The Haunted Ghost Pepper
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118664)
Gainesville, Florida
May 16, 2017 6:14pm CST
Never one to turn down a dare, I took my son up on his offer to try a ghost pepper, one of the hottest peppers known to man. You see, the kid loves spicy foods, and so he's been wanting to try a ghost pepper for a while now, but was afraid to try it on his own. So, he dared me to do it. And, of course, I obliged.
That was an hour ago. And my mouth is still on fire, and I'm still crying like a baby. I cannot get the fire out of my mouth, nor can I get these tears to stop rolling down my cheeks. Let's face it, the ghost pepper kicked my butt!
And why did I call it a haunted ghost pepper in my title? Because this thing is going to haunt me all night long. I just know it!
My advice to you: don't...I repeat DO NOT, try a ghost pepper, not even if someone triple dog dares you!
Oh, and my son? Yeah, he never ended up trying the ghost pepper. Go figure!
27 people like this
27 responses
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 May 17
I tried bread, and it didn't work in this case, but it has helped in other situations where i've eaten hot peppers.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 May 17
@Lupita234 My son eats peppers for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. And snack time. haha
3 people like this
@Happy2BeMe (99390)
• Canada
16 May 17
How do i put this kindly...if you think they were hot going in wait until tomorrow 
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 May 17
I am not looking forward to that moment tomorrow at all! LOL It's probably going to be hotter coming out than it was going in.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 May 17
@Happy2BeMe Yeah, I can hook that fire extinguisher up to a bodet! haha I'm going to need something to quench the burn.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
19 May 17
Hopefully it didn't clean ya completely out as it travelled through your system! I can't even do jalapeno peppers.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
22 May 17
@moffittjc stomach bug works great too!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
24 May 17
@ElusiveButterfly But unfortunately, a stomach bug doesn't feel too good, even though it is effective at cleaning the pipes.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
Oh, it definitely cleaned me out. I think I found a new low-cost cleansing system! haha
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94921)
• United States
16 May 17
My co workers had that challenge
I told them no thank you
Some survived some didn't lol
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94921)
• United States
17 May 17
@moffittjc eat some candy! Will that help?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 May 17
@infatuatedbby I've tried everything, including chocolate, to try and put out the fire. No luck on anything I've tried. I'm just going to have to suffer in agony until this subsides.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 May 17
I'm beginning to think I'm not going to make it as a survivor. My mouth is still on fire!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62552)
• United States
16 May 17
I've seen that guy on Man Vs. Food take on eating challenges with ghost peppers. I think he won one, lost the rest. Apparently even milk, which is usually a soothing agent for other hot peppers, don't work on ghost peppers.
I'll pass and stick with Chuy's salsa.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 May 17
I knew milk wouldn't help with the ghost pepper, because it has failed me on other hot peppers I've tried. I pretty much tried everything I had in my fridge and pantry, and nothing helped put out the fire. I think what worries me now is how much it's going to burn coming out the other end tomorrow!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
@blitzfrick I never thought of salt! Maybe next time I will give that a try.
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
21 May 17
@moffittjc In the past, I've used salt to cool things down, but I've never experienced a ghost pepper.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
17 May 17
Oh, my. Enjoy your toileting experiences today! I love spicy food, but I'm not sure I would try one of these, unless perhaps I was drunk!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 May 17
Hmmm...do I sense a challenge there? Hey Elizabeth, you ready to go out for a fun night of drinking on the town?
You didn't . . . please tell me you really didn't!!!!!!! 
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 May 17
I wish I could say I was kidding, but I really did eat a ghost pepper. I will never do it again. I think I know what hell feels like now, and it wasn't pretty.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 May 17
@much2say I went to bed about 6 hours after eating the pepper, and my mouth was still on fire. When I woke up the next morning, I was fine. Well, at least until it was time to go to the bathroom. What goes in must eventually come out.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
21 May 17
Ha! And you did it.
Oh no, I wouldn't be able for that pepper at all!
Though I do like spice, that one is not nice.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
@TiarasOceanView But I survived, that's the important thing! What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!
Which reminds me of what I want to put on my tombstone when I die: "It didn't make me stronger."
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
Oh, not only was it not nice, it was downright nasty! Ghost peppers are not my friend at all!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (459735)
• Switzerland
21 May 17
@moffittjc Thinking about the combination, I guess a "piña colada" can make miracles.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 May 17
I tried a glass of milk, but it didn't work. I didn't have any yogurt, or I would have tried that as well. Nothing took away that heat except time itself.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
@LadyDuck I'll have to remember the coconut milk and hard liquor options next time. I happen to love both!
1 person likes this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
21 May 17
Our kids can play us pretty well now and then! Have you recovered by now?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
Yes, I am finally back to normal. It was quite an experience, one I don't look forward to repeating for a very long time! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
@blitzfrick I can't believe I didn't put my chemistry knowledge to work to figure out a solution to the fire that was burning in my mouth! So there is a real life example of problem solving for chemistry equations! Maybe I should have paid better attention in class! haha
1 person likes this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
21 May 17
@moffittjc I'm guessing you did an internet search for the heat of the pepper. I was surprised to learn that the active ingredient of ghost peppers, capaicin, is an alkaloid. Salt is a base and, according to my microbiology teacher from years ago, should neutralize either acids or alkaloids. Also, acid alone will neutralize an alkaloid, turning it into a salt.
