Carolina Reaper: growing, heat and safe handling

In short: Carolina Reaper is a superhot chilli of the species Capsicum chinense with an average heat of 1.64 million SHU, and from 2013 to 2023 the Guinness World Records holder. In the Czech Republic sow it in January at 26–30 °C, grow it in a greenhouse or a large container and cut the fruits only in gloves.

Carolina Reaper attracts anyone who has once grown a jalapeño and wants to know how far it can go. The plant itself is an unremarkable little bush with white flowers, but its red wrinkled fruits with a "scorpion" tail are among the hottest you can grow at home. Growing it takes longer and needs more warmth than ordinary chilli, but with a calendar in hand you can manage it even in Czech conditions.

The other half of success is safety. A fruit with a heat of over a million SHU can burn skin, eyes and mucous membranes if handled carelessly. That is why in this article you will find not only the procedure from seed to harvest but also clear rules for working in the kitchen and for a household with children.

What Carolina Reaper is and how hot it is

The variety was bred by Ed Currie of the PuckerButt Pepper Company in South Carolina by crossing a Naga-type pepper with a red habanero. In 2013 the Guinness World Records entered it as the hottest chilli in the world with an average of 1,641,183 SHU. Individual fruits can be even hotter, but the reported values over 2.2 million SHU are maxima, not an average.

The Reaper held the record for ten years. In October 2023, according to Guinness World Records, it was surpassed by Pepper X from the same breeder with an average of 2,693,000 SHU. For a home grower it makes no difference, though: both varieties are usable in the kitchen only in tiny amounts.

The heat of the same variety fluctuates with the weather, watering and ripeness of the fruit. An overview of fifteen varieties from the mildest to superhot is in the article chilli – 15 varieties from mild to Carolina Reaper.

Sowing and germination step by step

Capsicum chinense grows more slowly than ordinary peppers. From sowing to the first ripe fruits allow roughly eight months, which is why it is sown in winter.

1. Timing: sow in the first half of January, mid-February at the latest. With a later sowing the fruits often do not ripen before autumn.
2. Soaking: you can soak the seeds for 8–12 hours in lukewarm water. The hard seed coat softens and germination is more even.
3. Compost: use fine seed compost or peat pellets. Put the seed 5 mm deep, one or two to each cell.
4. Bottom heat: keep the compost at 26–30 °C. A windowsill above a radiator is not enough, because it cools at night; a heated mat or a heated propagator is more reliable.
5. Moisture: cover the sowing with a lid or film and ventilate briefly every day. The compost should be moist, not wet, or the seeds rot.
6. Patience: the first seedlings usually appear after 14–28 days, individual seeds even after six weeks. Do not throw the sowing out prematurely.
7. Light: as soon as a seedling comes up, take off the lid and give it light for 14–16 hours a day. In January that is impossible without an LED light 10–20 cm above the plants; the seedlings would stretch.

Other ways to germinate demanding seeds are described in the article seed germination – techniques for every type of plant.

From seedling to planting out

Transplant seedlings with two true leaves into pots 8–10 cm across, and in March to April into 1–2 litre pots. After germination 20–24 °C by day is enough for them, and nights should not fall below 18 °C. The Reaper does not tolerate cold even as an adult and stops growing at low temperatures.

From the beginning of May harden the plants off: for the first days put them outside for a few hours in shade, gradually into sun and for longer. After 15 May, when there is no longer a risk of light frosts and nights stay above 12 °C, plant them in their permanent place.

Greenhouse or a pot on a balcony?

• A greenhouse or polytunnel is the most reliable in Czech conditions. The plant has warmth there even on cooler nights and the fruits have time to ripen.
• A container of 20–40 litres on a south-facing wall or a sheltered balcony also works. The advantage is that in autumn you can move it indoors and extend the harvest.
• An open bed makes sense only in the warmest regions and in a warm year. In an average summer the fruits often do not colour up.

General advice on planting out and hardening off chillies is summarised in the guide to growing chilli peppers.

Summer care: warmth, watering, feeding

• Watering: water generously once the top 2–3 cm of compost have dried. In a container in summer that means even daily, in a bed less often. Permanently wet compost leads to root rot.
• Feeding: until the flowers are set a weaker general-purpose fertiliser is enough. From flowering use a fertiliser for fruiting vegetables with a higher potassium content every 10–14 days. Excess nitrogen makes big leaves and few fruits.
• Pollination: the flowers are self-pollinating. In a greenhouse or on a balcony without insects it helps to shake the plant gently every day or brush the flowers with a small brush.
• Temperature: above 32 °C and at nights below 15 °C the plants drop their flowers. In a greenhouse in heat ventilate and shade at midday.
• Support: the plant grows to 80–120 cm and with fruits it snaps. Tie it to a stake.

Look for aphids and spider mites mainly on the underside of the leaves. The most common diseases and pests of peppers are described in the article what can befall peppers.

