I make a jalepeno/onion wine that is used for seasoning/marinating. The
onion has much more flavor than the peppers even though I use about half &
half of each. So I'll answer what I can.

1) No, the capsaicin has no effect on fermentation.

2) I use fresh (OK, frozen/thawed) peppers & they do just fine. I guess
dried would be OK, but may as well use fresh.

3) Not sure, but here's my thoughts..... The alcohol will preserve the
wine, but I don't know if it's enough to preserve an actual pepper.

4) You're talking about habaneros & I use jalepenos, so no direct
comparison. I use quite a few peppers & am surprised at how little heat the
finished product has.

Robert


> wrote in message
...

I've been challenged by a friend to make a Habenero/Pineapple wine.
The desired end result is a cooking wine that's just a little too
potent to drink without dilution, and with some sweetness and
pineapple flavor retained.

I haven't found a recipe specifically for this, but I could wing-it
and merge recipes for pineapple and jalapeño. I have several questions
though.

1) Will the presence of a significant quantity of capsaicin hinder the
fermentation process?

2) Would fresh or dried peppers be best for this?

3) Has anyone tried bottling a cooking wine like this with a pepper in
the bottle?

4) How many peppers would produce the desired level of heat? (slightly
too hot to drink)

Thanks in advance for your input.

Greg G.