Essegi 2015

Here i am with my humble growing!
That year only superhots, there were just too many that i wanted to try.
 
The seeds, all form Semillas:

 
I gave 5 of each to a friend of mine. So i have 6 of all but TSMCaramel (7), BrainStrain (5) and Jay Peach (5).
Total 59.
I plan to keep 2 of each + 1 for another friend of mine. If more, giveaway.
 
Today i started that seeds:

 
Overwintered:

7pod on left (maybe i'll give it to an aunt of mine), rocoto on right. Maybe i pruned it too ealy... I hope that year to harvest something from that one.
 
Well... Now let's see who germintates...
 
Since i have no sprout to show i start with some pizza of yesterday.
Tomato passata is homemade from tomatoes of 2014. Also I used fatalli and moruga powder on some. Toppings: pepperoni, bacon, red onion marinated in evo and bp and salt, olives, mozz (thick slices).
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Airiness looks very irregular and mostly bad (the third one is the only decent in that regard), at least taste was good.

 

[tsurrie]

Cool new plants... don't worry about the pruned/topped Amarillo and Goats weed, they'll grow so much you won't even remember they were topped.
Also, you get 5 stars in my book for the practical dinner pesto... it looks so delicious... I need to make at least a sandwich now gonna go with arugula, cheese and tomatoes

 

[ronniedeb]

Bruschetta looks great. Sorry to hear about your plants' struggles. I'm sure your warm Italian summer will help them recover. Those cherries look fantastic. 

 

[Essegi]

Thanks!
Plants look green now, photos next time.
 
I harvested 2 pods, 1 Brainstrain and 1 Moruga Chocolate:
 

 
Small pods, i hope next will be bigger, more coarse skin and truer form.
 

 
For sure Brainstrain is freaking hot. Taste seems good but after a while bitter comes... A bit was enough to put on fire my mouth for several minutes. I tried also a bit of chocolate moruga. I haven't tasted the flavour cause i had still brainstrain fallout, seems more bitter. Dunno about heat cause was a smaller piece, btw brainstrain seems impressive.
 
So i used both to cook some mussels with tomato, scallots, garlic, pepper, white wine, parsley and basil:

Result has been stupid hot, i had to stop to eat half of the above pan.
But fresh pods are so good!

 

[ronniedeb]

 
Result has been stupid hot, i had to stop to eat half of the above pan.
But fresh pods are so good!

 
I agree, great to be eating fresh pods again. Mussel dish looks great. 

 

[stickman]

Thanks!
Plants look green now, photos next time.
 
I harvested 2 pods, 1 Brainstrain and 1 Moruga Chocolate:
 

 
Small pods, i hope next will be bigger, more coarse skin and truer form.
 

 
For sure Brainstrain is freaking hot. Taste seems good but after a while bitter comes... A bit was enough to put on fire my mouth for several minutes. I tried also a bit of chocolate moruga. I haven't tasted the flavour cause i had still brainstrain fallout, seems more bitter. Dunno about heat cause was a smaller piece, btw brainstrain seems impressive.
 
So i used both to cook some mussels with tomato, scallots, garlic, pepper, white wine, parsley and basil:

Result has been stupid hot, i had to stop to eat half of the above pan.

 
If that's a bit of green in the pods you pictured, I'm not surprised you tasted bitterness in them. It's kinda hard to wait for the first ones to fully ripen isn't it?
 
I hear ya 'bout being surprised by the heat of fresh pods after using dried and canned peppers all winter... it always catches me out every year...

 

[Essegi]

 
I agree, great to be eating fresh pods again. Mussel dish looks great. 

Nothing like fresh pods!
 

 
If that's a bit of green in the pods you pictured, I'm not surprised you tasted bitterness in them. It's kinda hard to wait for the first ones to fully ripen isn't it?
 
I hear ya 'bout being surprised by the heat of fresh pods after using dried and canned peppers all winter... it always catches me out every year...

