Scotch Brains
Scotch Brains is a productive Capsicum chinense hybrid that combines the rounded shape of a Scotch Bonnet with the bumpy, brain-like skin of a 7 Pot Brain Strain.
About 32 times a Capsi Jalapeño (25,086 SHU typical).
Growing
~100 days to maturity
Fruit size
5–7 cm
Flavor & Use
Fruity with lemony zest and citrus notes, lightly floral aroma, and a brief sweet edge before the heat builds.
Culinary
About
Pods keep a rounded Scotch Bonnet silhouette while developing the heavily wrinkled, blistered surface of a Brain Strain. They ripen from green to bright yellow, measure roughly golf-ball size, and carry a clean citrus-fruity flavor with a light floral note that gives way to a building heat. Plants are productive bushes that reach three to four feet under good conditions and suit full-sun gardens or large containers.
Backstory
Created in 2012 by Greg (PIC1) on The Hot Pepper Forum as a cross of Scotch Bonnet and Yellow 7 Pot Brain Strain. Stefan from the Netherlands helped grow and stabilize the line from 2013; it is now an open-pollinated F5 valued for its combination of bonnet shape, brain-like wrinkles, and citrus flavor.
Appearance
Growing
Heritage
ExploreScotch Brains is a stabilized line from Scotch Bonnet and 7 Pot Brain Strain.
Greg (PIC1) from The Hot Pepper Forum · 2012
Parents
Peppers bred from Scotch Brains
Sources
FAQ
- How hot is Scotch Brains?
- Capsi’s sourced range is 400,000–1,000,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). Capsi uses a sourced range and a trust tier, not a single marketing number. How we verify heat: https://web.thecapsi.app/learn/heat-and-capsaicin/how-we-measure-heat
- What does Scotch Brains taste like?
- Fruity with lemony zest and citrus notes, lightly floral aroma, and a brief sweet edge before the heat builds.
- How do I grow Scotch Brains?
- Scotch Brains: about 100 days to maturity, subtropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.
- What can I substitute for Scotch Brains?
- Capsi does not have that recorded yet.