This week's harvest.. a little bit of ripage

10 years ago

I've been able to harvest quite a bit of greenage for the last couple months..and a few "ripe" here and there.

Went to pickin' this last week though -- so here's a few pics.

The hots...left to right -- Bhut, 7 Pot, Naga Morich. These early pods are kind of dinky except for the 7 pots, especially this one Naga plant. But the bigger pods are kickin' in. I'll post more pics when I have something worth showing.

The not-so-hots...

Serranos ---going to try some Sriracha with these

Chiles De Arboles -- along with the Guajillos, my DRIED "workhorses" for Mexican cuisine.

The other workhorse -- Guajillos

Some greenage...

Jalapenos

Anaheims(a few red ones) What's up with Anaheims??? I've been growing them for years and after the initial flush, there sure a lot of smaller and misshapen pods that come in with later flushes.

A few Poblanos

And the not-hot-at-alls

Red Bells. Love them, but after looking at the price this past week in the store(4/buck), I may go back to doing the yellows and oranges.

And a couple 'family" portraits

Kind of embarrassed over the size of the pods of my superhots, but the large pods and harvests are coming soon. Especially my in-ground Naga cross...monster pods!

Kevin

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Comments (32)

leafericson
10 years ago
Wow! Those look great! Lots of nice ripe peppers.

I love Sriracha, are Serrano's the pepper traditionally used to make the sauce?

-Eric-
judo_and_peppers
10 years ago
serranos for sriracha? get yourself some thai peppers dude! I just made some sriracha today actually.

great looking harvest. keep doing what you're doing.
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kuvaszlvr
10 years ago
Nice Harvest Kevin! I'm a guajillo fan too. Either enchilada sauce or grind up with pasillas and add to chili. Yum...
peppernovice
10 years ago
I don't care what size those super hots are, they will still melt your gums and cause your teeth to fall out. Great looking pods. I don't see anything to be embarrassed about!

Tim
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
10 years ago
Fantastic harvest, Kevin!
I'm jealous :-) Those chile de arboles are the type that I've grown, and boy do I like those....smoky sort of burn that adds a classic flavor to southwest and Mexican dishes.

Have you tried the Serrano? I've tried a few red ones lately, and they've been really gross....no heat once red, with awful texture. So bad that I've only been using them green.

Sriracha, despite the Asian looking packaging, is made with red ripe Jalapenos right here in California (Rosemead, I think). But there's no reason why Thai chiles and garlic won't make an excellent sauce. I've done the same. However, straining out the seeds is very important to the overall finish of the Sriracha.

Josh
tn_gardening
10 years ago
Very nice

My peppers are just starting to turn

Querstion: Where did u get the Guajillos seeds? I've thought about buying some dehydrated peppers at the grocery store and trying to germinate those. Any thoughts?
andyandy
10 years ago
Looks great, I'm jealous. I just have a few coming in. Everything else is green.
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks All.

Yep: Josh is right. Jalapenos for Sriracha. But I read somewhere that the guy who concocted it wanted to use Serranos originally. Have no idea why he didn't since they ripen to red a lot quicker.

Josh: Yes. they are a tad soft when red. But since it's going to be a mash, I don't see no harm. Mine still have plenty of heat.

Pam: Yep. All sorts of uses for the Guajillo. Nice, deep flavor and plenty of heat for a pretty large sized pepper. I actually do a fire roasted salsa with them and Arboles added. Good stuff!

Tn_gardening. Got the guajillo seeds here on GW. Inregards to harvesting seeds out of a pod from the store...I've done it, but the germination rates were far from ideal. Still enough to get some plants. Look me up this winter, I'll have some seeds.

Once again, Thanks Everybody for the props.

Kevin
judo_and_peppers
10 years ago
as I understood it, sriracha is a type of sauce named after a city in Thailand (Si Racha), that one company in Cali (huy fong foods) also happens to make.

I've made the traditional recipe, and just yesterday made a similar version using thai peppers, garlic, and a little bit of tomato paste. I find it quite delicious. in fact I think I like the version with the tomato paste a bit more. my version is much hotter than the store bought kind.
User
10 years ago
Wow, I'm way behind you! Your harvest looks great, well done.

Curious why you picked your Poblanos green? Personally I find the ripe ones tastier.
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
Original Author
10 years ago
Incorrect. Sriracha was the name of the boat that the founder rode aboard when he immigrated to America. I believe he is of Chinese descent, but left VIETNAM in the 70's.

Judo: Sriracha is a fermented mash type of sauce, like Tobasco. Not fresh, like yours.

I grew Thai last year...very productive. This year, I'm trying Japones for that "type" of pepper. I plan on doing a mash with those once they ripen also -- note: Japones are slow to ripen just as much as superhots-- at least in the ground they are.

Kevin
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks Bill. You'll catch up I'm sure...especially with your experience. You folks in the northern latitudes had a rough start to the season. Here's hoping to a late Autumn.

I like Poblanos in all forms, but the main reason(s) why I picked these early was to get that original flush cleared so the plants kick back in to growth and flower mode. Also, I'm making a big pot of Chili tomorrow -- i wanted to have a different green, mild pepper to go in the pot besides Anaheims.

