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The Scoville scale The Scoville scale is a measure of the hotness of a chilli pepper. These particular fruits contain capsaicin, a chemical compound which stimulates heat-receptor nerve endings, and the number of Scoville units indicates the amount of capsaicin present. It is named after Wilbur Scoville, who developed the system in 1912. As originally devised, a solution of the pepper extract is diluted in sugar water until the 'heat' is no longer detectable to a taster; the degree of dilution gives its measure on the Scoville scale. Thus a sweet pepper, that contains no capsaicin at all, has a Scoville rating of zero (no heat detectable even undiluted); whereas the hottest peppers of all, such as habaneross have a rating of 300,000 or more, indicating that their extract has to be diluted 300,000-fold before the capsaicin present is undetectable. Later developments such as high pressure liquid chromatography have now enabled the Scoville rating to be determined by direct measurement of capsaicin rather than sensory methods. List of Scoville ratings Scoville ratings may vary considerably within a species—easily by a factor of 10 or more—depending on seed lineage, climate and even soil. This is especially true of Habanero peppers. A brief summary of some heat levels.... 16,000,000 - Pure capsaicin 5,300,000 - Police grade pepper spray 2,000,000 - Common pepper spray 350,000 - 580,000 - Red Savina Habanero 100,000 - 350,000 - Habanero 100,000 - 325,000 - Scotch Bonnet 100,000 - 225,000 - Birds Eye pepper 100,000 - 200,000 - Jamaican Hot pepper 80,000 - Dave's Insanity Sauce 50,000 - 100,000 - Thai pepper 30,000 - 50,000 - Cayenne pepper 30,000 - 50,000 - Tabasco pepper 2,500 - 8,000 - Jalapeño pepper 2,500 - 5,000 - Tabasco sauce 0 - Sweet Bell pepper Use Caution In Handling And Storing Chile Peppers When using fresh or dried chili peppers, wear gloves to protect your hands because the oils, capsaicin*, in the peppers can cause severe burns. Don't touch your face or eyes. If chilies do come in contact with your bare hands, wash thoroughly with soapy water. If burning persists, soak hands in a bowl of milk. When grinding dried chilies, beware of the chili dust in the air, which will irritate eyes and throats. Remedies for eating a pepper that is too hot for you: Drink milk, rinsing the mouth with it while swallowing, ice cream or yogurt. Eat rice or bread which will absorb the capsaicin. Drink tomato juice or eat a fresh lime or lemon ( the acid will counter act the alkalinity of the capsaicin). Do not drink water- capsaicin which is an oil, will not mix with water but instead, will distribute to more parts of the mouth. *Capsaicin is the heat factor in chilies that is used medically to produce deep-heating rubs for treating sports injuries and arthritic therapies. |
