Hot peppers are the firecrackers of the vegegable kingdom: some are Roman Candle hot, others like sparklers, adding just a touch of piquancy.

They come in all sizes, shapes and sizzles, from tiny fruits with 5-alarm heat to big mildly hot peppers. Their hotness comes from the capsaicin, which is concentrated in the seeds and in the flesh between the lining and the inner wall of the pepper.

Color generally progresses from green to red, as the fruit ripens. A few go through a yellow stage. Some turn brownish-black when ripe, and one even has a lavender stage. Peppers are a very good source of vitamin C, and also contain signifigant amounts of vitamin A.

In 1912, the chemist Wilbur Scoville developed a method to measure the heat level of chile peppers. The test is named after him, the "Scoville Organoleptic Test".

In the original test, Wilbur blended pure ground Chiles with sugar-water and a panel of "testers" then sipped the solution, in increasingly diluted concentrations, until they reached the point that the liquid no longer burned their mouths.

A number was then assigned to each chile pepper based on how much it needed to be diluted before they could no longer taste (feel) the heat.

The pungency (or heat factor) of chile peppers is measured in multiples of 100 units and ranges from sweet bell peppers at zero the mighty Naga Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) at over 1,000,000 Scoville units!

Pure Capsaicin rates between 15,000,000 and 16,000,000 Scoville Units. Today liquid chromatography is used to determine capsaicin levels, but the unit of measure is still named Scoville. 

Due to variations in growing conditions, soil and weather, peppers tend to vary between the lower and upper levels listed, but can go beyond them.

Hot peppers are easy to grow. Usually you can find the most popular varieties as starter plants. However, if you want a larger selection or more unusual types, then you'll need to start them from seed. Seeds should be started indoors 2 - 3 months before the last spring frost.

Pepper seeds can germinate in fairly dry soil, so don't overwater. Do keep them warm - a heating pad beneath the growing medium can speed up the germination. When the seedlings appear, replant them in larger flats about 2 inches apart, or into separate small pots.Water them with warm water, as cold water can retard their growth. Keep them in a warm sunny place.

Harden off the seedlings a couple of weeks before planting them, by putting them outdoors for a few hours a day. They should be planted outdoors at the same time as you'd plant your tomatoes.

Peppers don't need really fertile soil, and if over-fertilized they'll produce lots of growth but fewer fruits. They prefer warm days, and cooler nights, similar to the Andes climate where they originated.

In addition to using peppers fresh in your cooking, you can pickle, freeze or dry them. The thin small ones, like long red cayennes or serrano are easy to dry. Just thread them on a string and hang them up. Fleshier cultivars like ancho or hungarian wax are best split and dried on a screen in a hot sunny place.

Hot peppers can be used when they're still green, but they are highest in vitamins (and capsaicin) when they mature on the bush. When you pick them, coat your hands with oil will reduce burning or the absorption of the hot oils into your skin.When you are cooking with these hot peppers, it's best to slip on a pair of rubber gloves before you start cutting.

And remember - don't rub your eyes!