Perfect pepper for picky palates produced by plant professors
The latest plant variety from Rutgers researchers is the Pumpkin Habanero. (Photo by Cameron Bowman)
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For anyone ready to stick a toe into the hotter end of the pepper pool, Rutgers plant researchers have come up with a mild new habanero.
The “pumpkin habanero,” which gets its name from its appearance, not its taste, is hotter than the hottest jalapeno, yet mild in comparison to most of the fiery habaneros, said Albert Ayeni, a professor in the Department of Plant Biology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, who oversees the university’s exotic pepper research.
The goal of developing a new pepper came about when researchers realized Indian, Latino and Chinese ethnic groups all had cuisines that make ample use of peppers.
The pumpkin habanero is the first new plant variety released through Rutgers exotic pepper breeding program, which was formed to create new products New Jersey farmers could grow to appeal to the state’s growing ethnic communities.
The pumpkin pepper was developed relatively quickly – six years – compared to other plants that take longer to reproduce.
Any home garden where tomatoes or eggplants thrive will probably be fertile ground for the pumpkin pepper. Seeds and seedlings will be available at the upcoming Rutgers Day festivities April 29th at the New Brunswick campus.
“If you can grow a tomato, if you can grow you can grow this pepper,” Ayeni said. The plant matures in the fall. Out in the field, he said, it looks just like a miniature pumpkin.
The newest breed of pepper has the added attraction of giving chefs an easy way to moderate its heat: While the seeds and stem structure are extremely hot, the skin and pulp are quite mild.
Be forewarned however, that “mild” is a relative word when it comes to peppers.
On the Scoville scale – designed to measure spiciness – jalapenos typically fall in the range of 3,000 to 5,000 heat units, while habaneros are exponentially hotter, falling in the 30,000 to 350,000 range.
The pumpkin pepper has a Scoville measurement of 30,000 to 50,000 units, putting it in the less fiery end of that habanero range, Ayeni said.
“For those that know about habaneros, they will say this one is very mild,” he said.”If you want to start developing a taste for spice, this is the pepper we would recommend.”
A limited number of seedlings will be available at the Master Garderner plant sale, held during the 9th annual Rutgers Day events at the farm area of the Cook/Douglass campus.
Kathleen O’Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
