes. ISTR chillis get hotter the longer they stay on the plant.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Gareth" wrote ...
My chilli plants have borne fruit - big long and thick green chillis.

The problem is that the taste of the chillis bears no relationship at all
to the description I remember reading on the seed packet. The seed packet
promised a deliciously hot chilli that would add fire to all manner of
dishes. What I have in my mouth is part of a chilli shaped very tame green
paper - not a hint - and I mean even a subtle trace - of heat.

Following germination in early April on a windowsill the seedlings were
transplanted to pots in a greenhouse. The relatively mild summer didn't
cause any problems in terms of too much heat and the only snag was an
aphid and ant attack (which didn't affect the taste sampled plants).

Can growing conditions dramatically alter the heat of successfully grown
chillis? My suspicion is that the seed firm incorrectly packaged a mild
variety of chilli shaped green pepper as a hot chilli.

Would I have more joy if I allowed the chillis to turn red (instead of
reaping them when green)?

To get hot Chillies you need to provide plenty of water to the plants, if
they don't get enough water the fruit will be mild flavoured no matter what
variety you grow. I suspect this may be your problem especially as you are
growing them in pots in a greenhouse. Make sure they always have water
available, use water trays underneath the pots and fill them daily or more
often in hot weather.

It's also a bit early to be cropping chillies, even if they have been grown
in a greenhouse.

We grow ours outside in the ground and just pull the plants up before the
first frost and take off all the usable fruit, red or green.
Our Thai Dragon are always hot.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

In article ,
shorty wrote:

A scale of chilli hotness exists which is measured in Scoville units.
This test was developed back in 1912 by Wilbur L. Scoville using a
human tasting panel. The Scoville scale is still in use although the
human panel has been replaced by a high-pressure liquid chromatography
machine.

However, it measures only one aspect. In typical dogmatic USA fashion,
it is used to claim that it is the only measure, and that USA varieties
are hotter than any others. Neither is true in my experience - no, I
don't find habanero all that hot, and don't like them anyway.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:
"Gareth" wrote ...

Following germination in early April on a windowsill the seedlings were
transplanted to pots in a greenhouse. The relatively mild summer didn't
cause any problems in terms of too much heat and the only snag was an
aphid and ant attack (which didn't affect the taste sampled plants).

Ignore the ants, as usual. Get rid of the aphids and the ants will
stop milking them for honeydew.

Can growing conditions dramatically alter the heat of successfully grown
chillis? My suspicion is that the seed firm incorrectly packaged a mild
variety of chilli shaped green pepper as a hot chilli.

Yes. Low sunlight (and, I believe, heat) levels seem to reduce
the fire, as well as crop size, flavour and everything else.

Would I have more joy if I allowed the chillis to turn red (instead of
reaping them when green)?

With some varieties, yes. With others, no.

To get hot Chillies you need to provide plenty of water to the plants, if
they don't get enough water the fruit will be mild flavoured no matter what
variety you grow. I suspect this may be your problem especially as you are
growing them in pots in a greenhouse. Make sure they always have water
available, use water trays underneath the pots and fill them daily or more
often in hot weather.

This is not my experience. It may be true for some varieties, but I am
pretty sure that it is not true for all. Hot chillis are grown in
arid conditions, and many of the supermarket hot varieties (which I
am SURE are grown with plenty of water) are lukewarm.

Our Thai Dragon are always hot.

And mine.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Gareth" wrote ...
My chilli plants have borne fruit - big long and thick green chillis.

The problem is that the taste of the chillis bears no relationship at all
to the description I remember reading on the seed packet. The seed packet
promised a deliciously hot chilli that would add fire to all manner of
dishes. What I have in my mouth is part of a chilli shaped very tame
green paper - not a hint - and I mean even a subtle trace - of heat.

Following germination in early April on a windowsill the seedlings were
transplanted to pots in a greenhouse. The relatively mild summer didn't
cause any problems in terms of too much heat and the only snag was an
aphid and ant attack (which didn't affect the taste sampled plants).

Can growing conditions dramatically alter the heat of successfully grown
chillis? My suspicion is that the seed firm incorrectly packaged a mild
variety of chilli shaped green pepper as a hot chilli.

Would I have more joy if I allowed the chillis to turn red (instead of
reaping them when green)?

To get hot Chillies you need to provide plenty of water to the plants, if
they don't get enough water the fruit will be mild flavoured no matter
what variety you grow. I suspect this may be your problem especially as
you are growing them in pots in a greenhouse. Make sure they always have
water available, use water trays underneath the pots and fill them daily
or more often in hot weather.

It's also a bit early to be cropping chillies, even if they have been
grown in a greenhouse.

We grow ours outside in the ground and just pull the plants up before the
first frost and take off all the usable fruit, red or green.
Our Thai Dragon are always hot.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London


In my experience chillies get hotter if you let the plants dry out and then
flood them with water i.e. stressing the plants.
I'm currently eating hot chillies ATM.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote after
Bob Hobden replied to:
"Gareth" plants).

To get hot Chillies you need to provide plenty of water to the plants, if
they don't get enough water the fruit will be mild flavoured no matter
what
variety you grow. I suspect this may be your problem especially as you are
growing them in pots in a greenhouse. Make sure they always have water
available, use water trays underneath the pots and fill them daily or more
often in hot weather.

This is not my experience. It may be true for some varieties, but I am
pretty sure that it is not true for all. Hot chillis are grown in
arid conditions, and many of the supermarket hot varieties (which I
am SURE are grown with plenty of water) are lukewarm.

I had heard this about lack of water and mildness and some years ago I gave
a neighbour some of our Thai Dragon to grow in his greenhouse the rest going
out on our allotment as usual. Our ones were as hot as ever but his, him not
having watered them enough (any time I saw them they were wilting!) were
very mild flavoured. Perhaps they don't all react that way to water but his
were grown in better conditions than ours, other than the watering.

The supermarket hot varieties would be grown quickly (high feed etc ) for a
quick large crop, like most of their produce, so will lack flavour/heat
compared to what we grow out on the allotment where the plant has to work
more.
--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London