maxcaps 2014 grow: avoiding the freeze!

Hello All,
 
New here, but feeling right at home. I figured I'd go ahead and get my glog started, though I may wait a few weeks yet before starting anything.
 
I'm pretty new, not totally new. I had a small grow last year, mostly in containers, bringing up plants that I hoped would make cool overwinter bonsai's (bonchi's). I ordered a handful of different varieties from http://fataliiseeds.net, all  95% of which sprouted nicely, though something must have gone wrong because many never grew true leaves. I think my house was too cold... I've moved now and now have an excellent heating system. I also kept the seeds by a window that I think got too drafty. 
 
I did have a handful of chinenses survive, including a wonderful Red Habanero from fataliiseeds, and some chiero roxa plants that produced a handful of tasty purple pods. I purchased some local Scotch Bonnett starts from a small scale nursery, and grew jalapeños and serrano starts from a local nursery. It's safe to say I am now addicted, as all these fire worked its way into my family's weekly diet. I have a 12'X8' plot begging for plants, and I may do some extra in containers...
 
Enough background. Here's the plan. As jalapeños (salsa, roasted, and canned) are not a staple, I want to grow a handful of varieties. The chinenses have amazing flavors, so I'm going to branch out with two or three new varieties (though sadly I did not save any scotch bonnet seeds from the last season... what is wrong with me?). Last year I tried some super hot varieties... none lived. I am going to try again! I actually ordered most of these seeds before stumbling upon this wonderful community. In any event, here is the lineup:
 
Chinenses:
 
Red Habanero (seeds kept and OW bonchi (thanks fatalii)
Chiero Roxa (seeds kept, may use OW bonchi, haven't decided)
Scotch Bonnett (forgot to keep seeds, but I can replant OW bonchi)
White Habanero (seeds from Pepper Joe, should arrive soon...)
Chocolate Habanero (seeds from Pepper Joe, should also arrive soon)
Fatali (from pepperlover.com)
Big Sun Habernero (from pepperlover)
 
Superhot Chinenses:
 
Carolina Reaper (seeds from PuckerButt)
Naga Morich (seeds from PuckerButt)
Bhut Jolokia (seeds from PuckerButt)
Dorset Naga (seeds from PuckerButt)
7 pod (from pepperlover.com)
 
Other Superhot:
 
Tiepin (seeds from PuckerButt)
 
Annuums:
 
Poblanos (from Pepper Joe... growing to Acho's to use as powder base)
Giant Jalapeño (from Pepper Joe)
Early Jalapeño (from Pepper Joe)
Black Jalapeño (from Pepper Joe)
Purple Jalapeño (from Pepper Joe)
Fresno Pepper (from Pepper Joe)
 
Wish I had found you guys sooner, I'd have added some douglah's to the list. I am also on the fence about adding a couple more chinense varieties. 
 
Also growing some companions. Planning on putting in a couple tomato plants, garlic, cilantro, and carrots (had a lot of luck with tasty fat purple carrots... atomic purple I think they were called)
 
Will post some picks of my OW bonchi's tomorrow, and start going into techniques. On the fence about coffee-filter germination versus sowing in a tray.

 

[Devv]

You're kickin' it Adam!
 
Those JA Habs are really strong growers, glad they're performing for you.
 
You're going to have a great year!

 

[stickman]

From the look of things, you'll have ripe Chinense pods before you know it... probably by the end of the month or July 4th. All standing proud too. Great job Adam!

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Adam, congratulations on rocking the pods in GA!  Look great!
 
Mike

 
Thanks Mike! They're really starting to roll in.
 

You're kickin' it Adam!
 
Those JA Habs are really strong growers, glad they're performing for you.
 
You're going to have a great year!

 
The JA Habs are looking very nice. Sadly it looks like a bird got one of 'em today. Alas. Plenty more podding up though.
 

From the look of things, you'll have ripe Chinense pods before you know it... probably by the end of the month or July 4th. All standing proud too. Great job Adam!

 
You are a sage. Today I pulled 5 pink roxas along with a couple of trippy Fresno peppers and surprise Jals. This is a tiny, but photogenic pull:
 

 
Going to sample one of the roxa's tomorrow. Froze the rest for use in salsas/sauces in the future. By the way, what is your experience with freezing jals? On the fence myself... I try to do big pulls, but I don't like leaving ripe pods on the plant too long.
 
