Growing Ghost Chili Peppers

Back in September a member of a local forum called Brew City Muscle made a thread about the insanely hot ghost pepper and how he just ate one. In that thread another member (thanks CarrotTop)shared a link to ThinkGeek.Com who sells a little can that lets you grow your own Naga Jolokia aka Ghost Chili rated at an unbelievable 1,001,304 SHU (Scoville Units)! As a comparison a standard Jalapeno is rated at a measly 2,500-,000 SHU. When I bought them they were the hottest pepper on the planet according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Shortly after, the Naga Viper Chili took over the number one spot. But honestly, it’s all relative when you get into peppers this hot.

The idea piqued my interest and I ordered a couple, one for me and one for Nick The Piranha. A few days later, they arrived in the mail and I cracked it open. Unfortunately Nick’s cat knocked hi over a few weeks later and his plants didn’t make it. But here’s mine.

Here’s is how it arrives…All unassuming looking.

On one side of the can is a pull tab like a soda can. The instructions advice you to just crack that open a little.

The other side (top of the can) is a top like a can of tuna. You just peal that off and inside you see that the can is filled with some kind of sawdust looking stuff. It doesn’t say on the website or in the instructions what it is, but considering what it is there to grow I’m going to assume it is sweepings from Satan’s wood shop. You just put some water in and then put the plastic cap that comes with it on the bottom. This holds the water in. The Soda top allows the water to slightly come out the bottom so you know it’s had enough.

I sat it by the window and let it grow. About a month later the devilish little bastards started sprouting. Don’t they look so cute? Awwww…you can’t even tell that at some point they are going to ruin someone’s night…and morning.

A couple months later and there’s like 5 separate plants growing! I only watered it when the Satan Sawdust felt dry per the instructions. Other then that it’s just waiting.

And another couple months. This thing is getting huge.

And here’s how it sits as of this week. About 6 months of growth. I can’t believe how big it’s getting. I just noticed Wed. morning that it looks like it’s starting to get the buds on the top of the plant for the flow. I don’t know jack sh*t about plants, but I’m hoping that means the peppers will be coming soon. There’s some brown on the tips of some of the leaves, but a couple of those leaves have actually fallen off just within the last 48 hours or so. I’m going to replant it in a bigger pot in the next few days. I believe it’s outgrown the can.

I’m going to give periodic updates in this thread (I’ll bump it up on the home page so you can tell) and let you know what it’s doing.

So what do you think? Am I crazy? Should I try and eat one straight or just make a wing sauce? Would you eat one?