I've just had my first encounter with a Bhut Jolokia (Ghost chilli)...
Just a slither of the tip of one fruit I harvested from my home. What a hit of fire! I can only imagine what a larger piece will be like...
Not just fire, but sweet, fruity capsicum flavour too that is the first thing you taste. Then, the heat starts, and keeps growing, and doesn't let up...
WOW!
Hey Alex, welcome to that select club of us that have been game to try one of the super hots raw
Not sure if we should be classed as Looney tuners or not though
Quote:
Originally Posted by NTgazer
There is a scorpion chilli oil we get from the local markets that is fabulous and you can countdown to the hit to within a second or two. We thought the guy was joking when we sampled it he's like lick it, now wait, it takes about 12-13 seconds to hit, and we counted down thinking its never coming then 12 seconds later, just like he said.... wallop! it erupts. Every time, its unbelievable. I have to separate my hot food enjoyment from chilli tasting as such though, if its a meal then I dont want it so hot I can't taste anything, but as a separate 'sport' of tasting thats a different matter! the head rush and adrenalin is unreal, sure it should be classed as a drug!
That would be the "Chilli High" that is often spoken of.
I have always loved chilli's too, not ventured into any of the super hot ones yet....habanero's have been my limit to date.....have started growing a couple of bushes tho....normal chilli bush and one of the carolina reapers...wildfire chilli seems to be the place in WA that does them....can pick up some decent sized bushes from these people via bunnings so always keeping my eyes open in there to add another couple of bushes to the collection
MMMM Carolina Reapers, the ultimate at the moment. I've got 10 growing at the moment in the greenhouse.
Trevor, if you looking for a nice happy medium see if you can find some Aji Limon roughly translated to Lemon Drop, at around 7/10 they are a nice one to chop and sprinkle over a salad.
They also have a citrus taste to them followed by a mild heat.
Yeah my Reaper isn't looking too good at the moment but it does seem to be growing alot of new growth right at the base of the stem which might account for the top looking a bit sparse.
The main bush is a Bhut Jolokia....looking good so far and looking forward to seeing how hot they can get
Not heard of Aji Limon before..will have to look out for them, thanks Ric
Just wait until they are fully formed before picking. the size of the chilli is dependent on the type for example a Carolina Reaper will only grow to the size of a 50 cent piece or a tad larger.
It's best to do a google on the variety and see what size to expect.
Most chillies will go from green through to red in around 10 to 21 days but some will take a bit longer. Also the longer on the plant the hotter they will become.
If your after seeds for next season then pick your best chilli or two and leave them until they drop, that way you will guarantee yourself the best possible seeds.
Interesting point about the seeds. Will give that a go. It is always good to be able to create new plants without having to buy them again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ric
Hi Trevor
Just wait until they are fully formed before picking. the size of the chilli is dependent on the type for example a Carolina Reaper will only grow to the size of a 50 cent piece or a tad larger.
It's best to do a google on the variety and see what size to expect.
Most chillies will go from green through to red in around 10 to 21 days but some will take a bit longer. Also the longer on the plant the hotter they will become.
If your after seeds for next season then pick your best chilli or two and leave them until they drop, that way you will guarantee yourself the best possible seeds.
Thanks Ric, that helps alot....I can feel the urge to 'test' some out this weekend
My main bush is a Bhut Jolokia....all the chillies on it are green, some have been there for a while and show no sign of turning red at all.....are the Bhut Jolokia primarily red or do they stay green also ?
Hoping to grow a few more bushes when I am comfortable with taking care of the couple that I have now.
Oh my goodness, why, why, oh why (!) do this to yourselves!
You know eventually, you will numb your taste senses for heat and will be constantly chasing hotter things. Like my mother.... I grew up with her eating a chilli with marmalade on toast for breakfast . Fast forward 20 years and I refused to eat her curries until she mellowed them down.
Sab- I was thinking of you when I saw this thread .
In Sri-Lanka, when we swore (I didn't but my two brothers sure did), we got chilli rubbed inside our mouths as punishment . It was a general kind of punishment over there .