Actually had quite a surprise today. I have two or three weak jalapenos. These are the ones that blew over toward the beginning of april. I pulled a bunch of unripe pods from them and hit them with some epsom salt foliar feed to try to get them moving again.
 
Oddly, within a day, this happened to the one I left a couple of small immature pods on:
 

 
The pods ripened in a day. They are not at full size. My guess it the mag was like a shot in the leg for the plant, kicked it back into action. It ripened the pods it had and will hopefully start setting new fruit now. Have any of you guys had a similar experience? 
 
This was supposed to be a black actually.
 

 
Looks like I'll need to start picking Santa Fe's this week too. Should be good fried up.
 
My wife made chickpea fajitas tonight and decided to toss the two ripe fresno's in with the bells. Very low heat but great jal flavor:
 

 
That's it for now... just a quick update. Always nice to have surprise pods!

 

[Devv]

I like it!
 
Fresh organic is way gooodd!
 
I have to go in the garden every day this time of year, things progress at their own rate and pretty much do what they want. So you never know
 
Foodie looks great!

 

[tctenten]

Peppers look great. Cannot wait until I start getting some from my plants.

 

[stickman]

Very cool Adam... more nice pics and foodie shots!
 
I don't freeze Jals for the same reason I don't hot-pack can them... they lose their crunch.    Instead, I pickle them at room temperature with a little pickling lime after sterilizing them with sodium metabisulfite. I boil the brine and cool it before adding to the peppers. I got the recipe from HabaneroHead's Mom in Hungary, and can pm it if you're interested.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Very cool Adam... more nice pics and foodie shots!
 
I don't freeze Jals for the same reason I don't hot-pack can them... they lose their crunch.    Instead, I pickle them at room temperature with a little pickling lime after sterilizing them with sodium metabisulfite. I boil the brine and cool it before adding to the peppers. I got the recipe from HabaneroHead's Mom in Hungary, and can pm it if you're interested.

 
The Jal's are rolling in, need to keep making plans for 'em. They're about to outstrip my salsa habit. Recipe is super helpful, but I wonder how you're supposed to seal them without heating them up?
 

Peppers look great. Cannot wait until I start getting some from my plants.

 
Won't be long bud!
 

I like it!
 
Fresh organic is way gooodd!
 
I have to go in the garden every day this time of year, things progress at their own rate and pretty much do what they want. So you never know
 
Foodie looks great!

 
Sure is. And they are doing exactly what they want about now:
 

 
Convinced the lady in the bed next to mine to plant some marigold, lavender, and herbs. Sneaky companion planting...
 
You guys warned me, but I didn't listen. The beds are exploding. Atlanta is heating up. Starting to get a beautiful wall of pepper foliage, interspersed with rapidly ripening fruit. The chinenses are dragging their feed, but the annuums are filling me up.
 

 
The great wall of bhut. Whites and yellows. Red hasn't set but one pod so far, but I'm sure they're coming. White has dozens, but they're well hidden beneath the leaves. Good thing too, because a bird hit the baccatum pods pretty hard today. One day I will have a ripe blondie...
 

 
The jalapeno fence. Didn't get nearly this much vigor last year... looks like each plant will ripen 3 or 4 pods a week at this rate. Which brings me to a question.. how long do you guys leave ripe pods on the plant after they turn color? I would like to let half a dozen or so turn red before picking, but I am afraid of the pod going mushy or getting eaten. 
 

 
Giant Jals from pepper joe have been the star jal producers this year. Took 8 pods from one plant last week and it's already got another handful reading to go. Taste good too. Need to do a side by side to see if I like them or biker billy's more. Cracked from Jamison are also producing very nicely.
 

 
Here are the MoA's from Jason. Looks like they're growing true. I got some from Jamison's seeds too, but the pic was blurry. Looks like both plants are producing nicely.
 

 
Indian Carbone from Jeff H. Also looking quite nice, but just a baby right now.
 

 
Salsa is coming... These are Granadero's from Johnnyseed. More or less Roma, but I picked 'em for disease resistance, as this is a crowded grow space. I need to get in there and do some trimming... toms are going crazy.
 

