In this article about Apollo pepper:
🗺️ Origin and history | 🌶️ Uses | ✨ Appearance and taste | 🧑🌾 Growing – gardening | 👨🍳 Cooking – recipes | 🛒 Where to buy | 🫙 How to store | 👨⚕️ Health benefits | 🌶️ Alternatives and substitutes | ❓ Frequently asked questions
What is the Apollo pepper?
The Apollo pepper, a superhot chili pepper crafted by Ed Currie of Puckerbutt Pepper Company, represents a formidable force in the chili world. It’s the product of an innovative cross between two chili legends: the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X. This hybrid boasts an astounding heat level, with a Scoville rating of 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 SHUs, placing it among the mightiest in the pepper kingdom.
| Apollo pepper | |
| SHU | 2,500,000 - 3,000,000 |
| Median SHU | 2,750,000 |
| Flavor | Sweet, earthy and extremely hot |
| Species | Capsicum chinense |
| Origin | United States |
| Uses | Hot sauce, not for home use or cooking |
Characterized by its intense spiciness, the Apollo pepper is a fiery addition to the culinary scene. While not overly complex, its flavor profile adds explosive heat to dishes, making it a favorite in hot sauces like The Last Dab Apollo. This sauce, known for its minimalistic approach – primarily peppers and a touch of vinegar – highlights the Apollo pepper’s singular spicy character.
The Apollo pepper’s growing popularity is not just about its heat but also its rarity and the culinary adventures it offers. With an intense flavor, the Apollo pepper challenges the palates of chili enthusiasts and spicy food lovers, creating a buzz in the superhot peppers.
Are Apollo peppers spicy? How hot are they?
Apollo pepper scoville: 2,500,000- 3,000,000
The Apollo pepper’s heat level is staggering, with a Scoville scale rating of 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 SHUs. This makes it one of the world’s most intense and fiery peppers. Its heat level is comparable to, or even surpasses, that of its parent peppers, the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X. It is a culinary powerhouse, blending the Carolina Reaper’s sweetness with the earthy undertones of Pepper X. This unique flavor profile, rich in both sweetness and earthiness, captivates hot sauce enthusiasts and spicy food lovers, offering more than just a spicy punch.
🗺️ ORIGIN AND HISTORY
Where does the Apollo pepper come from?
The Apollo pepper is the brainchild of Ed Currie of Puckerbutt Pepper Company, famed for creating the Carolina Reaper. This superhot breed is a cross between the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X, two of the world’s most potent chilies. Its origin lies in the continuous pursuit of pushing the boundaries of heat in the chili world.
🌶️ USES
What are Apollo peppers good for? How to use them?
Currently, the most prominent use of Apollo peppers is in the renowned hot sauce, The Last Dab Apollo. This product has gained significant attention for its extreme heat level, showcasing the Apollo pepper’s spiciness commercially. This singular application highlights the pepper’s potency and appeal to those seeking the thrill of intense spicy flavors. The Last Dab Apollo is a testament to the Apollo pepper’s fiery character, catering specifically to hot sauce aficionados and those who enjoy a bold culinary challenge.
✨ APPEARANCE AND TASTE
What does an Apollo pepper look like? What does it taste like?
The Apollo pepper’s exact color in its fresh form is not definitively known but is inferred from the Last Dab Apollo sauce to be a deep red, possibly darker than the Carolina Reaper. Its unique flavor combines the Carolina Reaper’s sweetness with Pepper X’s earthiness, offering a savory and spicy taste. This combination makes it a powerful ingredient in hot sauces, favored by those who enjoy a fiery culinary experience.
🧑🌾 GROWING – GARDENING
How to grow Apollo peppers?
Currently, Apollo peppers are unavailable for personal cultivation as their seeds and plants have not been commercially released. The exact growing conditions and requirements for the Apollo pepper remain undisclosed due to its exclusivity and limited availability. For those eager to grow this variety, patience is required until the Puckerbutt Pepper Company decides to release the Apollo pepper for public cultivation.
👨🍳 COOKING – RECIPES
Cooking / Recipe ideas for Apollo pepper
The extreme heat of the Apollo pepper, with its Scoville Heat Units ranging from 2,500,000 to 3,000,000, firmly establishes it as a formidable ingredient in the world of spicy culinary creations. While the Apollo pepper itself isn’t available for purchase, its essence is captured in the renowned Last Dab Apollo hot sauce, the primary avenue through which its fiery character can be experienced. This sauce, known for its explosive heat, is ideal for adding an intense spicy kick to various dishes. However, given its extraordinary spiciness, it is recommended to use it sparingly. The Apollo pepper best suits dishes requiring a significant heat level without altering the flavor profile. Its use is not just about adding spiciness but also about enhancing the meal’s natural flavors. Due to its high heat level, caution is advised when handling any product containing Apollo pepper, ensuring a balanced and enjoyable culinary experience.
