glog 2025 - LEAVE OR DIE

CHAPTER #01 - LIKE REPTILES

It's never too early to say "it's never too early to get started" so this year, to counterattack a possible fake summer effect like in 2024, I started 3 months in advance (18th of december).

Chiltepin cappuccino - 2024

I sterilized the seeds with a 9:1 water/bleach solution, and presoaked them for 24h, then I put them on paper towel on every heater of the house.

As soon as the roots emerged, I put them in soil (instead of waiting for the cotyledons to open on the paper, that maybe was causing more stress to the roots).
My friend gave me reptiles heatmats and a reptile UV lamp, that I'm using to heat the soil filled pepper cups (my apartment is cold, now I have 5C degrees more).

Soil is a brand new one, no more fungus-filled recycled one thanks!!

So, everything seems to be better and working well, apart from a big problem... I decided to go all-in and grow 130 varieties, even if I only have a small balcony. I couldn't choose what to remove, so I thought of putting 2-3-4 plants per pot. That's for two reasons: the first is that I'm insane the second one is that, having only 4 hours of sun per day, I realized that for my environment it may be better to grow small plants: I'll expect competition among them, and hopefully many small tastings.

I started with 60 varieties: wild ones, pubescens, and a mix of chinense and frutescens; to be fair, after all this babysitting I've already got the pepper burnout. Also, I'm already out of space! Time to mount a twin structure.

The wild ones I chosed are:
C. lanceolatum
C. chacoense
C. rhomboideum
C. tovarii
C. galapagoense
C. eximium
C. cardenasii
C. flexuosum
Also, a couple of C. rabenii, a couple of C. annuum var. glabriusculum, a C. baccatum var. baccatum, a purple flowered baccatum and some wild chinense/frutescens.

On late january/february I'll start with C. annuum and C. baccatum ones; mutants, variegated and F1 to F4 crosses included.
Some friends are trying to overwinter at home some of my last year's cultivars that couldn't set fruits (especially F1 and C. rabenii), anyway I sowed them again.

C. lanceolatum seeds surprised me because they are black and way smaller than any Capsicum seed I've had, included C. eximium.

I will also radically change the way I grow them outdoors, from the composition of the soil to the way I'll manage insects; but this will be told on march .

 

[SatanicFlatIron]

A devastating storm bent over many of my plants, and a neighbor brought me back a Tap de Cortì that had broken and fallen from the balcony

Fortunately, I lost little else, then I fixed everything with the usual cables, clips, and hedge trimming. I have to prune every four days; here's a classic before and after

Pruning is also useful for aerating and exposing the peppers to the sun.

I went to talk about chili peppers in front of a special audience: elementary and middle school children at summer camp. Of course, I spoke briefly and informally, eventually answering several curious questions. I brought some colorful peppers to pass around while I explained (I started by talking about wild plants and the birds that eat them).

In the end, by acclaim, the children forced us to eat the strongest one (in this case, Madame Jeanette). Obviously, the children didn't get any. The strong chinense smell attracted everyone, even with a few "Yuck!"

We then went on a fun treasure hunt, hiding 20 non-hot peppers in the garden, each color giving a different score. They had a lot of fun!

The leftovers ended up in yet another sweet and sour variant

As for the rest, many fruits are ripening.

Stolen yellow

My TC is proving to be very productive (ripe at the base, green on top)

Dragon cluster

Buena mulata (very beautiful, but I don't remember them being so spotted...)

SLP Datil

NW with pink undertones, although it has already reached a stable peach color

Wall of wild peppers

I have two THSC Solar Flare phenotypes. One is true, yellow, light green when immature; the other is larger, red, dark green when immature. The red one is evidently an F1; it's very hot, so I'm thinking of continuing it

A curious lamp pepper!

Other pics

I put away the seeds from the first ripe cross

and tagged two new arrivals: CGN 22795 (C. rabenii) x Perola laranja (wild C. chinense)

and CGN 22795 (C. rabenii) x Aji charapita Iquitos (wild C. chinense)

 

[SatanicFlatIron]

CHAPTER #05 - OUT OF THE ASHES

It's been a very busy week. I harvested the first crop of the season, so I've been busy cooking. It's best to divide this post into three parts!

Part 1 - The plants
Part 2 - The tastings
Part 3 - In the kitchen!

