Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden
Carolina Reaper Chilli
- Regular price
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£3.99 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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£3.99
The Carolina Reaper is a legend in the chilli world, holding the Guinness World Record as the hottest chilli pepper on Earth. This formidable pepper was created by the American breeder Ed Currie of the PuckerButt Pepper Company in South Carolina, USA. It is a hybrid, a cross between a Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) and a Red Havanese Habanero, and belongs to the intensely pungent Capsicum chinense species. In 2017, Guinness World Records confirmed its status, registering an average heat of 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), though some individual pods have been recorded at an eye-watering 2.2 million SHU, making it a truly volcanic pepper.
The plant itself is a productive and bushy specimen that can grow to a considerable size, typically reaching a height of 1.2 to 1.5 meters (4-5 feet). It produces a high yield of menacingly beautiful pods that serve as a clear warning of their intense heat. The peppers are relatively small, about 2.5 to 7.5 cm long, with a gnarled and bumpy texture. The most distinctive and infamous feature of the Carolina Reaper is its scorpion-like tail, or "stinger," which is a trait purposefully selected for by its creator. The pods ripen from a vibrant green to a deep, brilliant red, signalling their peak potency.
Despite its brutal, world-record-holding heat, the Carolina Reaper is prized by chilli aficionados for its surprisingly complex and pleasant flavour. Before the overwhelming heat builds, it offers a distinct sweet and fruity taste, with reported notes of cherry and even hints of chocolate and cinnamon. This flavour is, however, quickly followed by an intense and lasting burn that should only be approached with extreme caution. Due to its extreme pungency, it is used very sparingly in culinary applications, primarily for creating ferociously hot sauces, marinades, and spice powders. Even a tiny sliver of a single pod is enough to add an incredible level of heat to a large dish.
| Quantity of Seeds | 10 seeds per packet |
| Origin | South Carolina, USA (Created by Ed Currie) |
| Genus | Capsicum chinense |
| Scoville Rating/Heat Level |
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| Plant Size | A bushy plant, typically 1.2-1.5 metres (4-5 feet) tall. |
| Pod Size | Small, 2.5-7.5 cm (1-3 inches) long, with a gnarled texture and a distinctive "stinger" tail. |
| Flavour | Sweet and fruity with notes of cherry and chocolate, followed by an immediate and extreme heat. |
| Sowing & Growing Conditions |
Requires a very long, hot growing season. Sow indoors Jan-Mar with high, consistent heat (28-32°C) using a heated propagator. Best grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel to provide the necessary warmth for pods to mature. Requires fertile, well-drained soil and regular feeding with a high-potash fertiliser once flowering begins. |
All plants are grown on our farm in Norfolk, UK and are grown in an open pollinated area.
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