chilli plant

[cecil39]

I have been given a chilli plant in a pot, its called 'prairie fire' can anyone tell me the degree of hotness
and can I keep it over winter? also what do I do with the ones that have gone wrinkly on the plant?

[Whoever]

if you chilli is still outside in a pot, bring it in now or the colder nights will kill it off. Place it on a warm windowsill and keep the compost barely moist. The wrinkly ones have probably become overripe and should be picked and used. Normally the slimmer or smaller the fruits, the hotter the chilli. When all the fruit have ripened and turned red, prune the plant back by 50% and with luck it should eventually start growing again. Nest spring, if it's still alive, repot it with fresh compost, teasing as much as possible of the old compost off the roots and give it a liquid manure feed.

[Hawkwalk]

the degrees of hotness is rated as 1000-1500 Scoville units. The hottest is around 550,000 so it is some way off the hottest one but will probably still feel quite hot in the mouth.

[cecil39]

many thanks for your help, my grandson laughed when I told him I had got to keep my chilli warm, and wants to know "if they are hot why are they called chilli" I don't know the answer to that.

[Hawkwalk]

Apparently it comes from the Nahuatl word for Fruit. Nahuatl was a language used in central and south america where the Chili plant was first found.

[cecil39]

thanks for all your help everyone.