The majority of my pods will be ripened to red, with most of them getting dried for Anchos.

Kevin
User
10 years ago
Makes sense... I was wondering if a recipe might be the reason. In a pinch I pick them green too.

As for catching up with you, you've pretty much left me in your dust already Kevin. We listed our house this year and my GF held an intervention regarding my chile growing habit. I was made to understand that 50+ 5 gallon pots on the deck and patio would not enhance the homes value. Go figure ;-))

I've cut back to 15 pots and the season has not been kind. I'm going to have to make up for it next year.

Bill
judo_and_peppers
10 years ago
interesting. looks like my sources were wrong. as is wikipedia. I was kinda wondering why it was spelled differently if it was named after a town. I feel like I now have more questions than answers, especially since huy fong is not the only company that makes it, and lots of thai restaurants make their own. though to be fair all the thai restaurants I've ever been to are in the US, so maybe they're just making what they think Americans like.
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
Original Author
10 years ago
LMAO @ Bill

Curb appeal. Did you use those words, Bill? ;)

Kevin
User
10 years ago
Yep. Also tried to argue that the presence of 50 odd chile plants would almost guarantee a bidding war.

Didn't work ;-(
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
10 years ago
Hehe, Bill, I'm sure you'll have a fine harvest.
Incidentally, I made three pints of salsa yesterday with a teaspoon of Grim Reaper #5 in each one...I have no idea how hot they're going to be! Can't wait to try...!

Josh
User
10 years ago
Kevin, sorry to hi-jack your post but Josh just scared me!

Josh, 1 teaspoon per pint! Did I gt you to sign a waiver for that stuff??? You sir are crazier than me!
kuvaszlvr
10 years ago
Wow, Bill, I'm so sorry for your loss. 50 --> 15, that's heart breaking..

Ok Kevin, and anyone else who wants to chime in, how do you use your mash? I've never made mash, closest I've come is making Tabasco sauce (I don't ferment it, just put it in the fridge, seems to have a sweet taste vs that nasty taste from the original).

When you make your chili Kevin, how are you going to use the poblano? chopped with skin... remove skin? I'm just curious, I'm always playing around with my chili and always up for trying something interesting. I've never used poblanos in my chili (and right now I'm being buried in them). I've got a bunch in the fridge that I'm planning to stuff this weekend.
Pam
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
Original Author
10 years ago
Not a prob Bill. I'm always hijacking threads. Internet etiquette is somewhat lost on me. It's called a "forum" for a reason, no?

Anywho...

Pam: First time making it. I'm doing it the traditional way. Crapload of chiles, bunch of garlic, a bit of salt, and some whey from strained yogurt. Mince in the food processor. Put in a jar with a tad of water on top. Screw on the lid and leave in the cabinet for a couple months. I also added a couple small carrots for sweetness and to give the bacteria something to munch on. Changed my original idea though -- along with 90% Serranos, I added a handful of Japones and a handful or 2 of 7pots and Bhuts. We'll see... /shrug

My chili--- all my fresh chiles get roasted, skinned and chopped. Poblanos, Anaheims, Colored bells, and jalapenos.

All my dried chiles get reconstituted with boiling water and then blended into a slurry sauce that just becomes part of cooking mixture of along #10 can of chopped tomatoes. Dried are Ancho, Guajillo, Chile De Arbol. Tons of chopped brown onion and garlic, cumin, black pepper, mexican oregano, a bit of fresh french thyme, garlic powder. Oh! Can't forget the ground beef.

Gotta cook the beans with some form of pork fat though -- hamhock, bacon, a leftover ham bone... something.

Some masa, corn meal or shredded corn tortillas to thicken.

Pretty good stuff if I do say so myself. ;)

Kevin
tn_gardening
10 years ago
After all this talk about chilli, I think I know what I will be eating this weekend.

Regarding picking & eating green poblano peppers, I'm with you. I pick n eat em at all the different stages. They're all good.
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
Original Author
10 years ago
Tn_gardening: Yeah!! I've had my beans soaking for a few hours. Going to get started right now.

Great way to use up a lot of peppers.

Kevin
kuvaszlvr
10 years ago
I'm just too neurotic to do the mash I guess. me, I put everything in the fridge. I don't even put my pickled jalapenos on the shelf, they go into the fridge. I admit, the mash looks really good... but....

Wow, you skin them all? I usually just chop most of my chiles and dump them in with skins.. I never tried to roast and skin a jalapeno.

What the heck is a brown onion?

I wonder if it's any different to make a slurry with the dried vs just crushing them up and adding them. That's what I do, I either put them in the blender (dry) or just crush them with my hands and dump them in. why make a slurry? Not being argumentative, just curious as to the difference.

I read somewhere someone said that people don't put enough cumin in chili, that it should have a whole lot added... I took that to heart, I love cumin. Kinda like chiles, can never have too much.
Pam
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
Original Author
10 years ago
I don't do any "canning" myself Pam. Pickled Japs and Serranos and carrots get put in old gallon pickle jars and in the fridge. Same thing goes for my pickled cukes and zucchini -- Mrs. Wage's fridge packs and in the fridge.

