It depends on the strain and climate but the ones I grew last year had a citris and sweet flavor by itself. The true flavor comes out whenyou smoke it. I smoke mine with apple wood and made jerk sauce. Definitely my favorite pepper for making sauces and spice rubs with.
The habeneros I added were about the size of 3 average grapes. Split two between the three pint jars. Used about a quarter a jalapeno per jar, and dropped the crushed red pepper to half a tea spoon. Also put about twice the garlic, because I really like garlic. And added a little extra salt because I was using sea salt, and emptied my salt grinder on a plate and ended up being about a third a table spoon, so u just put 4 tablespoons of unground pink sea salt in the brine.
Next time I will stick to the recipe on salt and garlic, and remember the pepper corns. Will still use the pink sea salt, because I like the fact it's not processed and still has the minerals that made salt the needed nutrient it once was
With my habanaros I will can them in extra virgin olive oil and freah fennel. Let them sit up to two months before I open and eat the habanaros. Then use the olive oil to cook with.
I went to a Zaxby’s Chicken one time and ordered the XXX Extreme hot wings - 10 pc. box. I gulped down a 24 oz DR Pepper plus refills, and only got 5 of them eaten. I took the rest back with me, but never ate them. I just thought that nothing from a chain restaurant could possibly be all that hot, so I got the hottest ones they had. I’ve eaten habaneros, but nothing hotter, until that chicken. I couldn’t even taste it, it was just pure heat.
I’ve made hot sauce before by juicing several different kinds of peppers that my Father-In-Law grew for me in his garden. I used only the juice and a tiny bit of vinegar, salt, table pepper (black pepper) and some sugar to round out the flavor profile. The raw pepper flavor shone through perfectly. It was the best hot sauce I’ve ever had, and it had plenty of heat, because the majority of the peppers were habaneros.
Another story: One time at a church dinner, someone brought in some peppers from their garden to share with anyone who wanted them. There were habaneros, cayennes and jalapeños. As a joke, I told a six-year-old girl that if she ate one of the habaneros, I’d give her a $10 bill. She turned me down, but to my surprise, her 10-year-old brother volunteered to take up my challenge. He popped the pepper in his mouth and started chewing. It wasn’t long before tears were streaming down his face like rivers. But, he finished chewing it, swallowed it, and collected his $10 bill! I was impressed. He never would do it again, though, even when I offered him twice the payout.
Hottest thing I ever consumed (successfully) was 2 scoops of Dave’s Insanity Salsa. This was immediately AFTER eating a Thai dish called Basil Chicken. I had the owner spice it with Habanero peppers. There were full chunks in that.
There is a phenomenon in eating spicy food that I call “going over the top”
It is when, during the course of an extremely spicy meal, that you suddenly don’t feel the heat. AT ALL. It was at that point I was barely able to handle the Insanity Salsa straight up. But barely.
BTW, after going “over the top” a whole new set of flavors comes alive that seem not to be present until then.
A friend and I used to meet periodically to eat spicy foods, we treated the meal as though it were an athletic event. Actually, I sweat LESS during athletic events.
Sucking on something acidic like lemon or lime will help alot.
Also putting a sugar cube in your mouth will help(dont recommend as it is disgusting to taste with the pepper).
You could also take a teaspoon of salt and switch it in your mouth, this will help pull the oils of the pepper out of your mouth when you spit the salt out.
Avoid Water and Alcoholic beverages.
The term for people addicted to the endorphin rush, Chili Heads, you know you’re in the club when merely thinking about a hot chili pepper makes your mouth water.
Had my first orange ripened Scotch Bonnet Habanero from the garden last night. The end tip was like a sweet pepper - nothing, but as you got down to the lower core, that nice flavor and heat started kick'n in - excellent!
Anyone want some cucumbers? I'm overwhelmed - every day, a few more and they are giant!