I just recently competed in my second Chilli Challenge at Windsor to raise money for Soldier On, which provides mental health resources for young returned veterans... A great cause, and well worth the pain to help these guys out.
I somehow made it into the final round.
First round was a pair of Birdseye Chillis (piece of cake).
Second round was a white habanero and a "Ghost on steroids" (they hurt, and hurt a lot, but I got through it, and despite the heat, the white Hab tasted amazing)...
Final round was a Trinidad Scorpion Butch-T, and a Carolina Reaper, only to be eaten after taking a shot of Marcel's (the proprietor of The Chilli Factory) special Reaper infused Vodka...
Well, I got the shot down, I was in all sorts of pain within seconds, got the Butch-T down before the hiccups started, took one bite of the reaper and buckled completely...
Those things are unbelievable, I couldn't focus on anything but the heat, for a while, it was a struggle to even talk... Lol I managed to hold onto what I'd eaten, but it was a close call...
Ended up coming 5th overall, and went home with a Reaper seedling as well as an armful of chilli products, so stand by for more pain reports... Lol
I'll post some more photos, but can only post one pic per reply from my phone, so apologies for the multiple replies
Marcel from The Chilli Factory (right) with the next recipient of a shot of his firewater... This stuff was all kinds of wrong...
For those interested, Marcel will be manning a stand at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, looking for his latest victims... (I'm not affiliated with The Chilli Factory in any way, I just love their products)...
Davin, you're a good man - doing all this for such a wonderful cause!
Congratulations on your 5th place, you're a true chilli legend. And thanks for the updates of the night .
Now, give your poor mouth & body a chilli break!
Utter craziness in my book, but at least you're doing it for a good cause. Find another cause that's not so painful next time .
Advice needed pls
I have my first batch of Bhut Jolokia's almost ready to go.
Want to do a curry with them in for about 4 people.
Would a whole one be too much ?
Well done Davin......sounds like a very worthy cause...and that vodka looks good
Trevor, do you and your friends have experience with these type of chillies? That's what's more important. These are not birdseye chillies. These ones, the heat creeps up, and builds and builds and does not let up for a long, long time.
And if you haven't cooked with them before either, be very careful! Frying these will bowl you over they are so potent - I cleared the house the first time I did!
With chillies, the best thing I can say is: chillies are like salt - you can always add more if you need to, but you can't take it out once it's in. So start with a small bit first. You can chop the rest and leave it for you and your guests to add more if they want. Don't chop them without wearing gloves!
I enjoy the rush these things give me, but I don't fool around with them. They can really hurt the unsuspecting person.
Advice needed pls
I have my first batch of Bhut Jolokia's almost ready to go.
Want to do a curry with them in for about 4 people.
Would a whole one be too much ?
Well done Davin......sounds like a very worthy cause...and that vodka looks good
Thanks guys...
I'd be very careful using Bhut's for cooking, as Alex said, the heat really shouldn't be underestimated, they can easily overpower and render a dish useless and leave your guests not only hungry, but in pain for those who unwittingly tried it...
To put it into perspective, another variety of chilli's is known as '7-pot', for its ability to heat 7 pots of stew from one chilli, Bhut's are almost twice as hot as 7-pots...
I've found, the best way to use Bhut's is to blend them into a paste, then use that very sparingly, in very small amounts at a time, tasting as you add until you get to the desired heat... Store the paste in sterilized jars and it keeps for ages...
Stating the obvious, but be very careful not to touch your face (or genetals) while handling these.. The first time I cut one up, the fumes made my nose run, which I wiped without thinking, then spent the next hour in a world of hurt (I even tried snorting milk up my nose at one point... Lol)
I've also made my famous, top secret "Bhut Hurt" sauce from them, loads of flavour and a heap of heat...
Thanks for the advice guys, think I will probably try blending them into a paste....like you say its easier to add if its not enough heat there in the first place.....and yes it will also be our first experience of the Bhut Jolokia....only gone up to Habanero's before this
Davin, do you add anything else to them to make that paste ? Or is it just chillies run through a blender ?
.
. It was a general kind of punishment over there 
Way to go Davin.
but the chilli high literally blows the top of skull off. 
