Last of my Chillies

Cold today but not raining. I took the opportunity to harvest the last of the chillies from my unheated greenhouse. (I have been picking them for the past couple of months)

final-chilli-crop-2019.png

in the photo, Prairie Fire, Spike and Rooster Spur . I won't grow the latter again because its chillies are too small, though they have a kick. Prairie Fire are the fat bullet-shaped ones at top right, the long thin ones are Spike, the small ones are Rooster Spur

Because only one each of the first two germinated and a lot of Rooster I have three plants of the latter.
I brought Prairie Fire into the kitchen in the hope warmth there will help it ripen its remaining chillies, and maybe that it will survive the winter

[Jenise]

I do love chiles, Peter. Enjoy yours. It's interesting that you grow them--didn't think you were into food that kicks!

A wonderful final harvest Peter! Are you going to dry some or make Chile sauce?

It's interesting that you grow them--didn't think you were into food that kicks!

Oh, but I do. I even take hot English mustard with me when I go to the US as I do like mustard with my steaks. And hot Indian!

I have chillies most days, also Numero Uno and Green Chilli Sauces (together on the plate) from Fat Man Chilli https://www.fatmanchilli.co.uk/

I've grown several different varieties of Chilli, including Dorset Naga - which was rated world's hottest. But Dorset Naga was too hot, all heat and no flavour.

A wonderful final harvest Peter! Are you going to dry some or make Chile sauce?

No, I just put them in a freezer container. That way I can enjoy them all year round. Take two - four out, rinse them under the tap and chop them over food with scissors.

But Dorset Naga was too hot, all heat and no flavour.

I find this to be the case with many of the hot-hot-hot peppers. I'm fine to consumer fewer Scovilles in exchange for more flavor.

[Jenise]

Me too Jeff and Peter. I can take being scorched but there's no point to it. Like how I look for mild Hatch chiles each year--they're not mild-mild, they're actually hot compared to those dull supermarket Anaheims sold in the U.S. that's for sure. But I want fruit and spice with my heat, be the chile red or green.

I’m on the same page with you all. There needs to be flavour as well as heat or it is a frat boy challenge.. (years ago we met up with two doctoral students in Austin Tx who had this insanely hot, tasteless “sauce” it was a clear gel if I remember and pointless, except for, apparently, putting on the toothbrushes of unsuspecting people,)

Peter do you just freeze them as is? That is something you never see in the books, but lots of things freeze very well with minimal interference.

Peter do you just freeze them as is? That is something you never see in the books, but lots of things freeze very well with minimal interference.

Yes, they went straight from the tray I used when picking them, (as photographed) into a freezer container and into the freezer.

They don't clump together, remain loose and its easy to pick out those you want each day. I've been doing it for several years now so I have fresh (frozen) chillies every day of the year.

I've grown several different varieties of Chilli, including Dorset Naga - which was rated world's hottest. But Dorset Naga was too hot, all heat and no flavour.

A couple of years ago our local Indian grocery had fresh naga chiles. I bought a bunch and made a batch of Inner Beauty hot sauce using half nagas (for extra heat) and half habaneros (for flavor). The resulting Inner Beauty Ghost Sauce is extremely hot even compared to the usual Inner Beauty (which as 20 habaneros in it). Too hot for me--I don't think I'll use nagas again.

-Paul W.

Yes, they went straight from the tray I used when picking them, (as photographed) into a freezer container and into the freezer.

I never thought of freezing chiles. I have had a perpetual problem with Thai bird's-eye chiles (prik nu). Our supermarket sells them in packages of about 50, but one uses them in recipes by the oneseys and twoseys. Half the package goes off before I can use them all. Now I have a solution!

-Paul W.

Peter do you just freeze them as is? That is something you never see in the books, but lots of things freeze very well with minimal interference.

Yes, they went straight from the tray I used when picking them, (as photographed) into a freezer container and into the freezer.

They don't clump together, remain loose and its easy to pick out those you want each day. I've been doing it for several years now so I have fresh (frozen) chillies every day of the year.

Thanks that is a good thing to know. Both for home gardeners and folk like Paul who are forced to buy too many and choose not to waste things.

NB. Anything can be made not to clump together in the freezer... freeze them individually on a baking sheet first, then collect them into a ziploc. I have done this with raspberries, for example, so I get perfect berries at the defrost instead of mush.

NB. Anything can be made not to clump together in the freezer... freeze them individually on a baking sheet first, then collect them into a ziploc. I have done this with raspberries, for example, so I get perfect berries at the defrost instead of mush.

Indeed, known as IQF in the trade, “individually quick frozen”
How I do my slices of lime when the lime tree is productive in winter and I want lime slices for my G&T in summer!

Indeed, known as IQF in the trade, “individually quick frozen”
How I do my slices of lime when the lime tree is productive in winter and I want lime slices for my G&T in summer!

Ah, great, I love TLA.

...three-letter acronyms...