Carolina Reaper Seeds

Carolina Reaper Seeds: The World's Hottest Chili — 2.2 Million SHU

If you’ve not heard of it, this is the world’s hottest chili. Racking up an astounding 2.2 million units on the Scoville scale, it has an almost hell-like heat. But for lovers of heat-induced endorphin rushes, the Carolina Reaper is going to get your synapses firing!

It’s a cross between a Naga and a Habenero Red, but it overpowers both. Bell-shaped and with a little tail on the bottom, it somehow looks both innocent and devilish at the same time.

A great choice for spicy sauces and challenging your friends to commit foolhardy acts, this chili can certainly impress, but may be too hot for normal culinary use.

If you intend to go anywhere near this chili pepper, exercise extreme caution!

How To Grow Carolina Reaper Chilies

• Step 1: Germination

To germinate Carolina Reapers, just plant them immediately in their final pots. Dig a hole about 1cm deep, and gently cover with soil. Keep the soil moist, as moisture is essential to germination. To assist in maintaining humidity, cover the pot in cling film. Poke a few holes in it to let it breathe.

Place them in a warm space. Hot chilies like hot temperatures. Around 28°C is good for Carolina Reaper germination. They can even take up to 30°C.

• Step 2: Patience

Now you just have to look after them and wait. Water them as you would any other house plant. To feed them, use a tomato fertiliser, and maybe add some extra calcium via a foliar spray to avoid the disappointment of seeing fruits rotting away.

How and When To Harvest Carolina Reaper Chilies

California Reaper chilies should be ready for harvest around 100–120 days after germination. On average, the plant should be around 120cm tall. The chilies themselves will be about 6–7cm long and about 5cm wide, but maturation times vary depending on pot size, so you’ll need to read the chilies themselves. Once they are totally red, they’re more or less ripe. Leave them a few more days, then try plucking one off. If it comes off easily, it is ripe. If not, give them a couple more days before trying again.

A Word of Warning

Handling Carolina Reapers and their seeds can be dangerous, so it's advisable to wear gloves, a mask, and goggles. Using tweezers to handle the seeds is another way to avoid pepper burn.

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