I can't resist the first that start to ripe.
Also i was surprised about how strong is powder, now about fresh pods, maybe because i've learnt to dose powder. I can't complain.
Next time i should find a Brainstrain and a Chocolate Moruga, maybe 2 Peach Bhuts (i've the biggest expectations about taste of my supers) and maybe Caramel Moruga from Jamison (probably that will be the super that will give me most satisfaction, younger and with more and bigger pods).
Just a note, it seems that powder is becoming more bitter lately (now i have just choco bhut and moruga... And still a lot, probably i'll give away, i should get more this year, so...), but maybe it's just me.
Also i must post a photo of Kapija, it has grown!

 

[Essegi]

Another update, with heat plant start to rock!
 
Kurtovska Kapija from Stickman:
 
Looks good, glad it has recovered!
 
Goat's Weed:

 

Aji Amarillo
 
3 colors: chocolate moruga, bbg, brainstain.

No hint of colour in bbg calyx, time will tell.
 

Caramel moruga from Jamison. While other pods are small those are huge. Also probably meanest looking pods ever for me.
 

Bhut peach.
 

Bishop's crown
 

Marzanini. Last year those produced an extra awesome sauce.
 

Cucumber
 

Zucchini

 

[cypresshill1973]

Nice plants essi! That tomato look good and produce many tomatoes per cluster

 

[stickman]

Most excellent Giancarlo! Glad to see your gardens beginning to really ramp up! My Kapijas just started to blossom this week, but it'll be some little while until I get cucumbers and squash... good on ya!

 

[Essegi]

Thanks!
That week much rain ,maybe too much, and lower temps... But pepper seems to have appreciated. Nearly all plants have set pods.
Goat's Weed on ground (left), random annum 

 
Aji Amarillo repotted:

 
MoA:

 

Moruga Yellow

 
Oh well... I don't know if MoA and Moruga Yellow were set at beginnig of week. MoA are for sure decent in size... Moruga Yellow are big, i don't even know if those pods will still grow, for sure the one on right is on the level of my biggest morugas red, but looks meaner. Really liking those pods.
 
Bhut peach:

 
 
 
Caramel Moruga (Semillas)
  
 
Caramel Moruga (Jamison)

So big, mean and productive... Maybe there's an hint of colour on lowest one (that is like 9cm long)... Slow riping pods.
 
Apricot.

I had just 2 apricots from vitillo variety and no one from reale d'Imola., i'm expecting more next year. I tasted that one. Maybe i could have waited another day. I've had sweeter ones but taste here is great.
Apricot is great for sauce with peppers.
 
I had a small BBG, no red calyx, nice 7 pod aroma, seems not much bitter, nice heat (atm i'm more impressed by brainstrain in that regard).
I had also a couple of tiny bhut peach. Really nice pods, seems not much bitter and quite hot (dunno is as BBG, still enough to be a tough guy for me). One of the best.
I've had also a scorpion yellow from a friend of mine... For sure a great pepper. It was a bit like fatalli but hotter and not more bitter. Not much hot for a superhot, still very hot. One of best heat level i've ever had.

 

[Essegi]

Kapija from Stickman has pods!

 
Also those bell:

I don't remember if those are some yellow bell or some similar red annum from east Europe.
 

Cherry peppers or similar
 

 
Zucchini flower
 

Loaded plum tree
 
And this is the moruga caramel from Jamison:
 
Wonder if they turn really caramel colour if more ripe... I had no fresh pods so i had to pick up that one. Nice big pod, 8cm long.
 

 

It has some capsicum power.
A tiny piece from the tip was hot but not at insane levels, but that pepper on sauce seemed really strong!
 
 

Random sauce with apricots from my uncle tree, scallots, garlic, the moruga caramel, parsley, lemon juice, cilantro and cumin seeds, black pepper, salt, basil and passata.
Nothing special, i'll see the flavour when it cools down. But it seems really really hot and persistant for having just one pod.
 
Also yesterday i made pesto, here just a sample.

I used 600g basil, 600g evo, nearly 700g cheese (550g grana padano and 100+g of some pecorino), 15-20 cloves of garlic, 220g of pine nuts a bit of salt, for a total of more than 2kg of pesto, that will last long.

 

[stickman]

Glad you're getting pods on your sweet varieties now Giancarlo, we're setting them here too. I think the rain definitely helps. We're making pesto here too... my Genovese Basil plants are about 60cm tall and I've been pinching the primary nodes since the plants passed their fourth node. Keep up the good work!

