I enjoy growing peppers, and I have varieties of all heat levels. and as anyone who has ever grown peppers knows, there is no such thing as a pepper shortage this time of year, all the plants are pumping out peppers! For me, part of the enjoyment of growing anything is being able to share.
So, here's the problem, I have found that "hot" is a relative term. I brought in some peppers to one of my co-workers who insisted he liked hot peppers. "These are really, really hot, now," I warned him; but he assured me he liked 'em hot.
Apparently he doesn't like 'em *that* hot, cause he was back in here complaining about my devil peppers. I didn't have the heart to tell him those weren't even close to the hottest ones I have.
Anyway, I'm starting to use what I call "The Old El Paso" scale. Almost everyone has had Old El Paso salsa at some time or another, so I ask them what level - mild, medium, or hot- of Old El Paso salsa would they eat, or would they consider Old El Paso far too wimpy.Yes, I know there are far better salsas out there, both homemade and commercial, but Old El Paso seems to be so ubiquitious, it's a handy reference. It has narrowed things down a lot, but there are still a few who are convinced they like much hotter peppers than they really do.
And then there are those annoying people who think that liking hot peppers somehow makes them kewl. I will confess to making pepper poppers out of Devil's Tongue peppers to take to parties just to watch that sort start making all kind of excuses about why they can't have anything hot tonight! Some of them even get all scaredy at the Lemon Drop poppers, and they're merely hot.
Penelope