RE: [CH] Hunan Compost

Parkhurst, Scott Contractor (PARKHURS@LEAVENWORTH.ARMY.MIL)
Mon, 3 Jan 2000 20:59:53 -0000

>If pods are placed on compost pile, What 
>are the odds  that the heat will dissipate
>while rotting down ?  Had some that were 
>picked green and rotted before ripening.

     Last century I tossed some unripe pods
on the brush pile and the heat did not dissipate
after they ripened/sat.  One of the neighbor
kids found out the hard way wiping her nose
(no tissue, of course) after handling the
"pretty red pepper".
     It wasn't a compost pile, generating heat
as a part of the decomposition process, but they
were rotting down.  I doubt that a normal heap
would generate high enough temps to break down 
the capsaicinoids.

Scott... Happy new millenium... KCK