🛒 WHERE TO BUY
Where can I buy Apollo peppers, plants, and seeds?
Currently, the Apollo pepper is not available for purchase in its raw form, such as seeds, plants, or whole peppers. This exclusivity is due to the Puckerbutt Pepper Company, the creators of the Apollo pepper, not releasing these products for public sale. As a result, they are not available at specialized online retailers or local nurseries. The primary way to experience the heat and flavor of the Apollo pepper is through the Last Dab Apollo hot sauce, available from select gourmet and specialty stores and online platforms specialized in hot sauces. This sauce captures the fiery essence of the Apollo pepper, making it the only commercial product currently offering a taste of this superhot chili.
🫙 HOW TO STORE
How do I store Apollo peppers?
Fresh Apollo peppers are not available for purchase, so those looking to experience their intense heat and flavor typically turn to products like the Last Dab Apollo hot sauce.
When storing this hot sauce, keeping opened bottles refrigerated is essential to preserve their quality and extend their shelf life. Before opening, the sauce can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, to prevent any alteration in flavor and color.
Always ensure the bottle is properly sealed after each use to minimize exposure to oxygen, which can degrade the spiciness and quality of the sauce. This careful storage ensures that the Apollo pepper’s unique heat and flavor are maintained for the best culinary experience.
❤️🩹 HEALTH BENEFITS
Are Apollo peppers healthy?
Like other super hot chili peppers, Apollo peppers are believed to offer health benefits, primarily attributed to their high capsaicin content. While Apollo peppers are not available in their fresh form for direct consumption, their heat-inducing compound, capsaicin, is known for various health advantages.
Capsaicin is recognized for its pain-relieving properties and is commonly used in creams and topical applications to alleviate discomfort from conditions like arthritis and neuropathic pain. Additionally, it may play a role in managing weight by affecting metabolism and reducing appetite. Capsaicin also shows potential anti-inflammatory qualities that can benefit skin conditions such as psoriasis.
However, it’s important to note that these health benefits are generally linked to capsaicin, not necessarily the direct consumption of Apollo peppers in their raw form.
🔄 ALTERNATIVES AND SUBSTITUTES
What’s a good alternative for Apollo pepper?
To substitute the Apollo pepper, consider the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, with its Scoville rating of up to 2,000,000 SHUs, and the 7 Pot Douglah, known for its heat, around 9,000,000 – 1,800,000 SHUs. The Naga Viper pepper, averaging about 1,300,000 SHUs, offers a strong but more tolerable spiciness. Although slightly less intense than the Apollo, the Carolina Reaper can be a good alternative with a similar flavor profile and a Scoville rating ranging from 1,400,000 to 2,200,000 SHUs. These peppers provide considerable heat and spicy flavor without reaching the extreme levels of the Apollo pepper.
How do you pronounce Apollo pepper?
The Apollo pepper is pronounced as uh-PAW-loh pepper.
🙋 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ about Apollo pepper
Can Apollo peppers be used in everyday cooking?
Due to their extreme heat (2,500,000 to 3,000,000 SHUs), Apollo peppers are not typically used in everyday cooking. They are primarily featured in hot sauces, like The Last Dab Apollo, where their fiery nature can be appreciated in small, controlled quantities. Using them directly for everyday dishes may overwhelm the flavor profile and be too spicy for most palates.
Are Apollo peppers the hottest in the world?
Apollo peppers are among the hottest, but it's uncertain if they hold the world record. Their heat level is comparable to, or possibly surpasses, their parent strains, the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X. However, without official testing, it's not confirmed if they are the absolute hottest.
Can Apollo peppers be grown at home?
Currently, growing Apollo peppers at home is not feasible, as their seeds and plants are not commercially available. Enthusiasts interested in cultivating this superhot variety must wait for an official release from the Puckerbutt Pepper Company.
What makes Apollo peppers unique in flavor?
The uniqueness of Apollo peppers lies in their flavor profile, which is a savory and spicy blend of Carolina Reaper's sweetness and Pepper X's earthiness. This complex flavor and fiery heat make them stand out for hot sauce production.
How should I handle Apollo peppers or their sauce?
Given the extreme heat of Apollo peppers, handling them or products like The Last Dab Apollo sauce is crucial. Additionally, ensure you take proper safety measures, such as wearing gloves, to avoid skin irritation from their extreme spiciness.