Bhut Jolokia Coconut Oil

The Bhut Jolokia, or Ghost Pepper, is one of the hottest peppers in the world ranking at approximately one million scoville units. That is about four times as hot as a habanero pepper and two hundred times hotter than a jalapeño. I recently came across some locally grown Ghost Peppers at my local farmer's market, and at first, I was unsure how to effectively and efficiently incorporate them into my meals. After much deliberation, I settled on making Bhut Jolokia Coconut Oil. This recipe makes about 16 oz. of the oil but it can easily be modified to make a smaller or larger quantity. Likewise, the level of heat is up to individual preference.

Disclaimer: the abundance of capsaicin in the Ghost Pepper can cause skin irritation and I personally recommend wearing food safety gloves when preparing these peppers. Be careful to not touch your hands or anything else that has been in direct contact with the pepper to your eyes or other sensitive areas.

Ingredients:
- Bhut Jolokia (Ghost) Peppers (6-12 depending on size, or approximately 1/3 cup diced)
- Coconut Oil (15 oz)

Utensils:
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Small cooking pot
- Container with lid (Mason jar)

Raw peppers:

Process:
1. Wash all peppers under running water while examining them for soft or black spots.

2. Put on those gloves.

3. Remove any bad (black) portions and all stems and seeds from the peppers.

4. Dice all peppers into small pieces (I went with fingernail sized pieces, but use your own judgement).

5. Heat the coconut oil in a small pot on the stove at medium heat until the oil begins to produce bubbles and faintly pop.

6. Add the diced peppers to the oil (keep those gloves on!)

7. Slightly reduce heat and let simmer for approximately ten minutes or until the peppers begin to shrivel while stirring occasionally.

8. Turn off heat and let cool for approximately ten minutes.

9. Pour into container of your choice and allow the mixture to cool completely. 

10. Refrigerate or store at room temperature. Reminder: coconut oil melts at 76 degrees Fahrenheit so where you keep this concoction will determine its consistency.

This is the final product. I keep mine sitting on the kitchen counter.

Stir before each use. Sampling the batch before adding it to your food is encouraged in order to establish the intensity of the oil. Use in place of regular coconut oil or in addition to depending on your heat threshold. One tablespoon of this stuff typically suffices for me.