Yes, removing the seeds and especially the ribs (I’ve heard that’s where most of the capsaicin is concentrated) makes a big difference in reducing the heat.
It does reduce the heat quite a bit. But it’s still a pretty hot pepper even without the ribs and seeds.
I can handle some heat, I’d just rather not go full on hab.
Maybe I’ll grab a few at the grocery store and give it a whirl.
And, like serranos and any other hot pepper, it’s still going to be a bit of a dice roll in terms of heat level. I actually have heard of “sweet” habaneros (habaneros that have had the heat bred out of them), but I’ve never actually seen them sold anywhere or tried them.
It looks like aji dulce is what I’m thinking of. They’re peppers from the habanero species (Capsicum chinense), but without the heat. I’d actually be interested in trying them, though I like the fiery bite of hab-type peppers. It would be nice if I could make a jerk chicken that both me and my wife could eat.
That’s good to know about. This species of chile has a different flavor from capsicum annuum (the more common species that includes bell peppers, serranos, jalapeños and the other types we usually see in stores). Chinense chiles are fruitier. I think I’ll see if I can find these low-heat cousins of habaneros.
Yeah, they definitely have a distinct flavor, and I’ve tried a whole bunch of peppers in the species (various types of habaneros, Scotch bonnets, fataliis, Trinidad scorpion, bhut jolokia/ghost pepper, etc.), and they all have a certain fruitiness/smokiness they share. It’s hard to describe exactly the flavor. That’s part of why I can’t just substitute a milder chile for my jerk chicken–because it won’t taste right to me. The Scotch bonnets or habaneros are kind of the key to the right flavor (along with the allspice, at least to me.)
I really like this recipe for Jamaican hot-pepper shrimp. It only uses a few of the peppers, but it’s delicious. Briefly: boil the hot peppers with some allspice and other stuff for about 20 minutes to make a really hot broth; take it off the heat; throw the raw, in-their-shell shrimp into the cooling broth; let them sit there for an hour while the broth cools down; eat the deliciously flavored shrimp.
I’ve made that recipe a few times since reading about it on the Dope. (ETA: Or at least, it was a very similar recipe. Basically, habaneros, allspice, salt, garlic, etc., into a makeshift broth, throw in shrimp, wait a couple minutes, eat.) Perhaps it was you who originally posted it a couple years ago? If so, I thank you!