Hey, thanks for all the hints, I'll definitely try the vinegar trick to work out how much of this I can use in recipes. It's just that I've got so many of them now! If they wind up being so hot I can only use 1/4 of one in a recipe I'll be fully stocked til 2012 from just what's on the plant now... ah well, can't complain about that really can I? I think you're right that they'll turn red when fully ripe. Now I'm wondering- do hot peppers heat up as they ripen? If so, could harvesting them earlier, at the purple stage, give me a slightly milder chili? Or would that just be sacrificing flavour development? This variety is called "Burke's Backyard Thai Chili" or "Don Burke Thai Chili", named after an Australian gardening show so it might only be available here unless you can order Australian seeds (Yates is the supplier I think). I'm growing it from a nursery seedling and so far it's a very compact, shrubby plant- about as wide as it is tall with very densely packed leaves and upright fruit. Thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how I go, Slashy.

belcantocanto: I fertilize my S. microphylla "Hot Lips" once a year. with a 4-2-3 fertilizer. Our soils are always needing a little extra nitrogen.This fertilizer has lots of micronutrients aka trace elements in it.Some micronutrients are Boron,Copper,Iron,Manganese molybdenum,Zinc.these are just as important as your N-P-K in your fertilizer.It is always advisable to have a soil test done so you know where your N-P-K is.This way you can use something that is appropiate for your Garden in your geographic location. Art

Hot Flashes, HOT FLASHES...............what's a girl to do? I'll tell you what to do. You look for alternatives that will help to lessen the symptoms that come out of nowhere to make your life miserable and crazy! I suffered with them for quite awhile and then I decided to try a few things to help alleviate the hot flashes and the night sweats or make them more bearable. Someone had suggested using a satin pillowcase, because they are smooth and the fabric is nice and cool. Trust me, it works, Especially when you flip the pillow over. The second thing I do and what I have to found to work best for me is an eye pillow, right out of the freezer. I keep it there so its ready at a moments notice. I use a peppermint scented one because it opens up my sinuses and that helps me to breathe a lot better and helps any sinus or tension related headaches. The cold flax seed inside the eye pillow surrounds my eyes, temples, forehead and cheeks. You will be amazed at just how much relief and comfort you will get. The weight of the flax seed applies just enough acupressure to soothe and relax your facial muscles so your not so tense and uncomfortable . The eye pillow also blocks out all light so you can truly relax and get some needed rest. I searched online and found several sites that had them. The one I decided to go with was A Touch Of Satin. I liked them because their ingredients were organic, and that was important to me. They had an unbelievably large selection of patterns and I like the feel of satin on my skin. They also had a page on their site that talked about the benefits of their aromatherapy scents. They had lavender as well and that is suppose to be very calming and they also had them unscented. It was very interesting. If you want to check them out, go to the link shown below. Well, I hope this helps you. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: A Touch Of Satin

Just a word of caution: Do be careful about taking these over-the-counter remedies without consulting with your doc first. They can contra-indicate if you're taking other meds. I'm on the "other side" of most of you, having stopped my periods 15 years ago at age 44. (And sorry to say, the hot flashes are still with me.) My experience showed that I was not able to quickly find a successful regimen to hold my menopausal symptoms in check. I consulted with three or four GYNs until I found one who was willing to stick with me until we got it right. I really had to become my own advocate, if you will. We need to be as well educated as we can about the subject. As you look for what you can "take" to help you, you should also research really well the results of the (Women's Health Initiative) study they released back in 02. Don't rely on websites related to drug or supplement firms - read what's available on the National Institute of Health and other medical sites. In '06 the NIH released results of a separate study that showed herbal supplements were of no value in relieving hot flashes. Some women are lucky in that their menopausal symptoms are less severe and perhaps they perceive that herbs like black cohash have helped. But it's not "everyone's menopause," and what works for some doesn't work for all. After lots of trial and error, I was on an HRT regiment with both estrogen and progesterone that was wonderful for my body. I took the pills for about twelve years (referred to them as my "life line"). Hot flashes and night sweats were completely eliminated, and I was able to concentrate once again (although NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING helps for memory loss!). On and off I also tried a variety of anti-anxiety pills, none of which seemed to make a discernable difference. Depression is very common in menopausal women. Many people have had good results with the bio-identical hormones. I tried them for about a year but I didn't find the results comparable at all, so I stopped. I'm no longer on any hormones, and it has been a real struggle. I still have almost-daily hot flashes and nightly hot sweats (although the night sweats are not as severe, yet they still awaken me and that's annoying enough). Since stopping HRT, I don't think I've had a single uninterrupted night's sleep. But, as with every step I've taken since my periods stopped fifteen years ago, being off HRT is my choice. I have just learned to live with it. I think the bottom line is that you need to understand what if any risks there are in your body/family history that would or wouldn't make HRT a good solution for you. I don't think I've seen any mention here of calcium supplements, and that's so very important. We should be taking 1,200-1,500 mg daily if we're not on estrogen, a bit less with estrogen. Osteoporosis is very common in both pre-and post-menopausal women. Here is a link that might be useful: Menopause and Herbal Supplements Study Article