Mystery “Trinidad Scorpion” #2 Update – August 5, 2016

Of the two mystery peppers that were labeled as “Trinidad Scorpions” when I purchased them in early June, this was the plant I was most excited about, especially as the pods continued to grow. The first mystery plant had more than one tell-tale sign that it may have been a Scotch Bonnet variety or in the very least crossed with one. But this plant, though it took on a bit of a habanero appearance, started to look more and more intriguing as the peppers ripened.

Just like the first pepper, I had also planned on sampling a few of these pods in order to possibly identify it as I prepared them for drying. I grabbed the biggest baddest one I had and cut into it with a crunch. As you can see below, the wall isn’t overly thick, but it did put up a good fight with the knife. And once I saw that placenta, I knew there was potential for some fire.

And then I took a sniff. It has a hint of a floral trait, but smelled mostly of just vegetables, like your standard bell pepper. I took a small slice. It was sweet with that same floral trait, but zero heat. I took a bigger slice — same deal. Thinking this one was a dud, I sampled a second pod. I eventually went through all five peppers that I had picked, taking a nibble from each (placenta and all). Not a single one presented any heat at all. They all had your standard red bell pepper characteristics.

Well, needless to say, I’m not drying any of these fruit, nor am I collecting any seeds from it. To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement. I was really looking forward to drying a few scorpion pods. I haven’t given up on the plant yet as there are still several fruit ripening on it, but I don’t have high hopes.