"Cheryl" wrote in message
eb.com...

On 10/5/2013 12:13 AM, Sqwertz wrote:

> On Fri, 4 Oct 2013 21:05:22 -0700, Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> So my question now is... What would make them lose their heat? I bought
>> some, making sure to get the ugly ones with the brown, crack looking
>> stuff
>> on the outside. Intended to put three in my pico de gallo but they were
>> so
>> hot, I feared that would be overkill. Wound up putting maybe 2.5 in and
>> very few of the seeds. No real recipe. Just threw it all together.
>> Tomatoes, white pepper, green pepper (proportionally more than the
>> white),
>> lots of cilantro, little salt and pepper and the juice of three limes.
>> The
>> stuff was so bitey hot as I first stirred it together that I couldn't eat
>> it! I let it sit for about an hour then retasted. No heat. No heat at
>> all! What happened? I put a goodly portion on my black beans but they
>> were
>> seasoned only with salt so the end result was boring. Amd finishing it
>> all
>> tonight but stirred some Jalapeno Tabasco in with the beans. Perfect!
>
> Nothing makes them lose their heat once prepared. You're
> hallucinating.
>
> -sw
>
I'd say she burned her taste buds with the first taste.

There are several points:

1. The active ingredient is a waxy oil called capsicum and it does not
"burn the taste buds" it fools the nerve ending into thinking it is burning.
Its an irritant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaic...health_effects

2. Secondly the white membrane if the fruit and the seeds next to the
membrane contain the greatest concentration.

3. It can be diluted especially with oils or "oily" substances.

4. The primary effect of the "burning" sensation is for the brain to
release endorphins, the "natural high" feel good stuff which is why people
become chili heads and eventually want hotter and hotter chilies.

Finally,

http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21645

Many people think that hot peppers cause inflammation to tissues, and that
this is the source of the classic hot pepper sensation. However, hot peppers
don’t actually have any damaging effect; they merely simulate the sensations
produced by damage. (Herbs like garlic , ginger , horseradish, and mustard
actually can cause tissue damage.)

Here’s how it works: All hot peppers contain a substance called capsaicin.
When applied to tissues, capsaicin causes release of a chemical called
substance P. Substance P is ordinarily released when tissues are damaged; it
is part of the system the body uses to detect injury. When hot peppers
artificially release substance P, they trick the nervous system into
thinking that an injury has occurred. The result: a sensation of burning
pain.

Dimitri