Heat levels of chillies we sell
At Sea Spring Seeds we have the heat level tested of all (except the very mildest) chillies varieties we sell. We do this so we can provide accurate information about our chilli varieties, helping our customers decide which varieties to buy.
Testing
Ripe chillies are harvested in August or September. We want our measurements to represent a true crop average, so we pick fruit from every plant in the crop. The whole, undamaged fruit are then dried down and then sent to Warwick University where all the fruit are ground into a powder and tested using the HPLC process.
Please note, these results are an indication only. Although the variety has an over-riding influence on the heat level of a chilli, individual plants and even individual fruit vary enormously. In addition, the growing environment and stage of ripeness also have significant influences on the heat level of a chilli.
To understand what the heat levels mean click here.
To see photographs and details of individual chillies click on the variety name.
Mild chillies (up to 5,000 SHU)
- Mulato Isleno: not tested, very mild
- Thai Green Curry: not tested, very mild
- Beaver Dam: not tested, mild
- Draky: not tested, mild
- Krimzon Lee: not tested, mild
- Piment Curry: not tested, mild
- Ostry: not tested, mild
- NuMex Joe E. Parker: not tested, mild
- Apple Crisp:400 SHU
- Apricot: 700 SHU
- Bellaforma: 700 SHU
- Bulgarian Fish: 900 SHU
- Sivri Biber: 1,500 SHU
- Tangerine Dream: 2,100 SHU
- Green Trinidad Scorpion:3,000 SHU
- Telica Jalapeño: 4,000 SHU
Low Medium chillies (5,000 – 20,000 SHU)
- Rodeo: 5,100 SHU
- Hungarian Hot Wax:6,000 SHU
- Spaghetti: 8,500 SHU
- Sante Fe Grande:9,000 SHU
- Pimiento de Padron:12,000 SHU
- Tinkerbell: 13,000 SHU
- Cayenetta: 20,000 SHU (not tested by Sea Spring Seeds)
- Joe's Long Cayenne: 22,000 SHU
High Medium chillies (20,000 – 35,000 SHU)
- Loco: 24,000 SHU
- Jalapeño M: 24,000 SHU
- Stumpy: 27,000 SHU
- Chupetinho: 27,000 SHU
- Bolivian Rainbow:Medium to Hot (not tested by Sea Spring Seeds)
- NuMex Twilight: 30,000 SHU
- Golden Cayenne:30,000 SHU
- Early Jalapeño:33,000 SHU
- Super Tramp:34,000 SHU
- Aji Limo: 35,000 SHU
Hot chillies (35,000 – 100,000 SHU)
- Thai Pumpkin: 36,000 SHU
- Aji Benito: 37,000 SH
- Pettie Belle: 38,000 SHU
- Trinity: 40,000 SHU
- Fairy Lights: 47,000 SHU
- Tabasco: 50,000 SHU (estimate; not tested by Sea Spring Seeds)
- Hot Scotch: 55,000 SHU
- Apache: 65,000 SHU (estimate; not tested by Sea Spring Seeds)
- Lemon Drop: 56,000 SHU
- Charleston Hot: 58,000 SHU
- Cheeky: 70,000 SHU
- Pumpkin: 73,000 SHU
- Umbrella:73,000 SHU
- Purple Haze: 75,000 SHU
- Coffee Bean: 77,000 SHU
- Kala Morich: 85,000 SHU
- Raindrop: 88: SHU
- Raj's Wiri Wiri: 88,000 SHU
- Turtle Claw: 96,000 SHU
- Spike: 97,000 SHU
Very hot (100,000 – 500,000 SHU)
- Jamaican Jerk: 105,000 SHU
- Prairie Fire: 108,000 SHU
- Yellow Bumpy: 130,000 SHU
- Submarine: 135,000 SHU
- Sparkler: 160,000 SHU
- Rooster Spur: 179,000 SHU
- Orange Habanero: 249,000 SHU
- Fatali:263,000 SHU
- Paper Lantern:300,000 SHU
- Devil's Rib: 414,000 SHU
Superhots (over 500,000 SHU)
- Fire: 572,000 SHU
- Bengle Naga: 923,000 SHU
- Dorset Zinger:1,058,000 SHU
- Dorset Naga: 1,221,000 SHU
For information on growing chillies click here.
We also sell chilli plug plants. To order go to www.seaspringplants.co.uk
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Chilli types
To help customers know how to use their chillies in the kitchen we categorise our chillies into four different groups:
The spice chillies – including the habaneros and superhots – are generally small-fruited and thin-fleshed, and are usually hotter than the vegetable chillies. They are used to add heat and flavour to a dish, but contribute very little bulk. In addition, they are ideal for drying and milling into a powder. Some varieties are also very attractive and can be used as 'edible ornamentals', and do well as houseplants.
