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Scoville Scale for Measuring Hot Peppers
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By Janet Cooper
Published 2014
One of the ways to compare hot peppers is by the Scoville scale, which measures the amount of capsaicin each type of pepper contains. The number of Scoville Heat Units (SHUs) shows the average amount of capsaicin in each type of pepper, but there is a range due to growing conditions and brand of seeds used. This list is useful when selecting the kind and amount of pepper you want to use in a pickle or relish:
| Pure capsaicin | 15 to 16 million SHU |
| Habanero pepper | 100, 000 to 350, 000 SHU |
| Pequin pepper | 50, 000 to 100, 000 SHU |
| Cayenne pepper | 30, 000 to 50, 000 SHU |
| Serrano pepper | 10, 000 to 23, 000 SHU |
| Jalapeno pepper | 2, 500 to 8, 000 SHU |
| Poblano pepper | 500 to 2, 500 SHU |
| Pimento, peperoncini | 100 to 500 SHU |
| Bell pepper | zero SHU |