Glad you survived! 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 May 17
Yep, I bit right into it! Go big or go home! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 May 17
@DianneN You haven't figured that out by now? LOL
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 May 17
I'll try anything once. My kids know that. So now I can check ghost pepper off of my bucket list. Hmmm....wonder what pepper I should try next?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
@JudyEv Maybe I should try bungee jumping or skydiving next! You think my kids would join in on those fun activities?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326480)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 May 17
@moffittjc I'm sure your kids can come up with one!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 May 17
I was fully expecting to have raging heartburn the entire night, but surprisingly I slept like a baby that night. It wasn't until the next morning that I experienced round 2 of the burn (what goes in must come out)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 May 17
@RubyHawk Thanks Ruby! I always have Gaviscon, Tums and Pepto Bismol handy for these sorts of things. Most of the time the Gaviscon works wonders.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99423)
• Atlanta, Georgia
20 May 17
@moffittjc I hope your get rid of your heart burn and sleep well tonight.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 May 17
I like a little bit of kick to my peppers, but not enough kick to knock me down a flight of stairs! haha
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 May 17
@shebish Bell peppers aren't hot at all!
2 people like this
@shebish (775)
• Egypt
17 May 17
@moffittjc I can only manage a bell pepper anything else is too hot for me,
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (170798)
• United States
17 May 17
I saw that pepper on TV. Is it the one that has to be handled with gloves because it is so hot? No ghost pepper for me.!
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (170798)
• United States
19 May 17
@moffittjc Not one that sounds edible, that's for sure!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 May 17
How bad is a pepper when you have to wear gloves to handle it? Now that indicates some serious heat! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 May 17
@snowy22315 Do these things grow in nature, or are they created by scientists in a lab?
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
17 May 17
milk is the best thing to drink to sooth the worst of very strong chillis
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
19 May 17
@moffittjc ouch, especially as i'm daft enough to try it if I come across ome too
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 May 17
@arthurchappell I can send a ghost pepper to you if you want me to! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 May 17
I drank a full glass of milk and it didn't even put a dent in the heat I was experiencing! That was one fire I could not put out, no matter how hard I tried!
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
19 Jun 17
I have eaten those before, and they definitely haunt you! I used to eat ghost pepper hot sauce and use ghost pepper flakes in my cooking, but nowadays my stomach just can't handle it. And you can be sure if it burns going in, it'll burn coming out!
Now you need to try a scorpion pepper -- which is even hotter than the ghost pepper! XD
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
20 Jun 17
@moffittjc They are definitely good for clearing your sinuses!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jun 17
@Srbageldog I don't think it did any good for my throat though. It's still killing me!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jun 17
One pepper at a time! I'm still trying to get used to eating ghost peppers! I've been sick the last couple of days, and so I have been really congested and stuffy. I ate a bite of a ghost pepper this weekend, and it instantly cleared up all my congestion! I now know what to eat when I get a stuffy nose! haha
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38697)
• Midland, Michigan
20 May 17
How old is that son of yours? That just isn't right at all. I guess he waited to see your reaction and then decided it was best left alone? It pays to not let everyone know that you're up for dares, but I guess that would be a hard thing to keep from your own kids.
I wouldn't even know what that is except my sil purchased some differently flavored popcorn from a group here in town. There was about twenty different flavors that she got and one was ghost pepper. It looked like chedder popcorn, but one of those was quite enough to be sure. I don't think any of us cried or shed tears and the fire didn't last the whole night long, but that was the closest I intend to get to one of those in my lifetime.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
My son is 14. He loves spicy foods, but he was afraid to try a ghost pepper. He wanted me to try it first to see if it was safe enough for him to eat. By the reaction I experienced after eating one, I'd say he probably won't ever eat a ghost pepper, no matter how spicy he likes his food! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Jun 17
@MarshaMusselman Hmmm...maybe I need to dare him to try one! lol
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38697)
• Midland, Michigan
27 May 17
@moffittjc Unless, like you he tries it when someone gives him a dare, lol.
1 person likes this
@jillybean1222 (6408)
•
19 May 17
i bought some habanero cheese last week & i was thinking of a different pepper when i bought it, a more mild pepper. i love most pepper cheeses. i bit into this & was surprised by the heat. i have ZERO desire to try the ghost pepper. had to LOL that your son didn't end up trying it :-)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 May 17
I love most pepper cheeses too! I'm generally a spicy kind of guy, but man that ghost pepper tore me up! I won't be going near one of those things for a long, long time!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 May 17
@jillybean1222 I'm like you in that respect. I want to enjoy my food, and not be overwhelmed by the spices in it. Even if I loved ghost peppers (which I clearly don't), I still wouldn't put them in my food because it would just overpower the taste of the food.
1 person likes this
@jillybean1222 (6408)
•
19 May 17
@moffittjc i like spicy, but not where it is so spicy that i can't taste the food. i like it to complement the food, not overwhelm it.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29343)
• Eugene, Oregon
17 May 17
After watching you suffer like that, he sounds like a smart young man. I have heard that the Scotch Bonnet is one that rivals your experimental pepper. I am not a fan of really hot food, don't even use Siracha.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 May 17
Don't tell me son that there is a pepper hotter than the ghost pepper. He'll want me to try that one too!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118664)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 May 17
@JamesHxstatic Fun for who? My son, who gets to watch me suffer from eating those hot peppers? LOL
1 person likes this