 

[romy6]

 Nice to see the progression of your garden .
 
Amazing photography combined with  beautiful veggies and your superb culinary ability has me screaming for more my friend 

 

[Essegi]

Thanks Rick and Romy!
 
Today i was on vacation so at morning i checked peppers... I found a yellow moruga colored... Strange. I noticed thta it was severed from the planta but kept up by leaves. Luckily wasn't the best pod, for sure looked good: 

Unfortunately it was rot inside but i could save a piece and taste it: very hot, for sure more than yellow scorpion. And seems not much bitter. Seems indeed that yellow and maybe orange/peach superhots are the best as taste.
I put the salvaged piece on a marinara pizza, great combo.
 
I returned home too late and i had to shoot with tripod and not able to take all:
 

Jay's Peach
 

BBG7, decent in size
 

Butch T. 
 
Things got hard from here

Moruga chocolate. Now they have really good shape. Seems smaller  than moruga yellow, still not small.
 

Brainstrain.
Again, true shape it seems. As moruga chocolate, first ones were like fakes.
 

Primo. Couldn't take a better pic. Nice shapes. Peter from Semillas told that he could not distinguish those from Reaper. Tbh in my case Primo seems much more regular and maybe bigger.
 
Then i could not shot more. Maybe in some days i'll do something better.
Jay's Red are more or less like Peach, Moruga Caramel from Semillas has nice shape too and coarse skin, maybe a bit smaller than Moruga Chocolate, MoA is productive and pods are big, Bahamian Goat too set many pods.
Winder when Acrata and Aji Amarillo will set some. Bishops Crowns are taking a lot to ripe and aren't much productive.
 

Other 2 Moruga Caramel from Jamison.
Not fully ripened, i just could not stand without some fresh peppers.

 

[romy6]

 Nice poddage !!!!

 

[az1000]

Very nice pods.

 

[Jamison]

Hey Giancarlo! Man it seems as if the caramel morugas have gotten crossed with something in my garden from last year. Def not true to shape or color. Im so sorry about that! On the other hand tho they look absolutely mean as hell and a very very cool hybrid! Im going to try to remember what was planted near that and try to guess what it could have been crossed with. I have some more seeds id love to send you for next year that should grow true. Again im sorry about that!

 

[Essegi]

Thanks Romy and az1000!
Jamison thanks you too and no need indeed to feel sorry! I had just asked as a favour some Bahamian Goats and some MoA (that seems definetly true) and you added some caramel moruga on top. Since i am already growing them from Semillas it's even better that this turned out a strange hybrid. Probably i'm growing them again next year since i have many seeds left, for sure pods are really good and plant is productive!
Out of interest, how are your tomatoes?

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Hello Giancarlo! Your glog is great! Just got caught up and man you have had an interesting season. I would love to hear more about the sauces you're making from the Marzanini.

Good looking apricot sauce too! I played around with them (apricots) a bit last year but never landed on a recipe. Got to keep playing around with them.

The pod pics are also fantastic. You have a good eye and healthy plants to keep that eye busy.

 

[Essegi]

Hello Giancarlo! Your glog is great! Just got caught up and man you have had an interesting season. I would love to hear more about the sauces you're making from the Marzanini.

Good looking apricot sauce too! I played around with them (apricots) a bit last year but never landed on a recipe. Got to keep playing around with them.

The pod pics are also fantastic. You have a good eye and healthy plants to keep that eye busy.

Thanks Max! Weather that year is good, for now. Right now is a bit raining but i'm not at home, so atm i don't know if peppers are getting some, and it didn't for a week so it's not like last year (most rainy summer i've ever seen), temps are near 95F at max and should increase.
Apricot sauce was bad that time. Cumin, cilantro basil, parsley and maybe even lemon were not good here. Last time with apricot i kept thing simpler and sauce was better.
Marzanini sauce will be mostly simple passata with no spices and no salt, just tomato, my parents will do it. Of course i'll use it on pizza. I hope also some Marzano Lungo won't be plagued with ber, some passata with those should be great too.