Safety: gloves, eyes, children and animals

The heat is caused by capsaicin. It is fat-soluble, sticks to the skin and is removed only slowly with soap and water. With superhot varieties it is enough to touch an eye or nose after cutting, and several hours of severe pain follow. The American poison control centre Poison Control therefore recommends rubber, latex or nitrile gloves when working with hot peppers.

When harvesting and in the kitchen

• Always pick and cut the fruits in gloves, ideally nitrile ones. After work take the gloves off inside out and throw them away.
• While working do not touch your face, eyes or contact lenses.
• When drying, grinding or cooking a larger quantity, ventilate and wear goggles. Dust and vapours from hot fruits irritate the eyes and airways.
• Wash the chopping board, knife and grinder immediately with warm water and washing-up liquid.
• Label the fruits and finished sauces clearly and store them out of reach of children.

Children and pets

• Put a plant with coloured fruits where small children cannot reach. The fruits look like a toy or a sweet.
• Do not let children taste a Reaper, even as an "experiment". Even adults should not eat a whole fruit at once.
• After working with chilli wash your hands before you stroke a child or an animal.
• Do not give dogs and cats hot fruits or leftovers.

First aid

• Skin: rub the affected area with vegetable oil, then wash with soap and water. Repeat.
• Eyes: rinse with lukewarm water for about 15 minutes, do not rub them.
• Mouth: small sips of full-fat milk, yoghurt or ice cream help best; plain water helps less.
• For difficulty breathing, chest pain or a sudden severe headache call 155. The Toxicology Information Centre on 224 91 92 93 will also advise.

The risks are not theoretical. In 2018 doctors described in the journal BMJ Case Reports a man who, after eating a whole Carolina Reaper in a competition, had repeated sudden severe headaches caused by temporary narrowing of the cerebral arteries. Superhot pepper eating contests are therefore not a suitable amusement, and certainly not for children.

Harvest, processing and overwintering

Harvest the fruits when they are fully deep red. Cut the stalk with scissors; pulling could break the branches. A ripe fruit is the hottest and also has the strongest fruity aroma.

• Freezing: the simplest way. Freeze whole fruits in a bag and cut off pieces as needed.
• Drying: in a dehydrator at 50–60 °C, ideally outdoors or in a well-ventilated room. Dried fruits can be ground, but beware of the dust.
• Sauces and oils: one fruit is enough for a large amount of food. Start with a really small piece and taste carefully.

Capsicum chinense is a perennial plant in its homeland. In autumn you can cut it back, repot it into a smaller container and overwinter it in a bright room; the next year it then fruits earlier. How to do it is described in the article overwinter your favourite chilli.

Why a Reaper does not come up, flower or ripen

An overview of growing peppers from sweet to the hottest, including sowing dates by group, is in the article peppers and chilli – from sweet to the hottest.

Frequently asked questions

How many SHU does Carolina Reaper have?

When certified for Guinness World Records in 2013 it had an average of 1,641,183 SHU. The hottest individual fruits are reported at over 2.2 million SHU, but those are maxima, not a typical value.

Is Carolina Reaper still the hottest pepper in the world?

No. In October 2023 Guinness World Records replaced it with the variety Pepper X with an average of 2,693,000 SHU. Both were bred by Ed Currie.

When should I sow Carolina Reaper?

In the first half of January, mid-February at the latest. The plant needs a long season and, with a later sowing, the fruits often do not ripen in our summer.

How long does Carolina Reaper take to germinate?

At 26–30 °C usually 14–28 days, some seeds even six weeks. In colder compost it germinates much worse or not at all.

Can Carolina Reaper be grown outdoors?

In the warmest regions and in a warm year yes, but a greenhouse, polytunnel or a large container by a south-facing wall, which you carry indoors in autumn, is more reliable.

Can Carolina Reaper hurt?

Yes. On the skin and in the eyes it causes severe burning, and eating a whole fruit can cause vomiting, stomach pain and more serious problems. Work with it in gloves and keep it out of reach of children.

Recommended products

We do not currently have Carolina Reaper seeds on offer. The following are suitable for growing superhot chillies:

• Chilli pepper Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Yellow – a yellow version of the superhot variety that long competed with the Reaper for the record; it is grown in exactly the same way.
• Jiffy 7 seed pellet, 41 mm – one seed per pellet, and you then transplant the seedling without damaging the roots.
• Seed compost 5 l – fine and low in nutrients, suitable for the long germination of chillies.
• LED home grow light with clip and timer 20 W – supplementary light for January and February seedlings for 14–16 hours a day.
• Hoštické fertiliser for tomatoes and peppers 1 kg – an organic fertiliser for fruiting vegetables for the whole season.

Sources

• Pepper X dethrones Carolina Reaper as world's hottest chilli pepper (Guinness World Records, 2023)
• Capsaicin: When the chili is too hot – gloves, eye rinsing, first aid (Poison Control, USA)
• An unusual cause of thunderclap headache after eating the hottest pepper in the world – „The Carolina Reaper“ (BMJ Case Reports, 2018)
• Toxicology Information Centre, General University Hospital in Prague

Updated: 27 September 2026