To harvest and save the seeds of this remarkable pepper, you need to: The Carolina Reaper pepper is one of the hottest on record, and, luckily, you can easily grow this interesting plant from harvested seeds. Read Also > How to Store Seeds Long Term? Conclusion It is also a good idea to mark the date you harvested the seeds.Ĭarolina Reaper seeds can only remain viable for two to five years, so you’ll want to know when they expire. You can then store these containers on the bottom of your refrigerator which provides the cool, dark environment the seeds need.īut, if you don’t use your fridge, make sure to place your seeds in an area between 35 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 10 degrees Celsius).įurthermore, don’t forget to label your seeds, especially if you are storing seeds from other pepper plants, as they all look the same. You should store Carolina Reaper seeds inside an airtight container in a cool, dry place.Ĭlear plastic bags that can tightly seal are usually a good option.Īnother alternative is using clear glass containers as long as they have a good seal.īut, if you do use glass, you should add a desiccant such as rice, silica gel, or powdered milk to the container to avoid moisture from seeping in and damaging the seeds. Overall, you’ll find that wholly dried seeds are hard and brittle. If the seeds bend or dent when you try to bite into them, they need to dry out for a little bit longer. Next, turn the seeds over every couple of days to ensure they are drying out completely.Ī good way to check if your seeds are ready for storage is to test their flexibility. Then, lay your viable seeds out in a single layer on a paper towel to dry out. To begin, cut the pepper in half and remove the seeds inside by scraping them out with a knife.Īnd remember, at this phase, to only keep undamaged seeds. Now that you’ve adequately prepared yourself, you can now harvest the seed. However, if you do come into contact with the oil, the effects do fade with time. While capsaicin oil will not inflict any actual damage, it will hurt immensely, and you will have a hard time removing all the oil from the affected area. Thus, before harvesting your seeds, it is a good idea to put on disposable gloves as well as eye protection to avoid getting the capsaicin oil on your skin or in your eyes where it will burn. Like all chili pepper varieties, the Carolina Reaper pepper harbors capsaicin oil in its peppers, which you’ll mostly find in the internal membrane to which the seeds cling. Read Also > Why Save Seeds? How Do I Harvest the Seeds From My Carolina Reaper? The wrinkling may be hard to tell apart from the characteristic bumpiness of the Carolina Reaper, so relying on color will be your best bet.Īdditionally, avoid harvesting seeds from peppers that are rotting, diseased, cracked open, or have sustained insect damage.Īll of these conditions will significantly affect the production and viability of the seeds. If you use a pepper that is still yellow or orange, the seeds have not had time to develop and will not produce a viable plant when sown.Īnother good indicator that the Carolina Reaper is ready for seed harvest is the complete development of its little tail and a slight wrinkling of the skin. It is crucial to select a Carolina Reaper that has fully matured from which to harvest your seeds.Īt maturity, the pepper should have attained full color, which is typically a rich, bright red.
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