What Are Scoville Units?

To understand what a Scoville Unit is, one must understand what they measure. All hot peppers contain capsaicinoids, natural substances that produce a burning sensation in the mouth, causing the eyes to water and the nose to run, and even induce perspiration. The primary capsaicinoid, capsaicin, is so hot that a single drop diluted in 100,000 drops of water will produce a blistering of the tongue.

Capsaicinoids are found primarily in the pepper's placenta ? the white "ribs" that run down the middle and along the sides of a pepper. Since the seeds are in such close contact with the ribs, they are also often hot.

Capsaicinoid content is measured in parts per million. These parts per million are converted into Scoville Heat Units (SHU), one part per million is equivalent to 15 Scoville Units. The Scoville Unit is derived from a series of tests using a solution of water and sugar. The dilutions are increased until the chile no longer burns the mouth. Take for example, Blair's After Death Sauce which has been measured at 50,000 Scoville Units. To dilute the heat in one bottle of Blair's After Death, you would need over 3,000 units of water to dilute the heat to the point where the average human tongue could no longer feel it.

The hotter the chile of the sauce, the greater the amount of water required to dilute it becomes. The Scoville Organoleptic Test is still used, however it has mostly been replaced by a process called high performance liquid chromatography. This process converts measurements of capsaicin from the standard parts per million to the more popular Scoville Units.

Surprisingly, the bell pepper is used as a baseline for the Scoville Unit rating. The bell pepper essentially has a rating of zero Scoville Units, thus it acts as the lowest level of heat on the Scoville scale.

On the other end of the scale is the Habanero pepper. At over 300,000 Scoville Units, the Habanero certainly sets the limit as the hottest pepper. The "Red Savina," the hottest strain of the Habanero, has been measured as around 577,000 Scoville Units. Pure capsaicin stacks up at 16 million Scoville Units!!!

Who is Wilbur Scoville?

A brief timeline of the man behind the heat scale

To chileheads and hot sauce lovers, he is the man behind the heat scale. Wilbur Scoville was born in 1865. In 1912 while working for the Parke Davis pharmaceutical company he developed the Scoville Organoleptic Test. In 1922, Scoville won the Ebert prize from the American Pharmaceutical Association and in 1929 he received the Remington Honor Medal. Scoville also received an honorary Doctor of Science from Columbia University.

Scoville wrote The Art of Compounding which was first published in 1895 and has gone through at least 8 editions. The book was used as a pharmacological reference until the 1960's. Scoville also wrote Extract & Perfumes which contained hundreds of formulations -- after all Scoville had a knack for compounding. Scoville died in 1942 but his name will forever go on with the Scoville Heat Unit and in the lives of chili lovers everywhere.

About The Author

I own and operate http://www.sweatnspice.com. We're a growing company that specializes in hard to find hot sauces and fiery foods.

---

10 Easy Ways To Protect Your Family From Food Poisoning

Do you realize the many ways that bacteria can contaminate the food YOUR FAMILY eats? Do you know how to tell if your food is THOROUGHLY cooked... Read More

Cool Summertime Cooking

Summertime--and the living is easy! But the kitchen is hot!! It's time for some cool cooking recipes and tips!1. Cook outdoors. When you have some time, perhaps... Read More

Hot Apple Pie - The American Apple Pie Legacy

While each country might have its own preferred style, "American Style" apple pie includes your basic pie with apples in it, spiced up with cinnamon and/or nutmeg.... Read More

Working with Eggs

Bad eggs are rare but they do occur. Crack eggs into a separate bowl before mixing with other ingredients. If the egg is bad it will have... Read More

Two for One Dinners: Ham

If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then here are some ideas to put the "zing" back into mealtime. With a little creativity your home-cooked... Read More

Flax Seed Will Add A Little Extra Flavor To Your Recipes

Flax seed will add a pleasant nutty taste to any recipe. The attractive, round reddish-brown seeds of flax add flavor, extra texture and good nutrition to your... Read More

10 Critical Ways To A Perfectly Food-Safe Kitchen

Food poisoning is related to unsafe food, a dirty kitchen, and dirty kitchen appliances. If you follow some safety rules, food poisoning will never occur.Your Refrigerator1. Freezing... Read More

Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apricots

When buying apricots, always look for those that are firm, plump orange fruit that gives slightly when you press with your thumb. Bruised apricots should be avoided.... Read More

ServSafe Food Program in Montana a Success

Montana has a great program for restaurant employees. Each preparer of foods to the public must go through a special program where they learn at what temperatures... Read More

Better Baking Technique: Is it Done Yet?

Are my breads, cookies, or cakes baked and ready to come out of the oven yet?The ability to tell when products are baked seems to cause more... Read More

Picnic Checklist

In the previous article, we suggested that you start a picnic checklist, improve it over time, and keep it handy for picnic prep. Here's a list to... Read More

How to Make a Cajun Roux

The process of preparing Cajun food is in no way hurried and involves a layering of flavors which allows each ingredient to maintain its own identity.The foundation... Read More

Better Breakfasts Ideas

Nutritionists tell us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. With breakfast, we are replenishing our bodies from the night before and charging them... Read More

10 Smoky Tips To BBQ Food Safely

Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. Use... Read More

Wok this Way! (Part 4 of 5) Cleaning and Caring for Your Wok

Non-stick woks do not require seasoning, and come with simple cleaning instructions from the manufacturers, while steel carbon and iron woks require seasoning. Cleaning a seasoned wok... Read More

Using Bread Machine Mixes in Your Oven

You don't have to own a bread machine to enjoy the variety of bread machine mixes. And you don't have to make blocky, square loaves with holes... Read More

Chinese Cooking Technique: Thicken

"Thicken", or "Thickening" is a very common technique used in both Chinese restaurants and household kitchens. It is very easy to prepare, but if not used properly,... Read More

Kitchenaid Stand Mixers ? A Kitchen Work Horse

Kitchenaid stand mixers are very popular in today's kitchens and it is easy to see why. These stand mixers have stood the test of time and have... Read More

Is Cooked Food Really All That Good For Us?

In nature all animals eat living foods as yielded up by Nature. Only humans cook their foods and only humans suffer widespread sicknesses and ailments. Those humans... Read More

Slimming Secrets From The Kitchen

To get the svelte figure, start in the kitchen. Slimming down is about taking in less calories, while you burn more calories through exercise.For a food lover,... Read More

Making Homemade Pasta for Dinner Tonight

Homemade pasta cooked al dente (to the teeth), is a chewy and light treat. Here are the simple steps to making fresh pasta for dinner tonight.Ingredients for... Read More

10 Simple Kitchen Organizing Tips

A lot of the times we mean to get in there and finally organize the kitchen, but once things get out of control the job can seem... Read More

10 Simple Ways To Safely Store Food

Storing foods can present its own set of problems. And different types of foods have different storage requirements to prevent bacteria from setting in. Here's some tips... Read More

How to Make Sandwich Rolls with Your Bread Machine

For that next picnic or family outing, consider making sandwich rolls with your bread machine. They are quick and easy and so much better than what you... Read More

Prepare the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Would you like to prepare the best Garlic Mashed Potatoes that you enjoy at your favorite restaurant, but have no idea where to start to achieve that... Read More

Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull Party--How to Host Your Own

Want a unique party idea for your child's birthday-or even her next weekend sleepover with friends? Try hosting your own taffy pull. It can get pretty messy,... Read More