KingLeerUK GLOG 2015 - "time to make the powders"

Prologue
 
"Our hero, battered from the trials and frustrations of the 2014 season had originally determine that there would not be a sequel to his story.  2014 was a terrible year, between the torrential and unending rains of March-May, the unrelenting whiteflies, the brown spot, and the zombie aphids that continually arose from the dead to plague again and again...
 
Pair this with a busy race schedule for the Fall and extended family drama: our hero decided to sit 2015 out.
 
Alas, a decision was made to "plant some of my overwinters and a few tomatoes" and like a phoenix, the pepper-growing bug struck again.
 
Sit back friends and revel in the continuation of our story..."
 
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2014 was a terribly growing year for me, and probably most of Central Florida.  I originally was going to give the garden a pass for the year but I somehow had about 20 overwinter survivors in 7" pots that I ultimately decided to give a chance in-ground.  I did spend a weekend in early March amending the soil with mushroom compost, several bags of peat moss, about 20 bags of Black Kow, and 25 pounds each of vermiculite and perlite.
 
Last year my big motivation killer after all of the disease and pests was... WEEDS.  So, this year I invested in a few loads of cypress mulch and a weed barrier.  It's not 100% effective but it's drastically cut down on the weed forest I had from l last year.
 
During plant out I lost my single Aleppo and felt compelled to start some new ones from seed.  If you're going to start a few seeds you might as well  start 25, right?
 
The Grow List - any listings with (ow) designate as overwinters
 
7 Pod Brain Strain Yellow (ow)
7 Pod Jonah (ow)
7 Pod Primo (ow)
Aji Amarillo
Aji Cito
Aji Oro Rocoto
Aji Verde
Aleppo
Alma Paprika
Aribibi Gusano Orange (ow)
Barrackpore 7 Pod (ow)
Bhut Jolokia Red (ow)
Bishop's Crown (ow)
Brazilian Starfish (ow)
Carolina Reaper (ow)
Cayenne Long Red (ow)
Cherry Bomb Red
Chinese Bullet Pepper
Çumra Cherry
Datil (ow)
Devil's Tongue Red (ow)
Douglah (ow)
Dulce Marrón
Ethiopian Brown Berbere
Giant Jalapeno (ow)
Golden Cayenne
Kung Pao
Matay
Naga Morich (ow)
Naga Viper (ow)
Negro Chilhuacle
Orange Rocoto
Purple Carolina Reaper (ow**)
Purple Jalapeno
Red Habanero (ow)
Tatli Top
Trinidad Scorpion Moruga
Yatsufusa Pepper
 
** the "Purple Carolina Reaper" was a Carolina Reaper plant I had from last year that produced some very magenta-red pods, some with stunted tails and others with no tails at all.  I did save some seeds.  There is still a bit of mystery behind this one so we'll see how it pods out this year.
 
This GLOG won't be all-inclusive for the year to date.  I'd even debated the utility of keeping a GLOG this year but everything has been SO productive and the weather and pests have been very amenable so far; it may very well be my best year yet!

A few recent pictures:

Naga Morich
 

7 Pod "Brain Strain" Yellow
 

This MONSTER Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, in-ground overwinter, over 4' across, 2'+ tall

Naga Viper - I still can't get over how dark the foliage is on this plant
 

Unorthodox (drastic measures) tomato staking method
 

Laugh all you want... my tomatoes are over 5' tall already, the Lemon Pear tomato is cruising for 7'
 

Golden Cayenne
 

Brazilian Starfish - a few are starting to turn yellow

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KingLeerUK will return in a future post...

 

 

[KingLeerUK]

Easing into the weekend with a few progress  pics:
 

Datils with a bit of sunburn
 
 

Jeepers creepers, where'd you get those Reapers?
 
Reapers...  reapers everywhere...
 
 

I have my first fully-ripe 7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow
 
 

So.Many.Starfish.

 
 

Not a pepper, but worthy of some excitement; I'll be having my first Lemon Boy Tomatoes this weekend, delicious!

 

[RPM55]

Looking good !!!
I had a Reaper plant last season that had deep red almost purple pods but they weren't the proper reaper shape. The plant had purple stems and purple tint to the leaves. I thought that it may have been a cross between a reaper and a cgn 2500 that I had beside each other the year before. I saved seeds and planted some this year but they don't have the purple tint to the stems or leaves this year, they are very prolific producers though.
 
Keep up the good work.
 
Robert

 

[KingLeerUK]

I pulled a small harvest this morning to  drop in a SFRB to a friend in North Carolina, whether he will be my friend after he receives the contents of the box remains to be seen...
 

 
Clockwise from the top-left:
 - 7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow (3)
 - Trinidad Scorpion (7)
 - Jalapeño (2)
 - Carolina Reaper (3)
 - Naga Morich (3)
 
 
Just look at this monster 7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow
 

 

[parker49]

Holy crap that's a big ass brainstrain.

 

[Spicegeist]

Great looking pods, nice work!

