A notorious British chilli pepper grown by a Bedfordshire farmer has become even spicier thanks to abundant sunshine.
The British-grown hot chilli pepper, the Carolina Reaper, is set to be up to 20 per cent more potent this year because of recent weather conditions.
The chilli is the world’s hottest commercially grown pepper, and is 400 times fiercer than a Jalapeno.
The chills, on sale at Tesco, are only available for about three months – from July until the end of September.
The tiny peppers pack a punch – and measure, on average, 2.2 million Scoville Units.
By comparison Tabasco sauce is measured at between 2,500 and 5,000 Scovilles.
'More potent'
They are exclusively grown by Bedfordshire farmer Salvatore Genovese, who is the UK’s largest chilli pepper grower.
Mr Genovese said: “Through more than 15 years growing experience I’ve found that chilli peppers become more potent the hotter the weather.
“Basically if the plant gets stressed because of extra sunshine and hotter temperatures or through drought then it will bear hotter fruit.”
The farmer started growing chilli peppers after he took over his parents’ cucumber business and now grows around one million, or 15 tonnes of chillies each week for the UK market.
Other chilli peppers grown by Mr Genovese include the previously hottest UK grown variety, the Komodo Dragon, as well as the Scotch Bonnet and Habanero in red, green, chocolate and yellow; Flavia, Purple Valentina; Cayenne; Fresno in yellow, green, red and orange and his own favourite the Serenade.
Not only are these also likely to be hotter than usual but there will also be about 20 per cent more this year because of the extra sunshine.
