How you prepare a chile pepper depends on how much heat you want. Once you’ve chosen your variety, and the shape, you can further reduce the heat with a few simple tricks.
See, chile peppers contain capsaicin, an oil that runs from tame to full blown disco inferno. This burning sensation is unpleasant to animals while birds are unaffected, a little fun fact there. Why? Well, the oil protects the fruit from consumption by mammals but the bright colors attract birds which will disperse the seeds when they poop.
It’s a misconception that this oil is found in the seeds. It is actually in the placental tissue around the seeds and to a lesser extent the flesh of the fruit. The seeds themselves do not produce capsaicin.
So that is the key. If you want the full heat a pepper has to offer, leave the white pith in. If not, remove it. And here is how.
Slice the stem off of the pepper and then cut it into quarters. Using a spoon, scrape out the pith and seeds. I prefer a spoon as it is less likely to cut and tear at the peppers flesh while still removing the unwanted parts.
Now, be careful. You don’t want to touch your eyes (or heaven forbid, your downstairs) without washing your hands first after doing this.
