The Larimer County Fair & Rodeo just ended in Colorado, USA, but it won't soon be forgotten by some, especially Larry Propp's recruits in the hot pepper judging.
Larry Propp has been judging the horticulture entries at the fair for the past 15 years. Although he says homegrown tomatoes are his favorite ("---nothing in this world like true, true love and homegrown tomatoes," as the song goes) he enjoys teaching people about chili peppers and how to judge them.
Here are some of Larry's suggestions from his chili pepper judging which is somewhat unique in that audience members get to participate with him. After slicing peppers into several pieces and passing them around he said, "Wait for the heat to take over on your tongue. Keep it on your tongue. Don't wash it around. That way the heat will grab you and then let go." This is important if you have a lot of peppers to sample or judge.
Larry slices the peppers sometimes so he can show the "veins" in the pepper. He explains the vein is where most of the heat is concentrated, and "the thickness and number of veins determine the intensity of heat in a pepper."
A lot of people love to eat chili peppers and feel the burn, and many of them want to know more about why chili peppers do what they do to us. I'm grateful for Larry Propp and others who spend their time and energy teaching others about those wonderful chili peppers. Thanks Larry!
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