Tiny habaneros pack a powerful punch.
Each hot pepper variety has a heat measurement on the Scoville scale. The Scoville scale, named for chemist Wilbur Scoville who invented it, assigns a Scoville heat unit (SHU) to each pepper, according to Cornell University. For example, a jalapeno pepper has an SHU of 5,000 and a habanero pepper has an SHU of 200,000. If you wish to eat habanero peppers, know the risks and the effects of the fiery capsaicin oil contained in the seeds and flesh of these peppers before you proceed.
Instructions
1. Wear the plastic gloves, place the habanero peppers in the colander and wash them under cool water.
2. Transfer the habaneros to the cutting board and slice off the stem end of the peppers. Discard the stems. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise.
3. Remove the seeds and the white inside membranes of the habanero peppers if you wish to reduce the heat of the peppers. Discard these portions of the peppers. Leave the seeds and white membranes intact if you want the hottest habanero peppers possible.
4. Slice the peppers into long pieces and then chop them into small chunks, if you wish to add them to a salsa. You can also just eat the halved habanero peppers.
5. Eat the peppers carefully. Assemble a glass of cold milk, some cold yogurt, a slice of bread and a few teaspoons of granulated sugar. These food items can counteract the heat of the habanero peppers. Take a bite of the habanero pepper and wait to see how much heat you will feel in your mouth. Depending on whether you left the seeds and white membranes intact or you removed them, you may feel intense heat or you may only feel moderate heat. The heat generally takes about 30 seconds before you feel it.
6. Dissipate the heat with the milk, yogurt, bread or sugar, taking small sips or bites to counteract the capsaicin. Expect the heat to last for about 15 minutes before it starts to subside.
Tags: habanero peppers, , habanero pepper, membranes intact, , Scoville scale