Part 1 - The plants

C. eximium

Purple flowered baccatum

C. chacoense

C. galapagoense

C. tovarii

Chiltepin (in a friend's garden)

Rocopica (lots of flowers, but very slow to set fruits)

Satanic pentacle

A fabulous pepper lamp

Heirloom X of Campania, in flower

Other wonders

 

[SatanicFlatIron]

Part 2 - The tastings

Since I have 126 varieties , I always have a table full of new peppers to try. I guess that's exactly what I wanted at the beginning of the year!

I also tasted three of my F3 crosses:

Pepperina's wet dreams

TC

Dragon cluster (plant with fasciation, and very long petiole; even though it was ripe, many of the seeds weren't, but I managed to save 5 of them)

Also, CT:

I'm still evaluating which cross lines to pursue. Pepperina is very sweet, hot, and the pod is longer than ever: I love her. CT and CT are already quite stable.

and since we're on the NSFW topic... open (black) pussy serrano:

I didn't eat it because it was slighly rotten, but I was curious to see what was inside. I put the seeds away but I don't plan on continuing with the selection; the plant has several deformities.

Other peppers

Three stages of ripeness of aji white fantasy

 

[SatanicFlatIron]

Part 3 - In the kitchen!

First harvest of the year!

Let's do some magic!

"Pipi e patate" (a poor Calabrian dish made with sautéed potatoes, peppers, and onions. It can be eaten as a side dish for spicy sausage, with bread, or, like me, straight from the pan )

They gave me those white peppers, raw like various white peppers they have a very delicate flavour, even too much, but when cooked they are better.

Baked stuffed peppers

They're filled with tuna and mediterranean spices, but I've also stuffed bell peppers with rice, smoked paprika, and onion:

C. annuum chili peppers are always the best for stuffing.

Vinegars and fermentations

Toasted, crispy hot bread seasoned in the southern style: olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and chili powder. A very simple yet delicious dish

A couple of spicy savory pies. Note: the middle finger isn't for you, it was for a friend of mine to whom I sent the photo

Paprika (which here means chili powder). Dehydrated for 13 hours at 40C

Intense aroma and flavor and remarkable spiciness, thanks to the different types of pepper used.

Candied white hot fantasy

great texture, persistent flavor, mild spiciness on the tongue, but a little strange: they have notes of cucumber and zucchini, with hints of gooseberry and caramel. In short, very vegetal, I will try with other fruitier peppers, definitely with rocotos as recommended.

Aah, I finally finished writing and documenting ... see you next time, bye from my lake!

 

[NJChilehead]

Part 3 - In the kitchen!

First harvest of the year!

Let's do some magic!

"Pipi e patate" (a poor Calabrian dish made with sautéed potatoes, peppers, and onions. It can be eaten as a side dish for spicy sausage, with bread, or, like me, straight from the pan )

They gave me those white peppers, raw like various white peppers they have a very delicate flavour, even too much, but when cooked they are better.

Baked stuffed peppers

They're filled with tuna and mediterranean spices, but I've also stuffed bell peppers with rice, smoked paprika, and onion:

C. annuum chili peppers are always the best for stuffing.

Vinegars and fermentations

Toasted, crispy hot bread seasoned in the southern style: olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and chili powder. A very simple yet delicious dish

A couple of spicy savory pies. Note: the middle finger isn't for you, it was for a friend of mine to whom I sent the photo

Paprika (which here means chili powder). Dehydrated for 13 hours at 40C

Intense aroma and flavor and remarkable spiciness, thanks to the different types of pepper used.

Candied white hot fantasy

great texture, persistent flavor, mild spiciness on the tongue, but a little strange: they have notes of cucumber and zucchini, with hints of gooseberry and caramel. In short, very vegetal, I will try with other fruitier peppers, definitely with rocotos as recommended.

Aah, I finally finished writing and documenting ... see you next time, bye from my lake!

Why do I not live in Italy? My family on my mother's side was from Sicily. I swear that cooking and food are in the blood of all Italian men.

 

[ahayastani]

Why do I not live in Italy? My family on my mother's side was from Sicily. I swear that cooking and food are in the blood of all Italian men.

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and Italian women over the centuries seem to have understood that very well. What I like about Italy is that in even in touristy places, the food is quite acceptible.

@SatanicFlatIron , I want those sweets...

 

[SummerFun]

Newbie here, but I feel like I have to comment. Serrano was right, these pics are pepper porn at it's best. Even the tiny seedlings were enchanting, and the balcony is amazing. I thought I was crazy to grow 30+ chilis in my 3x8 meter greenhouse (with tomatoes and other stuff). But if you can grow 120+ chilis on your balcony, any problems I have can be solved by further experience.

