Market Basket Pick a Pepper 2019

On a scale of bell peppers to habanero... how much heat can you handle?

From sauteed veggies to hot sauce on your dinner, peppers add flavor and a punch to many recipes.

Market Basket's produce aisles have all the ranges of spiciness you love and crave!

But just how much heat can you handle? The Scoville Scale is used to measure just that, to measure the heat in peppers in Scoville Heat Units.

For a good comparison, remember that Jalapeno peppers are about 2,500 to 8000 SHU!

Green, Yellow, Orange, Red Bell Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 0 SHU From stuffed pepper to stir fry, bell pepper is a must-have kitchen staple! Known as "Sweet Peppers" for a reason, bell pepper produces no heat at all. This is because they are the only pepper that does not produce any capsaicin, the compound responsible for the "heat" in peppers. Did you know that red bell peppers are matured green bell peppers? As green bell peppers mature, they change colors into the yellow, orange, and red bell peppers you see in our aisles. They also become sweeter too, so choose the red if you want the sweetest bell pepper, green for savory bitter, and orange or yellow for anywhere in between!

Shishito Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 50 to 200 SHU Fun fact! Shishito means "Lion Chili Pepper" in Japanese. It is a great pepper on its own, grilled with a little bit of olive oil as appetizers or add them to your stir fry to mix up the flavor. It has a sweet, citrusy flavor with a hint of smoke. Usually, it has little to no heat at all... except when it does. Every one out of ten to twenty Shishito pepper could hold a surprise, packing a bit more heat than the rest. Granted, it is not going to be as hot as a jalapeno, but you may be caught off guard once in a while!

Ajicito Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 0 to 1,000 SHU Wait a minute... isn't this a habanero pepper? Nope! While the Ajicito pepper may look like a habanero, it packs little to no heat at all. It is great for those who love the fruity sweet flavor of the habanero but can do without the sweat-inducing heat. Because the Ajicito pepper is packed with flavor, it is great to be eaten as mild salsas, sauces, and various Caribbean recipes! It has a great aroma too that smells nice as it tastes, sweet with hints of smokey flavor.

Italian Long Hot Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 100 to 1,000 SHU Italian Long Hot is delicious fried, roasted, or chopped into sandwiches. There is a reason why Italian Long Hot is the Northeastern favorite. It is a long pepper with many wrinkles and full of curves, its color ranging from green, red, and anywhere in between. It is great for those who love the flavor of the sweeter pepper but want that slight "kick" too. Once you try, you will see why it is a pepper loved by many!

Italian Pepper Scoville Heat Units: 100 to 1,000 SHU Also known as Cubanelle Pepper, it is a sweet pepper with a slight heat. This pepper is a must-have for Italian sausage and pepper sandwiches! You would not choose this pepper for its spiciness, though. Its thin walls and sweet flavor makes this a perfect frying pepper, which a little bit of olive oil would really bring out its sweetness. Consider slicing them as a topping for your next pizza, or a fun addition to your soups!

Pablano Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 1000 to 1,500 SHU Mexico's favorite chili pepper! Originating in Puebla, Mexico, because this pepper is thicker and has a lot of "meat" than other peppers, it is great roasted or even stuffed. On the scale of bell pepper to the habanero, Pablano peppers rank just about in the middle ground between a bell pepper and a jalapeno. So if a jalapeno is a little too much but you still want a mild kick to your recipe, pablano pepper is a great choice!

Anaheim Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 500 to 2,500 SHU How did this pepper get its name? You guessed it, from Anaheim, California where it was grown and made famous. While Anaheim peppers are usually considered mild, pay close attention to where they were grown. The peppers grown in California tend to be mild in heat, while the ones grown in New Mexico can get hot as a jalapeno! It is great for mild, salsa chilies, and its a great substitute for a bell pepper in any recipe to add a little kick to the flavor.

Jalapeno Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 2,500 to 8,000 SHU Jalapeno is the king of hot pepper when it comes to popularity! As the gold standard of heat comparison, it has the perfect amount of "kick" and is great for many recipes to turn up the heat. While the Jalapeno has a reputation for being a hot pepper, it is actually considered a mild to moderate, considering there are many hotter peppers out there. However, it is still the kitchen favorite and the go-to hot pepper for your spicy dishes. Jalapeno is perfect for stuffing (Jalapeno poppers, anyone?), or added to any recipe sliced or chopped.

Hungarian Wax Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 5,000 to 10,000 SHU If you enjoy the Jalapeno pepper, then you will like the Hungarian Wax Pepper too! The two hot peppers have the same amount of heat, except the Hungarian Wax Pepper will give you a chance for a little more. You can probably guess how it got its name - it has origins in Hungary, and of course its waxy outer skin. Despite its distinct waxy skin, it can look very similar to a banana pepper that is very mild in heat. You will be in for a surprise if you accidentally mix them up! It is great for pickling, or sliced up into rings and tossed into a fresh salad.

Serrano Hot Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 10,000 to 23,000 SHU "Jalapeno got nothing on me!" you say? Then it is time for you to try the Serrano pepper! Serrano hot pepper is 5 times hotter than an average Jalapeno pepper. If you are wondering why the large range in the Scoville Heat Unit, this is due to how each of the peppers can vary in heat even if they come from the same plant. A lot of factors decide the heat level of the pepper, from the soil it was grown to the amount of sun it received. The environment can determine a lot about the pepper, so that is why the same pepper grown in two different states could mean different heat. Serrano Hot Pepper is very easy to cook with and is popular for being used for salsa.

Thai Green/Red Chili Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 50,000 to 100,000 SHU We are now at the, "Okay, this is pretty hot," level of heat! Have a glass of milk handy if you are trying these for the first time, as they are 23 times hotter than your average Jalapeno. Thai Chili Pepper is popular in many spicy Asian dishes, and you will probably find it in your pepper flakes and hot sauces. This pepper is your go-to hot pepper to add a bit of heat to any recipe. These peppers go by many names depending on the region, from Thai dragon peppers to the Bird's Eye Chili. You can probably guess how it got its name!

Scotch Bonnet Pepper Scoville Heat Units: 100,000 to 350,000 SHU Here is a Caribbean favorite, that packs the same amount of heat as a Habanero Pepper. This pepper can be 12 to 140 times hotter than a typical Jalapeno. Make sure to climb up to this level of heat, because this may leave you sweating (but still delicious!). It got its name from the shape of the pepper resembling a Scotsman's bonnet and rather stuck since it had a ring to it. While there are spicier peppers out there than the Scotch Bonnet, this is still considered a very hot pepper. Scotch Bonnet pepper tastes a little bit sweeter than a Habanero Pepper, which gives this a distinctive taste.

Habanero Peppers Scoville Heat Units: 100,000 to 350,000 SHU So you made it this far to the Habanero Pepper... Congratulations - this is a very, very hot pepper! If you have yet to try this, then be warned - this is not for the faint of hearts. Once a world-champion in heat, this is your go-to hot pepper to add extreme heat to your spicy recipe. Yet it also packs some serious flavor, and its unique citrus-like flavor in addition to its extreme heat makes this a popular hot pepper for hot sauce, powders, and rubs. There are many variations of the Habanero, from Caribbean Red to Chocolate Habanero that packs more heat than the typical Habanero. If this hot pepper is right up your alley, then make sure to try its variety!

Ready for the Scoville Challenge?

Find your closest Market Basket to pick up these awesome peppers to discover how much heat you can handle!