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peppers. In fact, Second Harvest will be providing favorite
nurseries around Mount Pleasant with pepper plants.
“For many of the hot pepper types, this is our first year
offering them,” said Jeff Boss, who works in the nursery at
Royall Ace Hardware in Mount Pleasant and mentioned
cayenne, habanero, shito, ghost and a few others as mem-
bers of their pepper parade.
“There’s quite a following for these peppers,” he con-
tinued. “It’ll be interesting to see who follows through and
eats them. I’m not sure what they’re expecting!”
Because peppers differ in spiciness, Glenda Bradley at
Abide-A-While Garden Center in Mount Pleasant keeps a
chart to share with her customers so they will know what
the “burn factor” will be when picking out pepper seeds or a
plant. She noted that two of the most popular (and mega-
hot) varieties, the ghost pepper and the Carolina reaper,
were not in existence a decade ago, and that the love of these
insanely hot varieties is not likely to wan soon.
“People are cross breeding hot peppers to make them
as hot as possible, and I think it’s honestly for bragging
rights,” she chuckled. “They say that when you eat them,
endorphins are released, and it’s some sort of thrill.”
Those seeking their thrill from the Carolina reaper,
however, will have to look a bit harder – none of the local
nurseries said they’d stock them, and even Emme referred
to the locally-bred beast as “a liability.”
“They want the Carolina reaper, but I’m not offering
it,” she stated. “Even with the ghost peppers, if you come
in and buy a plant, I’ll give you a stern talk about keeping
those plants out of reach of pets and children. If you touch
them and touch your eye, you’re going to the ER.”
Scared yet? If you’re a pepper novice, why not take
Glenda’s suggestion and try out some less powerful – but
just as tasty – peppers? One of her personal favorites is the
fish pepper, an African-American heirloom from the 1800s
that cooks would use to liven up fish sauce.
“It doesn’t change the color of the sauce,” she explained,
“even though the peppers are red at peak maturity. For
years, these peppers were a secret in the Chesapeake Bay
area, and now they’re making a comeback.”
And while pepper shoppers can start scouring the local
nurseries in the spring, it’s best to grow them in the heat of
summer – the hotter the weather, the hotter the pepper, ac-
cording to Glenda, who also mentioned that it’s mostly men
and boys who are anxious to grow the hottest breed possible.
“It’s all about these hot peppers for the men; the ladies
come in and ask on behalf of their husbands and boy-
friends,” she said.
“It’s kind of like beer,” Emme mused. “People who
grow up around these peppers come to understand them,
respect them and love them.”
Abide-A-While Garden Center
1460 N. Hwy 17, Mount Pleasant
Phone: 843-884-9738
Royall Ace Hardware
883 Ben Sawyer Blvd., Mount Pleasant
Phone: 843-884-2551
Hidden Ponds Nursery
4863 N. Hwy 17, Awendaw
Phone: 843-345-0019
Sweetgrass Ace Hardware
3008 N. Hwy 17, Mount Pleasant
Phone: 843-884-0064
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