AHayastani's ГЛΟГ

skullbiker · Jun 29, 2021

I'm with you on the sweet hot sauce. [emoji106] None of my fermented sauces have any vinegar in them, and they're yummy.
And, you should make a sweet pepper relish to glob onto that cheeseburger!

ahayastani · Jun 29, 2021

skullbiker said:
I'm with you on the sweet hot sauce. [emoji106] None of my fermented sauces have any vinegar in them, and they're yummy.
And, you should make a sweet pepper relish to glob onto that cheeseburger!

Thanks!

There is a relish on the table, it's just not in sight... A lump of butter and a big, sweet onion (cut as half-rings), salt and sweet pepper (slices); all together on a low fire for ~1h. I think there are people who add some sugar near the end, but I don't like to do that. I might add a clove of garlic though.

Siv · Jun 29, 2021

Vacuum sealers are great - I bought mine for fermenting but use it for so much more. Now anything that goes in the freezer for more than a week gets vacuum sealed - no more frost or freezer burn. If I'm sending someone hot sauce I sometimes vacuum seal the bottles so that they are immobilized and don't bump into each other so you're almost guaranteed they won't break - if they do, they're contained and don't ruin the whole package.

Good luck with the ferment - the secret to success for me is adding a teaspoon of liquid from another ferment to ensure a quick and reliable start. You can go easy on the salt so around 2.5% of the pepper weight instead of the up to 4% that some people use for brine ferments.

CraftyFox · Jun 29, 2021

It would appear we both have a off variety of KS White Thai, given the pointy tips of ours vs. the blunt ends that are specific to type.
https://kcdgarden.com/103/ks-white-thai#!
I agree with you on the form of them! I'd say the most vertical-growing pepper I've had so far.. Or second.

Have you tried them unripe yet? I swear I recall him saying they were better before they ripen, but I keep forgetting to pick mine until after they are already orange.. I think they are supposed to be best just as they start to blush. :think:

With the way the flowers keep dropping off mine, I may not find out anytime soon.

ahayastani · Jun 29, 2021

CraftyFox said:
It would appear we both have a off variety of KS White Thai, given the pointy tips of ours vs. the blunt ends that are specific to type.
https://kcdgarden.com/103/ks-white-thai#!
I agree with you on the form of them! I'd say the most vertical-growing pepper I've had so far.. Or second.

Have you tried them unripe yet? I swear I recall him saying they were better before they ripen, but I keep forgetting to pick mine until after they are already orange.. I think they are supposed to be best just as they start to blush. With the way the flowers keep dropping off mine, I may not find out anytime soon.

I believe the pheno is off because of the pointy tip, but also because the white never appears... :confused:

They go from green/purple over orange to red. I really have to make an effort to detect a speck of white here and there. I bought seeds from TexasHP.

I have tasted the various ripening stages and I personally prefer the red because it has a bit of sweetness that the other stages are lacking. The plant is productive, however, and delivers a good amount of "filling peppers" (for pickles). So I want to get rid of the plant because it is not what I hoped for, but I don't want the plant to go because it is fulfilling an important job

DontPanic · Jun 30, 2021

I'm curious what you think of your Aji Jobitos.

I grew one last year, and I liked the flavor of the pepper. But it was a subtle flavor, and it left we wondering what I could do with the Aji Jobitos other than use them fresh.

ahayastani · Jun 30, 2021

DontPanic said:
I'm curious what you think of your Aji Jobitos.

I grew one last year, and I liked the flavor of the pepper. But it was a subtle flavor, and it left we wondering what I could do with the Aji Jobitos other than use them fresh.

I like them fresh, and they are particularly good for a heatless pepper. My better half suggested we'd pickle them after seeing the presentation of the pepperoncini, but I haven't had the time yet.

I did prepare nopalitos though, which was also on my to-do list

700 g pads, a head of garlic, a bit of onion, 4 carrots, and all jalapeños that were turning red (Zapotec, TAM and Craig's Grande; nacho sliced), 2 cups water and one cup vinegar. You might have seen the "simple version" in the supermarket before.

ahayastani · Jul 1, 2021

DontPanic said:
I'm curious what you think of your Aji Jobitos.

I grew one last year, and I liked the flavor of the pepper. But it was a subtle flavor, and it left we wondering what I could do with the Aji Jobitos other than use them fresh.

I pickled some today

I like to call them jobitos. They are named after a fruit known as jobo (Spondias mombin) - jobito means "little jobo". I didn't cut them up but left them whole.

Ingredients are in the picture below. The amount of peppers correspond to ~3/4th of the total yield (current wave). Added half a head of garlic and two small onions, two carrots (thinly sliced).

I made an incision so the pickling liquid can enter the peppers. The peppers have a hint of carrot-like taste. Perhaps the orange pigment (carotene?).

