Orange Habanero

When most people are asked what is the hottest pepper they have tried, the answer is most likely the Orange Habanero. This is the hottest pepper sold in most grocery stores and can sell for upwards of $8.00/lb or more. The heat level of this pepper is right around 300,000 scoville units which is more than enough to spice up any meal. I usually buy a couple pounds when the price is right and dehydrate them to use all year long is salsas and other meals that need a little kick. The Orange Habanero plant is very easy to grow and can produce a large amount of peppers if started early in the growing season.

Fresh Orange Habaneros

These Habaneros were cut in half to facilitate the drying process.

These were dried at 140 degrees fahrenheit for 9 hours.

Keep the dried Habaneros in air tight containers or ziploc bags for use all year long.

Trinidad 7 Pot / Pod

Capsicum chinense


This pepper is extremely hot and has a scoville unit range from about 600,000 - 800,000 or more when the growing conditions are right. This plant can take up to 120 days for harvest. The pepper has a citrus like flavor and is very potent tasting when eaten alone but works great for drying and grinding up into powders for use in hot salsas. The plant should be started early to guarantee harvest into the late summer. Medium to full sun works well with this plant type.

Tabasco Peppers

Capsicum frutescens

Extremely great producers of peppers. The peppers are very hot ranging between 30,000 - 50,000 scoville units but seem hotter because of the water/juice they retain dispersing the heat immediately. Believe it or not but my plant produced over 500 peppers in one growing season. The plant limbs grow straight up and have spear like peppers that are easy to harvest. The peppers change from light green to orange and then finally red when ripe. The peppers will separate and fall off the stem when overly ripe.