Vegetable chillies are relatively large-fruited and thick-fleshed, and tend to be milder than the spice-type varieties. Because of their bulk, these chillies are used mostly as a vegetable, playing virtually the same culinary role as sweet peppers – they are ideal stuffed with meat, rice or cheese; chopped into salads or salsas; and cooked in stews, stir fries and omelettes.
'Habanero' is the generic name given to chillies belonging to the species Capsicum chinense (for more information click here). Habanero chillies, also often called 'Scotch Bonnet', have a distinctive, fruity flavour and are renown for being very spicy. However, habaneros can also be mild, and the chillies sold by Sea Spring Seeds range in heat level from almost heatless (but very good flavour) to the 'superhots', the world's hottest chillies.
The 'Superhots' are habanero chillies that measure over 500,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), and given the right environment, some varieties are capable of reaching a million SHU or more. These chillies must be treated with great care and respect. We have three rules: never dare, never bet and NEVER trick someone into eating a superhot chilli. The superhots that we sell are all exclusive to Sea Spring Seeds.
Below are the chilli varieties we sell listed according to type:
Spice type chillies:
- Spaghetti: 8,500 SHU
- Cayenetta: 20,000 SHU (not tested by Sea Spring Seeds)
- Joe's Long Cayenne: 22,000 SHU
- Loco: 24,000 SHU
- Stumpy: 27,000 SHU
- Bolivian Rainbow:Medium to Hot (not tested by Sea Spring Seeds)
- NuMex Twilight: 30,000 SHU
- Golden Cayenne:30,000 SHU
- Super Tramp:34,000 SHU
- Aji Benito: 37,000 SH
- Fairy Lights: 47,000 SHU
- Tabasco: 50,000 SHU (estimate; not tested by Sea Spring Seeds)
- Apache: 65,000 SHU (estimate; not tested by Sea Spring Seeds)
- Lemon Drop: 56,000 SHU
- Charleston Hot: 58,000 SHU
- Umbrella:73,000 SHU
- Purple Haze: 75,000 SHU
- Kala Morich: 85,000 SHU
- Spike: 97,000 SHU
- Prairie Fire: 108,000 SHU
- Sparkler: 160,000 SHU
- Rooster Spur: 179,000 SHU
Habanero chillies:
- Apricot: 700 SHU
- Bellaforma: 700 SHU
- Green Trinidad Scorpion: 3,000 SHU
- Chupetinho: 27,000 SHU
- Aji Limo: 35,000 SHU
- Pettie Belle: 38,000 SHU
- Trinity: 40,000 SHU
- Hot Scotch: 55,000 SHU
- Cheeky: 70,000 SHU
- Pumpkin: 73,000 SHU
- Coffee Bean: 77,000 SHU
- Raindrop: 88: SHU
- Raj's Wiri Wiri: 88,000 SHU
- Turtle Claw: 96,000 SHU
- Jamaican Jerk: 105,000 SHU
- Yellow Bumpy: 130,000 SHU
- Submarine: 135,000 SHU
- Orange Habanero: 249,000 SHU
- Fatali:263,000 SHU
- Paper Lantern: 300,000 SHU
- Devil's Rib: 414,000 SHU
Vegetable type chillies:
- Mulato Isleno: not tested, very mild
- Thai Green Curry: not tested, very mild
- Beaver Dam: not tested, mild
- Draky: not tested, mild
- Krimzon Lee: not tested, mild
- Piment Curry: not tested, mild
- Ostry: not tested, mild
- NuMex Joe E. Parker: not tested, mild
- Apple Crisp: 400 SHU
- Bulgarian Fish: 900 SHU
- Sivri Biber: 1,500 SHU
- Tangerine Dream: 2,100 SHU
- Telica Jalapeño: 4,000 SHU
- Rodeo: 5,100 SHU
- Hungarian Hot Wax: 6,000 SHU
- Sante Fe Grande: 9,000 SHU
- Pimiento de Padron: 12,000 SHU
- Tinkerbell: 13,000 SHU
- Jalapeño M: 24,000 SHU
- Early Jalapeño: 33,000 SHU
- Thai Pumpkin: 36,000 SHU
Superhot chillies:
- Fire: 572,000 SHU
- Bengle Naga: 923,000 SHU
- Dorset Zinger: 1,058,000 SHU
- Dorset Naga: 1,221,000 SHU