The Trinidad Scorpion pepper is a species of the hot chili pepper. It originates from Trinidad, which is located in the Caribbean just Northeast of Venezuela. Trinidad Scorpion pods are classed as outrageously hot with a rating in the range of 800,000-2,000,000 SHU or Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville heat scale. They have a somewhat fruity citrus flavor. The plant grows to about four feet in height and can produce between thirty to fifty pods in a life cycle. The pendant shaped pods taper down the length to a pointy sharp tail. They usually mature to about four inches in length. During the maturation process, the color of the Trinidad Scorpion goes from a deep green color to a bright orange. The slightly thick skin of the pod has a surface that is pebbly in texture and appearance. When fully matured, the pepper will be a vibrant shade of red. Full development and maturation usually takes 120 days following transplantation.

Cultivating Peppers

The Trinidad Scorpion pepper is a rare and hard to find variety of chili pepper. Very few supermarkets, grocery stores, or specialty shops offer this pod in any form. Many individuals have begun to grow this and other types of peppers at home. They often grow the peppers outdoors in gardens. Those, with a limited amount of outdoor grounds or living in apartments, cultivate peppers in pots on patios and porches. Some suggested tips for growing peppers with a successful yield are as follows:

Select plants with a healthy and vibrant green color.
Inspect the stems and leaves for signs of damage or disease.
Select an area for planting that receives adequate daytime sunlight and evening shade. Without the proper amount of shade the plants will scald in the sun.
Transplant into the soil leaving at least two feet of space between each plant. Without proper spacing, the plants will fail to reach their full growth potential.
Fertilize the plants once a month.
Water on a regular basis. Never allow the soil to dry completely but do not overwater. Use a sprinkling can to deliver the water mimicking rain.
Water plants early in the morning before full sunlight or in the late evening when they are under shade. Full sunlight watering will scald the plants.
Use non-chlorinated water. Rain, well, or spring water will suffice.
The Trinidad Scorpion pepper will be ready for harvest in about 120 days. Some individuals desire a less pungent pepper. This can be accomplished by harvesting the peppers about two weeks early and allowing them to ripen indoors. The Trinidad Scorpion can be used fresh and raw or in the dried or ground form.

And it’s exactly that endorphin rush that makes capsaicin an effective remedy for pain and other medical conditions, researchers say.

“The endorphins work to block the heat. The body produces them in response to the heat, which it senses as pain,” said Paul Bosland, co-founder and director of New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute.

“It’s used for all kinds of arthritis pain, as well as for neuropathic pain and dermatologic conditions that have a painful itch,” said Dr. Ashwin Mehta, director of integrative medicine at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

Capsaicin is also used by people with the skin disease psoriasis to decrease itching and inflammation, according to the university.

Some research has also suggested that capsaicin can also help with appetite suppression, but there are not yet any solid data to determine what role, if any, the chemical plays in weight loss.

Studies have also suggested that capsaicin may play help kill off prostate cancer cells.

“In test tubes, researchers found a correlation betwen increased cell death and capsaicin,” said Mehta.

Brought to you from www.Pepperheads-Hotsauces.com

Quoted from Plenty of Peppers, Pickles and Oils published December 9, 2001 by Susan M. Novick:

ON weekends year-round, and daily in summer and during the holiday season, Pepperheads Hot Sauces has tastings at a counter in the atrium outside its store in the Harbor Square Mall here. More than a dozen hot sauces are available, ranging from “not hot” to mild, medium and hot. To sample “extra hot” sauces like Blair’s Ultra Death Hot Sauce, however, you must enter the store and sign a waiver (adults only) releasing the store from claims of damage or injury.

“Everyone says, ‘I like heat but I want flavor.’ Well, what’s hot to you?” said Bruce Passarelli, 60, of Setauket, the owner of Pepperheads. “That’s why we have tastings. Put a speck on your spoon and put it on your tongue, not your lips. Wait 30 seconds for the full impact. Then decide.”

"Mild" tasting in front of the Pepperheads Store!

Although the retail focus at specialty stores like Pepperheads, Pickle Packin’ Papa in Rocky Point and the Crushed Olive in Huntington and Stony Brook may be primarily one or two products, the range of choices can be broad. The shops’ proprietors count among their customers devotees who go out of their way for the variety they offer.

“The guy who drives here knows what he wants,” Mr. Passarelli said. “If it gets discontinued, he goes ballistic.”

Mr. Passarelli inherited the Pepperheads store when he bought the Harbor Square Mall in 2005. He said the original owner had been stocking the shop since about 1997 with hot sauces he discovered on trips to the Caribbean.

Mr. Passarelli’s son Bryan, 26, now manages the store, which carries more than 800 different bottles of hot sauce, as well as barbecue sauces, spicy chocolates, mustards and more.

This time of year, mini-bottles of hot sauce and gift packs are in demand as stocking stuffers, Bruce Passarelli said.