HillBilly Jeff's 2014 Adventure - Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

WalkGood · Oct 30, 2013

I agree with Greg, Jamie and Scott … awesome A+ shape on the 7 Pod Burgundy, will be interesting to see if you can produce similar or better results from the best selected seeds. I’m trying to prove that or disprove that now with the seeds from the best MoA pods that I'm growing and sent out all over the US & abroad. I’m not fully convinced that works but hope to learn something when the babies are bigger and pumping out pods from all da MoA growers … Heck we even have MoA now in South Africa FTW.

Happy Halloween and hab a great week!

HillBilly Jeff · Oct 30, 2013

WalkGood said:
I agree with Greg, Jamie and Scott … awesome A+ shape on the 7 Pod Burgundy, will be interesting to see if you can produce similar or better results from the best selected seeds. I’m trying to prove that or disprove that now with the seeds from the best MoA pods that I'm growing and sent out all over the US & abroad. I’m not fully convinced that works but hope to learn something when the babies are bigger and pumping out pods from all da MoA growers … Heck we even have MoA now in South Africa FTW.

Happy Halloween and hab a great week!

I think one should be able to get the pod shape. A person can select out color so shape should be able to be done as well. At least I am hoping one can lol.

PIC 1 · Oct 30, 2013

Good point Ramon,
I'm assuming that most farmers in Jamaica end up with some "A" typical shape, many "B" and lower grade pods. The best are sorted for distribution and seed, while the others hit the mkts. Can a "B,C,D" seeded pod produce an "A" producing plant?...sure, they're not hybrids. It's all in the genetics. Besides all the pods taste the same. I'd just be happy to get peppers that were larger than a silver dollar........consistant.

HillBilly Jeff · Oct 30, 2013

Got some more peppers in today. Chocolate Fatalii, Chocolate Devil's Tongue, Brown Bhut, Mustard Habanero, Yellow Devil's Tongue, and Yellow Congo.

I sure hope I got the DT and the Fatalii chocolates separated correctly.

MoA isn't doing great right now...burning a bit on top as it looks.

HillBilly Jeff · Oct 30, 2013

Stuffed Budapest Peppers. Yummy!!!

Won't get pics up until tomorrow, but I did review 3 of the peppers I got in today.

First up was the Mustard Habanero. It is a really great tasting pepper and one of the weakest habanero peppers I have tried. Really mellow with a great taste. I will be growing this one in 2014. Probably more than one plant as I think this would make a great sauce.

Had to try the yellow Congo next. First bite my tongue felt like it was going to sleep like at a dentist's office. Then the heat ramped up. Didn't really get a flavor from this one, but it had me producing saliva and my nose running. Probably will give this one a go again just to see what I can make with them.

Didn't plan on trying a third, but that yellow Devil's Tongue was calling my name. All the heat went under the tongue. Not as hot as the Congo, but it had some heat. It had a bad taste to it. I did not care for the flavor at all. I have a couple more, so I will have to test them out and see what I can get out of them before I decide if I want to grow em. With the yellow tasting bad like this, the chocolate I will have to assume will as well. The pepper seemed thin, dry, and chewy.

If I don't like either DT and axe them from the grow list, then I believe I will have room for 6 more plants. I can either find a couple more varieties to give a go, or plant more of what I already have planned. I could also bring back some peppers that I liked but they got the axe (peach and yellow hab as I am already growing a few habs).

WalkGood · Oct 30, 2013

Nice reviews Jeff, short and to the point ... hard to beat that. Like the look of your stuffed Budapest peppers, nice job!

Hab a great day tomorrow ^_^

HillBilly Jeff · Nov 1, 2013

Got some of my thoughts of the peppers I tried earlier this week. I was really excited to get these peppers in as they were all new to me.

First up, and my favorite of the entire box was the Mustard Habanero. The least hot of all the habs I have ever tried, but still had really good heat to it. Mighty tasty as well. It will be a good one to smoke and blend. Perhaps use it to kick up the heat on a mustard glazed ham.

The next pepper I tried was the Yellow Congo. I really liked the initial heat as it had a tongue numbing feeling. Then the heat ramped up and had my really producing saliva and nose running and all that. I didn't get a flavor from this one, but that could change with different pods. There wasn't any bad taste to it like I experienced with the red congo I grew this year.

The next one I tried was the Yellow Devil's Tongue. Not impressed with it at all. Dry, thin skinned, chewy. Heat attacked under the tongue and wasn't anywhere as hot as the congo. Flavor was really bad which I found odd for a yellow. I think it is going to be a scratch from the grow list.

Yesterday I tried the chocolate Fatalii and it had some really good heat to it, but not much flavor. Its been a long week so perhaps I tried the DT first and the Fatalii after, but the second one I tried I didn't get anything out of. I let my mouth get back to normal before trying the second one, but there just wasn't any heat to the second pepper.

Choc Fatalii

Chocolate Devil's Tongue

If I could get a bump I will post the picture of the brown bhut. I didn't try this one yet.

Jeff H · Nov 1, 2013

Devv · Nov 1, 2013

Thanks for the reviews Jeff.