Yep. I believe a ton of flavor is coaxed by roasting. The japs don't get skinned, just roasted.

Regarding the dried chiles and reconstituting. it's quicker than grinding or crushing. And biting into a hunk/piece of dried chile is less than desirable. Look at a bottle of chile powder --- it's ground fine. Not only that, but dried lleathery anchos and guajillos are raisin textured... you can't grind them to a powder.

No problem about your inquiry about reconstituting. I know you're reluctant ...LOL I'll convert you sooner or later :P

Try it this way once. you'll see the difference. ;)

Actually, I use a lot of cumin also. But, like cinnamon, a little really does go a long way. And, too much and you just screwed up the whole dish and there's nothing one can do to fix it. JMO

My chili is done...just letting it sit for a couple hours. The next couple days are when it will be REAL good. Kinda like spaghetti sauce.

Kevin
kuvaszlvr
10 years ago
I don't know, I might have to disagree, I've been crushing them for years and I don't remember biting into a hunk of dried chile, there's liquid in the chili, and they are cooked in it.

I might just go ahead and dry some poblanos as I've got a lot right now and you can only eat so many stuffed peppers. ;-)

hahaha, I disagree too, I have yet to have too much cumin. It's just one of those tastes I really love (but then I love Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight Delight 72% Cacao... in fact, I'd say it could go much darker. ;-).. I had to settle for their 60% at the store yesterday ;-() I guess I have weird tastes.

I got adventurous today. My Tabasco plants are covered in fruit, but still yellow, but my Zimbabwe Bird, Red Peter, and Serranos are bright red. So I cooked them up like I do the tabascos... turned out pretty good.

Pam
seysonn
10 years ago
OK. I am not into growing all kinds of NAME BRAND hot peppers(hehe) but I do make hot pepper sauce similar to TOBASCO in style.

I start with things like habs, or any fresh RED, Hot chili peppers. To give it some meat and volume, I also use nice red bell peppers. It also mellows down a bit. But still hot enough for me.

-- I clean and chop them.
-- Boil/cook them in little bit of water.(about 30 mins)
-- add vinegar and bring it to boil
-- simmer at low heat until it is softened like puree(another 30 mins or so).
-- I use a hand/stick blender and blend the heck out of it in the same pot.

-- strain it thru a fine mesh steel strainer( so NO SEEDS CAN PASS THROUGH)
-- cool it down
-- add some salt, little lemon juice a little sugar.
VOILA ! There you have it. Bottle and refrigerate.
NO fermentation, No special canning procedure. Actually I don't even have to refrigerate but I do for freshness sake.
And No artificial preservative and additive.
Since I do not grow much hot peppers, I buy them mostly from Asian markets.
kuvaszlvr
10 years ago
I don't strain mine, I like to keep the pieces, I just blend in the blender to the consistency that I want and that's it. I don't boil mine as long either, I just boil until I get tired of the vinegar smell, I also boil mine in pure vinegar (used the recipe I found on the web several years ago). ;-)
Pam
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
Original Author
10 years ago
The vinegar flavor is what I'm trying to get away from. I hate Tobasco Sauce. It's just way too vinegar-y.

That's why I'm trying the fermentation thing. To let it get it's tanginess naturally.

I'll find out if fermenting does the job for me.

Kevin
seysonn
10 years ago
@kuvaszlvr'
The amount of water that I use usually evaporates in the process and what I got left is about 5% acidity(household vinegar)

I strain it for the ease of pouring and flowing.

@ Kevin
To me the smell and the heat of hot peppers overwhelm the vinegary taste/smell. A dash of sugar and salt may hide the vinegar taste.
kuvaszlvr
10 years ago
Kevin, Yeah, I hate Tabasco sauce too, at least the store bought, I think it has a nasty flavor (and I can't put my finger on what it is, just nasty) and, you do realize that the store bought Tabasco sauce is fermented? haha, maybe that's the flavor I don't like... After the fermentation process don't you have to add vinegar?

I too thought I'd like to get away from the vinegar flavor, but for some reason, I don't notice it in my home made tabasco sauce. My tabasco sauce is really sweet, and then hot... maybe the sweetness overpowers the vinegar... or maybe my taste buds aren't very discerning towards vinegar. ;-)

Let us know how the fermenting goes. We need reports and photos. :-)
Pam
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
Original Author
10 years ago
I don't mind "some" vinegar. Store bought Tobasco is fermented but they also add too much vinegar and that makes it a non-palatable hot sauce in my book.

Pam: No. Vinegar is not needed in a fermented product. The bacteria takes care of the preservation for you. After all, what's vinegar??? Fermented WINE, right? Thanks for reminding me. need to go take a peek.

Kevin
kuvaszlvr
10 years ago
You are right Kevin... duh, not like they put vinegar in beer.

Well, keep us updated on the progress, who knows, I might just try it sometime. Heck, I'm getting ready to dry a bunch of Poblanos and Numex Heritage 6-4's, this is my first time for drying these varieties.

Pam

This week's harvest.. a little bit of ripage

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