 

[KingLeerUK]

I haven't had time to do much more than water the garden and do some mini harvests for friends and family.  Everything continues to do really well even with these exceptionally high temperatures here in Central Florida: averaging 97'F all week and we haven't had a speck of rain for over a week now with none really predicted until next week (which is just an optimistic guess in my opinion).
 
Some quick pics snapped this morning after my run:
 

Do you even Naga, bro?  I'm having trouble keeping with giving these Naga Morich away as they ripen.
 
 

The 7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow has exceeded all expectations for productivity both in quantity of pods and their dimensions.  Most are pushing the 2.5" diameter boundary, with the occasional 3" beast.
 
 

My first Golden Cayenne is nearly ready, I'm sure I'll have this for dinner this weekend; one of the very best for stir fry.
 
 

Brazilian Starfish are beginning to turn over to yellow/red.  I'm looking forward to trying these - it will be my first baccatum ever.
 
 

Not a pepper, but my very favorite tomato variety the Lemon Boy. I've been harvesting smaller 2" specimens now for a week, this one is over 5" across.

 

[KingLeerUK]

Some weekend pictures from this morning before it got too hot out.
 

Hidden heat: Trinidad Scorpion Moruga.  There are over 50 pods on this plant alone but most of them are under the foliage.
 
 

A very loaded 7 Pot Jonah
 
 

Typical phenotype Yellow Brain Strain (and large)
 
 

BRAINSSSSSSS
 
 

The Bishop's Crown has to be one of the most uniquely shaped peppers.
 
 
 
I need a bump.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Nice looking pods. Love the grow op.

 

[KingLeerUK]

 
Do you want Nagas?  Because we have Nagas...lots of them (Morich)
 

I'm not even kidding.  Nagas.
 

My first Brazilian Starfish is ready!
 

More Carolina Reapers than you can weep into your pillow to.
 

A ripe 7 Pod Primo
 

Non-chile, the tomato pull this morning: Lemon Boys, Early Girls, Lemon Pears, Plums

 

[KingLeerUK]

Better light shows off just how loaded this 7 Pot Jonah really is.
 
 

Delicious and sizeable; these Cowhorns are starting to turn.
 
 

I filled my pockets with what I could from the Yellow Brain Strain and Naga Morich.
 

Seriously big pods.
 
 

My tomatoes have reached the roof of the house.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Very nice pods. They look text book. Congrats on the harvest. Florida is definitely in the house.
That's a nice garden setup.

 

[KingLeerUK]

I just harvested and ate my first ever Brazilian Starfish pod and it was flippin' delicious.  Red bell pepper with a bit of nutty undertone (slightly almond maybe?) with a subtle, diffuse heat that started slow and then stayed around for several minutes after finishing.  Completely unlike the sharp, stingy heat of a cayenne or jalapeño, nor was it like the tongue-ripping power of a superhot C.chinense.  This one has definitely found a place on my favorites list.
 
I can see this one being an absolutely fantastic hors d'oeuvre when stuffed with a rich cheese like brie and some herbs.

I'm surprised more C.baccatum varieties are not more common in markets here in the US?

 

[ribbedturtleneck]

I'm jealous of your Jonah plant.

That's the kind of production I dream about from mine.

 

[KingLeerUK]

Time to make the powders...
 

What will we dehydrate today?  Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, 7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow and Naga Morich
 
 

Brain Strains split
 
 

and de-seeded
 
 

Naga Morich split
 
 

Morugas split
 
To the dehydrator, Batman!
 

 

 

 
I'm dehydrating these on the lowest heat setting 105°F for what I expect will be a period of at least 36 hours given the high relative humidity here in Central Florida.  I've got my spice grinder ready to receive.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

There you go. I love making powder. I also freeze pods for hot sauce and cooking. Gotta love the Super's. Doesn't take much to heat up a batch of sauce. Or anything for that matter. LOL

Thanks for sharing

 

[KingLeerUK]

So, after spending FOUR DAYS in the dehydrator the peppers have the consistency of slightly stale saltine crackers.  I don't think I can get them any drier due to the relative humidity here in  Central Florida tending to hover around 60%.  The peppers have been put into  airtight containment with a spoonful of rice to try and offset any moisture re-uptake until I can get around to grinding them.
 
The color has been very beautifully preserved on all three:
 

Top: 7 Pot Brain Strain Yellow, Right: Naga Morich, Left: Trinidad Scorpion Moruga
 

 

[JoynersHotPeppers]

Nice color on those dried pods and some of those brains are picture perfect!

 

[BigB]

rice at the bottom....never thought of that. good idea! think i'll go put rice in my jars of dried pods now hehe

 

[KingLeerUK]

I did a quick harvest of Brazilian Starfish pods this morning and found that one of the pods had a little extra...
 

 

 
I know it's not that uncommon to get a double-pod, but I don't know if I've ever seen one where half was ripe and the other half still green.

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Double pods always cool. I wish all my pods did that.