The Pepper Primer

The Pepper Primer (excerpt from the book "Biker Billy Cooks with Fire," by Bill Hufnagle)

As a general guideline I use the following firepower scale. This is based on my personal tastes and is not a hard scientific rating.

Mild 0 to 2,500 Scoville units
Medium 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville units
Hot 10,000 to 100,000 Scoville units
Atomic 1000,000 to 300,000 Scoville units

Pepper of the Month - Cherry: As the name implies, these peppers look like large cherries when ripe red. They are most commonly found pickled whole or sliced in both the green and red stage. I also find them fresh in supermarkets and at farm stands. They freeze well, which preserves the fresh taste for cooking without the vinegar flavor associated with pickled peppers. Cherry peppers are good as a garnish on salads, sandwiches, Mexican foods, and of course pizza. The firepower can range from mild to medium (0 to 3,500 Scoville units); rinsing the pickled varieties will slightly reduce fire level.

“Reprinted with permission from “Biker Billy Cooks with Fire”, published by Whitehorse Press, Center Conway, New Hampshire copyright Bill Hufnagle 1995, 2004.”

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