I had some that were gifted and the taste wasn't the greatest, but I'm going to try them anyways, just to see how they taste when I grow them.

I'm a believer the seeds from a single pod can yield a different taste in a different soil type or environment. We'll see

HillBilly Jeff · Nov 1, 2013

Brown Bhut

And here is an updated pic of the OW in their winter home. Temps have been ranging 60-65 degrees and I am giving them a little light each day. I have yet to have to water since bringing them in.

HillBilly Jeff · Nov 2, 2013

Went to pot my MoA in some new potting mix as I don't care for what I was using and they were well rooted, but really arid. Should see an improvement within a week I would think in their new soil. This new stuff is much better to work with and looks a lot better too. I amended it as well.

Time will tell.

HillBilly Jeff · Nov 3, 2013

Here are the MoA in their new pots with their new soil mix. Hopefully they will make the turnaround I know they will

.

Finally, Yellow Manzano hooks (2). Hoping this three month head start will yield some peppers this growing season. The orange seed I started with was from 2011 so that might be an issue on them. Time will tell, but I will be starting some orange from newer seed stock today.

HillBilly Jeff · Nov 3, 2013

Smoked off some more peppers. I think there is just one more load to go and I will be done for the year. Just have to do some blends.

Jamison · Nov 3, 2013

Everything is looking awesome!

HillBilly Jeff · Nov 3, 2013

Jamison said:
Everything is looking awesome!

If the Manzano hook without helmets and my MoA come out of the funk I put them in, everything will be awesome. Really need these three extra months on those Manzano to get a yield next fall.

Sawyer · Nov 3, 2013

on the Manzanos. I'm going to try to OW my reds (4) and yellows (2), but I need to get some more orange seeds. I had some germinate this year, but the plants didn't survive the elements and my neglect.

The MoAs are looking much better. They should be smooth sailing now.

You might want not to give up on the Chocolate Fatalii. That picture up above looks like that pod may not be completely ripe. I picked a bunch of yellows a few days ago and the first one I tasted I thought was awful. I tasted another that was much riper and it definitely had a better flavor, though still much hotter than I was expecting. I de-seeded a bunch today to make puree and by the time I finished, I could detect a faint papaya-like fragrance. (Which is actually why I made puree instead of just tossing them in the dryer... should be able to capitalize on that for a good sauce later on.)

HillBilly Jeff · Nov 3, 2013

Sawyer said:
on the Manzanos. I'm going to try to OW my reds (4) and yellows (2), but I need to get some more orange seeds. I had some germinate this year, but the plants didn't survive the elements and my neglect.

The MoAs are looking much better. They should be smooth sailing now.

You might want not to give up on the Chocolate Fatalii. That picture up above looks like that pod may not be completely ripe. I picked a bunch of yellows a few days ago and the first one I tasted I thought was awful. I tasted another that was much riper and it definitely had a better flavor, though still much hotter than I was expecting. I de-seeded a bunch today to make puree and by the time I finished, I could detect a faint papaya-like fragrance. (Which is actually why I made puree instead of just tossing them in the dryer... should be able to capitalize on that for a good sauce later on.)

I have the room and should be okay in the grow room doing them, so unless I go with some other peppers that catch my eye, they should stay on the grow list. I really loved the aroma and taste of the red fatalii and was surprised by its heat. The yellow that was gifted to me really surprised me as it was hotter than the red. I really want to have a go at the chocolate fatalii.

The Devil's Tongue the jury is still out. Might cut back and do a plant of each just to see how I like them from my own dirt. The yellow Congo I will try even though the red and chocolate I grew this year wasn't what I liked. The yellow surprised me with its heat too.

After two seasons of trying different peppers I think I am zeroed in on a lot of the ones I enjoy and love. Really makes next season exciting. Plus some peppers I want to see if they will grow true to pod shape. Got a spot picked out behind the stairs for my OW next year. Should be able to OW 20-25 plants if I so choose. Also started thinking about taking cuttings as I have never messed with that before and want to see what happens.

Sawyer · Nov 3, 2013

I'm taking some cuttings from some of my in-grounds now. Not sure if they'll make it to spring, but if so, it'll be a good way to propagate KGP (known good peppers).

WalkGood · Nov 3, 2013

Every ting looking Irie mon, from this last pic the MoA's are looking better. They look about the same size as my babies except mine are outside battling a winter blast right now but it shouldn't get too cold here but cold enough for WG, lol. Love da egg starters, keep up da great work ^_^

Devv · Nov 3, 2013

So far I've done really well with cuttings. I've just cut a 5 to 6" top and stuck it in a 12oz. water bottle with about 2" of it in the water. I leave it on the kitchen table, after a few weeks when the roots are 3"s or so, I pot it and keep it in the shade for a few weeks. Then I gradually introduce them to sunlight.

WalkGood said:
Every ting looking Irie mon, from this last pic the MoA's are looking better. They look about the same size as my babies except mine are outside battling a winter blast right now but it shouldn't get too cold here but cold enough for WG, lol. Love da egg starters, keep up da great work ^_^

We had 40's this AM, OK by me as it went into the 70's later on...a picture perfect day!