Comments on: Habanero Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 08:39:40 +0000

In reply to Rabellaka. Try taking out contact lenses after munching on habs. Ouch!

By: Rabellaka

Rabellaka — Thu, 27 May 2021 01:10:08 +0000

Wear gloves!!! I cleaned jalapeños without gloves once, not nearly as hot as habanero, and then washed my hair. The oils went from my hands into the shampoo running down my face, and onto my eyelids. My eyelids felt like fire for soooo long, even though I kept them tightly shut to avoid any actually touching my eyes.

By: mike

mike — Wed, 12 May 2021 02:17:47 +0000

I haven’t eaten a ton of really hot peppers, but the hottest habaneros I have eaten have been just as hot as the hottest ghost peppers I have eaten … I think there is quite a variety of heat in both (and almost all) peppers.

At the same time I have had habaneros that had very little heat by comparison. I’m not exactly sure what the reasoning is for this variation, but my rule is don’t judge a pepper for its heat until you try it. 😉

By: AChipps

AChipps — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:43:32 +0000

In reply to 563Tsunami.

I was trying to get more flavor with less heat by cutting the seeds and inside walls out. Then I dried them out. My fingers just under the tip of my fingernails felt like they were burning, and because I am thick skinned, I didn’t think I needed gloves, just make sure I didn’t rub my eyes. After the burning started it only effected that skin, but I remembered while I handled the peppers, I didn’t want them slipping around so I dug in with my fingernails a lot of times. I washed my hands with soap, peroxide, more soap, vinegar (more acid), and alcohol, then soap again. Nothing really worked, but it faded in around 3 hours.
I know some people have skin that is very different than most people, like most people could not touch sulfuric acid, and some have had it in their mouth and all over and was not effected, but for the burns from their sock burning off their feet through their sneakers.
That happened to me, and even I am aware habaneros can burn. I turned fresh red peppers still a bright orange into powder, and the tiny dust in the air was on mt face, and I could feel it a little, I washed that off with a wet paper towel with Windex, and my eyes felt a little burn from that, and then I rinsed of my face and it was back to normal.

I hope people can learn that working with peppers or just cooking helps to have some Nitrile gloves in the drawer, because they do help you decide to use them, than risk going without them. My second time handling the peppers turned the gloves a little red, and it does not come off. Just image that penetrating the skin since it can kind of do that with the gloves.

By: 563Tsunami

563Tsunami — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 08:58:47 +0000

I can only concur about wearing gloves.
Earlier this year, having decided on a whim to make my own chilli paste, I scoured the foreign groceries in town, only vaguely aware of all the varieties, especially habanero and its cousins. There weren’t too many fresh peppers around due to the global lockdown – the ones I got were a bunch “regular” red peppers, cayenne style, and some friendly-looking pod-shaped ones (obviously, in hindsight, habaneros or a close cousin).
Anyway, I set to chopping the blighters, by hand of course because I’m quite used to chillies thank you very much. Halfway through, my fingertips started to heat up. I washed my hands, but the fire kept banking higher regardless… my hands went on burning for about 3 days. Not unbearable, but, you know. Surprising, and it does get old after some time.