I agree that they can go bad on the plant. But more importantly, the more ripe peppers you pick, the more new peppers you GET! I had 2 jalapeno plants this year from the same source. I picked green pods from one of them all year and let the other go with red pods for most of the season. The green one produced at least 5 times the peppers as the red. When I finally picked my red ones, new peppers came right away. Not saying you should pick your peppers before they're ripe, but definately pick em when they get ripe.

It's the seasonings that are different for one big pot than four little ones--as you know since you don't quadruple! For instance, when you double a recipe, you don't double the salt or it'll be too salty, but you do need to increase it. With spices, it can go the other way, where a half teaspoon is plenty for a small pot, but you need more than double for the same flavor in a bigger pot. (Don't ask me why--I don't know--it seems a lot like tuning a piano. You can't go by the math, you have to temper it.) With things you think will be too strong, you can start careful, taste just before you leave the house, and just when you get back, and adjust. I know that's not a good crockpotty thing to do, but the best way to know how it tastes is to taste it! Do you use salt? It doesn't take a lot, and your onions might have enough salt in them, but beef tastes bland and blah without at least a little salt. And, yes, celery could change it a lot! Celery has a lot of water and salt. Green peppers have a very distinct flavor and will totally change the flavor of a pot of chili. Carrots are sweet, as is corn. All are good, and I'd put them in too, but they can change the basic flavor. I might also add zucchini, which is just a bit wet and doesn't add a big flavor component. Rather than cooking down the veg in the chili, you might just want to steam or roast them to just tender and have them as additional mix-ins. Or have them cooked and ready, but just stir them into the chili as soon as you get home from church, so they're warm and have gotten a good coating of sauce, but haven't changed the base chili much. Or you could dish up in a couple of big oven safe bowls and do one with veg stirred in, and maybe a smaller one as is if you think there will be people who won't eat the veg, and put them in the oven to keep warm until you're ready to serve and let them meld that way. Since you're talking about tacos and hot dogs, why not get 100% corn tortillas? You can grill/toast them ahead of time and put them out as wrappers for whatever people want to put in them. If your guests aren't looking for a lot of starch/sweet you could even do that instead of the cornbread. Do heed the hot dog warnings! I had lovely fresh handmade top quality tasty hamburgers for Independence day and people flocked to the not so great hotdogs that one guest (with permission) brought to suit himself. Even people who imagine themselves as foodies love a good gristly nitrate-laden salty old hotdog! If you don't want to have hotdogs for everyone and change your whole menu from chili to chili dogs, you could get the miniatures, or cook and cut up some regular ones to be used as more mix-ins (and hold a couple whole ones back for the kids who just don't want the chili). I've been going through some of the same thing. I have a Celiac, a couple of pescatarians, a nut allergy, one who won't eat things where all the ingredients are mixed up in a pot, like a stew, and one who won't eat just about anything, and is allowed to bring his own (like the hotdogs) if it's not formal sit down. If it is formal sit down, he gets a baked potato (even if it's not on the menu--a hold over that everyone understands from one who was in very poor health for years before he died but could always eat a potato) and whatever else he's willing to deign to eat, and he can get his own dinner at home. :) Best of luck with the menu, and that it turns out easy after your good planning and organization, so you get to enjoy the day and the company.

Yes, on the beans making it thicker. I have a baked white chicken chili and it's done in one of those baking bags. You squish half of the beans with your hands, and the beans inside the bag, before adding the rest then baking it. It's good thickener (if you do want it that way). I find myself doubling up on cumin and chili in these recipes. It's never really hot enough for me, but then, I like jalapenos on my burger when I eat one. Dollop of sour cream and monterey jack cheese on my white chicken chili, please! Not healthy, but surely tasty.

Thanks for everybody's input. Fawn, simmering the chops for a couple of hours will insure no undercooking. Sushipup, Maillard reaction explained what I was seeking. The link gave me "page can't be found" but google found an explanation. I had always followed the browning procedure thinking it was primarily for sealing in juices. DCarch, fat definately carries the flavor! Suzyq, thanks for your recipe. Like mine except for potatoes and hominy. What is Cookwells 2 step Green Chili Stew? Linda, I was only using the term stew to try to think "outside the box" on chili verde. You're right, center cut pork chops can be dry if overcooked. Tishtosh, right on regarding size of food. Don't you love eating in a fancy place and lifting the first forkful of salad and seeing you need a mouth three times as big to accomodate it. Cilantro, I would love to find Goya's Recaito Cu (i ?)lantro. Tasted a friend's frozen chunk of cilantro (in water) and it retained a wee bit of cilantro flavor. Today I simmered 4 thick chops whole in a 7 oz. can of Herdez salsa verde and a can of water, about 3 hours, and 2 cloves garlic, covered with a screen. No bubbling. Very slow. What I learned so far: Slow simmer of the entire chop, without pre-browning, has made the lighter part of the pork extremely tender and succulent with the darker area stringy. I chose the pkg. with portions of darker pink. Next time I'll go with all light. The pork barely picked up any salsa verde flavor. May try marinating next time. Now it's cut it may pick up some chili flavor. Definately like the Herdez product. Though these chops were trimmed of fat next time I'll trim it all off. Easier to do raw than cooked. Now that it's cut into mouth manageable pieces it needs 2 more 7 oz. Herdez plus some water.. Wine in green chili pork? Nope. But herbs yes. A sauteed onion, yes. Fogot to add it raw. And a couple of jalapenos. I will never buy another pork shoulder! Maybe the country style ribs (which are shoulder) should I feel the need for dark meat. I am strictly applying this to Chile Verde Pork. Not to beef.