i love serreno peppers. they do pack more punch then the jalapeno. one catalog rated jalapenos at 5.5 and cayenne at 8.5 on a 10 heat scale. however not all cayenne or any other kind are equal in heat. the serrano is some where between the cayenne and the Jalapeno. i like the serrano because it taste better and is easier to dry. i also like my pepper of any kind after they are ripe. the serreno will turn bright fire engine red. well now i have told you all i know about serreno peppers so now you know i don't know a lot. i am currently eating a raw salsa made with one ripe cayenne and one ripe jalapeno. with opalka tomatoes, a walla walla onion and a ripe yoyo bell pepper. you can tell i am a gringo because i have to stop and let my mouth stop hurting before i go after it again. Dean

Hi Matt, I got your email and will be sending you seeds. I find that I can keep peppers going for a few years, but they get weaker and weaker. One of the reasons I'm so excited about the De Arbol is that it is actually intended to be grown as a perennial. I save seeds and am totally casual about it. Whatever number of plants I have, whatever seeds look good. (Your seeds will come from the orig packet so will be pure :-). I figure if I x-breed then I'm creating the best plant possible for my conditions. lol. Elizabeth

My Dad used to make this using only the peppers and vinegar. He used long slender green (and an occasional red) cayenne peppers which he grew. He packed the peppers in bottles with a small neck (such as Worcestershire or Tabasco) and heated the vinegar before pouring it over the peppers. He called it Hot Sauce and sprinkled it over turnip greens, black eyed peas and almost anything else which needed a kick. If I were making it today I'd put it in the fridge when it cools. Pepper Pique Source: Ziedrich The Joy of Pickling 12 medium long or conical chili peppers such as cayenne, de arbol or jalapeno 4 cloves garlic 12 black peppercorns 1/2 tsp pickling salt 1 cup cider vinegar Put the peppers, garlic cloves, peppercorns and salt into a bottle with a capacity of about 12 ounces. (A rum bottle is most authentic, but a small wine vinegar bottle will do, particularly if you've kept the plastic inner and outer caps.) Using a funnel, pour enough vinegar into the bottle to cover well. Put the caps on and shake to dissolve the salt. Let the bottle sit 2 to 3 days undisturbed so the vinegar can absorb the other flavors. The longer it sits the hotter it gets. Store the bottle in the refrigerator or in a cool place. Until the pepper flavor gets weak, you can top off the bottle with fresh vinegar as needed.

I am new to hot peppers but I also had two tabaco plants that both grew too about 6 feet. I think they reaaly like hot humid enviroments and this year was that(at least in florida). I had some cayenne that grew to almost the same height. Proper nutrients and temps make a big difference .