Good to know my (only) rocoto is doing what it should be doing, i.e. growing horisontal branches through neighboring plants. And I will definitely try strings and pruning for the others, your narrow path looks so neat. No excuse for my 80 cm wide path to be impenetrable. Your glog is my inspiration (and excuse to order more seeds).

 

[Marturo]

Part 3 - In the kitchen!

First harvest of the year!

Let's do some magic!

"Pipi e patate" (a poor Calabrian dish made with sautéed potatoes, peppers, and onions. It can be eaten as a side dish for spicy sausage, with bread, or, like me, straight from the pan )

They gave me those white peppers, raw like various white peppers they have a very delicate flavour, even too much, but when cooked they are better.

Baked stuffed peppers

They're filled with tuna and mediterranean spices, but I've also stuffed bell peppers with rice, smoked paprika, and onion:

C. annuum chili peppers are always the best for stuffing.

Vinegars and fermentations

Toasted, crispy hot bread seasoned in the southern style: olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and chili powder. A very simple yet delicious dish

A couple of spicy savory pies. Note: the middle finger isn't for you, it was for a friend of mine to whom I sent the photo

Paprika (which here means chili powder). Dehydrated for 13 hours at 40C

Intense aroma and flavor and remarkable spiciness, thanks to the different types of pepper used.

Candied white hot fantasy

great texture, persistent flavor, mild spiciness on the tongue, but a little strange: they have notes of cucumber and zucchini, with hints of gooseberry and caramel. In short, very vegetal, I will try with other fruitier peppers, definitely with rocotos as recommended.

Aah, I finally finished writing and documenting ... see you next time, bye from my lake!

What more is there to say? Other than ask when's dinner.

 

[SatanicFlatIron]

Why do I not live in Italy? My family on my mother's side was from Sicily. I swear that cooking and food are in the blood of all Italian men.

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and Italian women over the centuries seem to have understood that very well. What I like about Italy is that in even in touristy places, the food is quite acceptible.

@SatanicFlatIron , I want those sweets...

thanks guys, well, I'm not sure all Italians know how to cook well Maybe as ahayastani said, even the worst can make you something decent. For example, my dad, who only knows how to make ragù (meat sauce) and nothing else; but his ragù is good!
It also depends on how much free time you have to live and cook, people from southern EU countries like mine probably have more time to cook and have fun, but work, economy, bureaucracy and politics are a mess! Older people like my grandmother are obviously reservoirs of knowledge because they didn't work, unlike men. So... would I want to move to a more modern country where everything works and everyone works? Probably not, lol

@ahayastani where have you been in Italy?

What more is there to say? Other than ask when's dinner.

you better run!

Newbie here, but I feel like I have to comment. Serrano was right, these pics are pepper porn at it's best. Even the tiny seedlings were enchanting, and the balcony is amazing. I thought I was crazy to grow 30+ chilis in my 3x8 meter greenhouse (with tomatoes and other stuff). But if you can grow 120+ chilis on your balcony, any problems I have can be solved by further experience.

Good to know my (only) rocoto is doing what it should be doing, i.e. growing horisontal branches through neighboring plants. And I will definitely try strings and pruning for the others, your narrow path looks so neat. No excuse for my 80 cm wide path to be impenetrable. Your glog is my inspiration (and excuse to order more seeds).

thanks SF for your kind words! But know that I'm living in a borderline situation with plants; there's a lot of work to do every day. I hope to create a more comfortable situation next year. But I'll definitely remember this year as a unique experience
You too could create a glog with photos of your greenhouse

 

[Harmonic_Heat]

Note: the middle finger isn't for you,

Aww, bummer dude, I'm used to it as a greeting

Love reading through your Glog but it takes forever on desktop because there's no thumbnails, only full size images lol. So many fascinating pics I can't comment on them all but that pigtail lookin' pepper is pretty bonkers!

Your harvests look awesome as do all the stuff you make with them, you're makin' me super hungry, congrats! So many contrasting, beautiful colors! That candied White Hot Fantasy looks soooOOOO good, YUM!!!

 

[nickde]

Looking great @SatanicFlatIron ! How do you remove the core for the stuffed ones? Just a plain fruit decorer? I want to try with my Jalapenos and Aji Champion!!