Mixing ingredients and herbs, slow boil (2 parts water, 1 part vinegar), continuously moving and slowly submerging the peppers.

The end result doesn't look bad. I estimate this is ~3 pounds, a bit less then 1.5kg. I'll open a jar in a few days

ahayastani · Jul 2, 2021

Sowing time

I sowed 30 varieties in five batches last week (26/06 - 1/07). I had germination issues early this year and most of my smaller plants (mostly chinense (super)hots) have perished during my absence. I re-sowed most of the perished varieties but also some new ones. I ordered new seeds earlier this year because I still had room available on my terrace, but in the meanwhile my neighbour placed a metal sheet roof on a supporting frame - just as we have in fact - which takes away all direct sunlight at one side of the terrace. Gone prime locations for 20 plants... But I still have room available for ~20 new plants, and there also are some plants that will be discarded if I have something else/new to replace them.

Most of the varieties were obtained from TexasHP (old and new) and Towns-End (new). Also included are varieties from MWCH (new seeds), THSC and Chris Fowler (both old). I placed a test order from Australian chilli-seedz after reading positive comments here on this forum from other Aussies. I placed an order on 22 April - but 23 April in Australia - and received a shipping notice on 23 April. Mail stamps indicate seeds were shipped on 23 April. Package arrived here on 22/06 - 60 days, which is still a whopping 30 days faster then my orders from THSC. I always try to look for a logically structured pattern behind all these.... "delays", perhaps that is why I don't understand it :confused:

Anyway, some of the chilli-seedz varieties have hit the dirt and I keep my fingers crossed.

Except for the very first sowing batch (26/06), all seeds were soaked in H2O2 (1% for 24 h or 3% for 6-8h).

1. Bahamian Goat, CPR (Chocolate Primo Reaper), Big Sun Habanero, Dorset Naga, 7 Pot Peach SG, Yellow GhostScorpion T-E (SG = Stefan Van Gelder aka MeatFreak).

2. Fatalii, Kraken Scorpion Orange, Peppapeach, C. flexuosum, Purple Death, White Bhut Jolokia W Strain, Black Ghost.

3. Green Goober Bhut, 7 Pot White, Chimayo, Tesuque Pueblo, God Stopper, Foodorama Scotch Bonnet, SB7J, 7 Pot Nebru.

4. Murupi White, Aji Margariteño, 7 Pot Mustard Gigantic, Orange Naga BBG7 Large, Jays Peach Ghost Scorpion, THSC Chocolate Scorpion.

5. C. tovarii, Black Betty Red, Mazateco

That's what happens when the kids want to help...

Yesterday was the last batch and I ended up with 30 pots. The first seedlings should appear one of the following days.

ahayastani · Jul 5, 2021

No lychee here, but the season of rambutan has started - it also is a member of the soapberry family and if you remove its skin, it somewhat resembles rambutan. Rainfall has been limited so far, however, and they are not as juicy as I'd like them to be. The mango season is definitely over here.

I replied that in Skullbiker's "Everything but peppers GOLOG" yesterday... Just moments later, the gates of heaven were opened for torrential rains that inspire Deluge myths. I guess the water shortage was solved with what poured down yesterday. There seems to be no direct damage to the terrace garden, but I'm happy that I harvested yesterday just about every pepper that was ready for picking - images will follow later, it was quite a haul...

My recent sowing batches are supposedly protected from the elements, but they got soaked anyway. I guess it stimulated Dorset Naga to emerge though - the first one.

Some birds seem to have found my garden and have nicked a few peppers. Nothing dramatic so far, but they seem to have a marked preference for KS Lemon Starrburst - especially the ones with a stinger!

I really like this pepper, so I'll toss the seeds from these peppers in some dirt and hope something will come up

ahayastani · Jul 5, 2021

I recently removed some branches from a Miscucho colorado plant and this seems to be yielding result. The plant has a few new peppers and is forming new flowers and buds.

Yesterday's harvest is the largest haul of the season so far.

Sweet Moruga
Thai Spezzano
Peppadew
Georgescu Chocolate
Buena Mulata
Benxi
KS Lemon Starrburst
Fushimi
Bhut Jolokia
Pippin's Golden Honey Pepper
Sugar Rush Peach
KS White Thai (not...)
Cubanelle
Aji jobito
Piri piri "African Devil"
Aji guyana
Piment d'Espelette
Criolla de cocina
Aji panca
Blot (sweet pepper)
chile chocolate

My Sugar Rush Peach plant succumbed to a sudden infestation of spider mites. I cut the plant back hard, let's hope it will make it. The SRP peppers are very irregularly shaped. I'll save seeds from a few straight peppers. My eyes prefer the irregularly shaped peppers, but my knife says the straight ones are better.

Aji guyana is emitting less flowers now, but the plants are loaded with peppers. Most peppers are quite uniform in shape, but there is one pepper that is noticeably bigger then the others. I assume it has three or four locules, compared to the usual two.

