Q: Hi Dave,I have habaneros, chiles, super chiles and cayenne peppers growing in pots on my patio. Each has produced some fully ripened fruit (which I’ve picked and frozen for future use) but each still has several fruit still green. I’m afraid I’m running out of time here in Chicago and a big chill is on the way. Do I …
Tomato Acid Counteracts Capsaicin
Q: Dave,If you handle peppers with your bare hands, you can remove most, if not all, of the heat with a halved tomato. Just rub it all over your hands as if it were a bar of soap, then rinse. I thought it was a screwy idea at first too, but I tried it recently after cutting up a bunch …
Fat Cayennes & Hiccups
Q: Hi Dave,I have two questions.1) I love fresh hot peppers (cayenne, Anaheim, jalapeños) and hot sauces too. I can handle a good bit of heat but not super heat. Just to give you a reference point, Tabasco’s Habanero Sauce is about my level of heat. When I’m eating peppers or hot sauce I get the hiccups quite often. Why? …
Fact Check: Is Capsaicin a Painkiller?
Q: Dear Dave,Help! I’m a fact checker at Seventeen magazine and it’s my job to double check that what we put in the magazine is correct. Seventeen is geared to college-aged women and we have an upcoming article about what might help if you stay up late partying or pull an all-nighter. For a tip, the writer says, "Have eggs …
Heat Scale Consistency in Commercial Products
Q: Hi Dave, How do commercial salsa (big names in particular) and hot-sauce producers ensure that their products’ heat levels maintain some degree of consistency? This arises from having purchased a major salsa from a supermarket in the "medium" degree, as to not burn out my coworkers. Some saw the jar and said, "No thanks, too hot" and some said …