Pippin's Golden Honey does not tolerate overwatering well...

Chile chocolate, a local heirloom. It is sold green for salsa and the red peppers are dried.

Improvised ristas of aji panca

That's C. galapagoense at the bottom.

PaulG · Jul 9, 2021

Wow, lots happening here, D! I am impressed
by your sauce-making efforts. Good work!

And starting a new round of seeds? That makes
me envious. If I could grow year around, I wouldn’t
have to grow so many all in one season!

BTW, you are getting nice phenotypes from your
Starburst pepper plant.

ahayastani · Jul 10, 2021

PaulG said:
And starting a new round of seeds? That makes
me envious. If I could grow year around, I wouldn’t
have to grow so many all in one season!

Who are you fooling Paul? If you could grow year around, you'd cram even more varieties in your growing schedule :rofl:

I know because I've been there - I am there ...

Fact is that new plants won't hurt: I lack (super)hots and have got some space available. I also have some plants that can be sent on early retirement. Sadly, I'm also loosing a few plants to disease. Today I lost a Blot sweet pepper plant that looked droopy from one day to the next, its peppers feeling mushy.

I found a ripe pepper on the Miscucho colorado plant. Its taste (raw pepper!) is slightly aromatic, with some citrus on the background, and a dominant earthy taste that reminded me of aji panca. It's not a very hot variety, but its burn arrives very late: the aromatic, citrus and earthy components had already passed the taste receptors when the heat kicked in. Treacherous little b4st#rd! I'd say ~50k SHU, give or take 100% deviation

I'll dry a few peppers when there are more.

Thai Spezzano is delivering a new crop.

Some birds are treating themselves well lately... Those I want to migrate north are reluctant to continue their journey

They've discovered Piment d'Espelette.

They broke the main stem of my best Zapotec plant. I assume (s)he/they tried to sit on top of it.

I will remedy that by harvesting daily, at least for the next few weeks.

CaneDog · Jul 10, 2021

ahayastani said:
Who are you fooling Paul? If you could grow year around, you'd cram even more varieties in your growing schedule I know because I've been there - I am there

+1 What is it they say, it takes one to know one?

PaulG · Jul 10, 2021

ahayastani said:
Who are you fooling Paul? If you could grow year around, you'd cram even more varieties in your growing schedule I know because I've been there - I am there ....

Now that I think about it, I am sure you are right.
Maybe I should move to Medicine Hat where
Dragonsfire lives and let the hard winters limit
my growing :rofl:

.

Your grow is, as always, packed full of interesting stuff.

ChilliCrosser · Jul 10, 2021

ahayastani said:
Sowing time I sowed 30 varieties in five batches last week (26/06 - 1/07). I had germination issues early this year and most of my smaller plants (mostly chinense (super)hots) have perished during my absence. I re-sowed most of the perished varieties but also some new ones. I ordered new seeds earlier this year because I still had room available on my terrace, but in the meanwhile my neighbour placed a metal sheet roof on a supporting frame - just as we have in fact - which takes away all direct sunlight at one side of the terrace. Gone prime locations for 20 plants... But I still have room available for ~20 new plants, and there also are some plants that will be discarded if I have something else/new to replace them.

Most of the varieties were obtained from TexasHP (old and new) and Towns-End (new). Also included are varieties from MWCH (new seeds), THSC and Chris Fowler (both old). I placed a test order from Australian chilli-seedz after reading positive comments here on this forum from other Aussies. I placed an order on 22 April - but 23 April in Australia - and received a shipping notice on 23 April. Mail stamps indicate seeds were shipped on 23 April. Package arrived here on 22/06 - 60 days, which is still a whopping 30 days faster then my orders from THSC. I always try to look for a logically structured pattern behind all these.... "delays", perhaps that is why I don't understand it Anyway, some of the chilli-seedz varieties have hit the dirt and I keep my fingers crossed.

.....
2. Fatalii, Kraken Scorpion Orange, Peppapeach, C. flexuosum, Purple Death, White Bhut Jolokia W Strain, Black Ghost.

......

I grew Peppapeach and Peppacream seeds from Chris Fowler a couple of seasons ago. The plants were prolific even outdoors in the UK climate, no photos sadly. Thanks for reminding me of things I have stored seeds for that I need to grow again next year. As if I didn't have enough on my potential grow list :rolleyes:

ahayastani · Jul 10, 2021

Chris Fowler's prices were a bit higher then what I regularly paid, but the quality of his seeds was very good and he sent A LOT of very interesting freebies.

ahayastani · Jul 11, 2021

I gave my BSR (Bhut Shaped Reaper) plant some support. It is quite big and loaded with pods. We've recently had a few storms with a lot of wind and I feared the plant would fall over, or worse, tumble down the roof terrace.

The plastic tube measures 1m.