 
Brandywines. Who doesn't love a good brandywine? Also selected for disease resistance.
 
I dry-roasted the ripe black jals from earlier this week on a cast iron skillet. After the skins browned I peeled em, seeded them, and through them in some eggs. Made an excellent lunch... a very sweet, mild pod with good texture. Need to get creative with the ones I have ripening.
 

 
My first ripe chinenses are the 2nd generation Roxa's. Pods turn pink when ripe, but really are kind of green-yellow-pink. Last year I processed these into a sauce with carrots and carribean habs. Decided to follow THP's tradition and chomp one of 'em to see how they are fresh.
 

 
Pods have a pleasing shape, very low heat for a chinense, and fruity notes. I ate the bottom tip of one half after seeding the pod. Wasn't bad, but was too small to learn munch, so I tossed the rest of the pod in my mouth. Heat was low, barely registered actually. But the pod did have that fruity hab taste. It wasn't strong, but it was there. 
 
Debating how I'll use these pods. I selected Roxas for bonchi's initially, and they make great bonchis. I am thinking crossing them with the white hab would make for a tasty, photogenic plant, but that is all plans for the future. I froze the extra roxa pods for use in upcoming projects.
 
Bought a dehydrator for powders today with some birthday cash. Also considering a smoke box for my gas grill, but still debating between the sauce and powder route. I love sauces, but I've been using all those powders you guys sent me like crazy. Powders make it easy to experiment with flavors too. Decisions decisions.
 
Thanks for reading!

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

Loving all them pepper shots.  On your purple jalapenos, I would let them darken red, but keep a pinch test on them to make sure they are still firm.  I had some black Hungarians get soft on me last year, but I sort of didn't keep at them like I should have.  Too busy eating other peppers.
 
Your beds are really looking nice!!!

 

[Devv]

Another B-day!
 
Happy B-Day Adam!..
 
Your beds are doing really well!
 
Yes they may be a bit crowded, but you went with what was available. I would have taken the same route for sure!
 
Have great weekend!

 

[chile_freak]

garden looks great bro, good on ya!

 

[GA Growhead]

Happy birthday too Adam!
I let pods go at least a week after the pod has completely changed color if I am after seeds. Sometimes weeks.

 

[stickman]

 
The Jal's are rolling in, need to keep making plans for 'em. They're about to outstrip my salsa habit. Recipe is super helpful, but I wonder how you're supposed to seal them without heating them up?

 
You wash and sterilize the jars and lids, and boil the brine and let it come back to room temperature first, but that's exactly right... that's how you get crunchy jalapeno rings. The sodium metabisulfate in the recipe kills off any nasties on the peppers themselves. Just wash them well beforehand and make sure to pull/scrape off the stems and bits of calyx as those will make the pickled peppers bitter. The same as if you were making sauce.
 
It really does look like an Annuum explosion in your garden Adam... I'm sure you'll get it sorted... and a Hippo Birdie Two Ewes to you too... Cheers!

 

[meatfreak]

Love your grow, Adam. I usually leave the ripe pods on for at least 2 weeks to be sure the seeds are good. Some varieties even need longer, I had the Ampuis growing last season and even after 2 weeks not a lot of seeds were good. Great looking Jals you got there I did a different method on pickling my Jalapeno's last season and they had more then enough crunch. Think I posted it in my 2013 glog. Gonna be doing the same this year. 

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Well done Adam. The garden looks night and day compared to a couple months ago. Very happy plants. Fajitas look good.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Wow guys thanks for all the comments! Things are really picking up this month... hoping to be able to really start processing soon.
 

Loving all them pepper shots.  On your purple jalapenos, I would let them darken red, but keep a pinch test on them to make sure they are still firm.  I had some black Hungarians get soft on me last year, but I sort of didn't keep at them like I should have.  Too busy eating other peppers.
 
Your beds are really looking nice!!!

 
Thanks HJeff! You're dead on on the purple/black jals... they taste wonderful and sweet once they change. And the color is very trippy too. Might make a really fun ripe jal sauce. My wife is asking for fish recipes... you got any simple preps you recommend?
 

Another B-day!
 
Happy B-Day Adam!..
 
Your beds are doing really well!
 
Yes they may be a bit crowded, but you went with what was available. I would have taken the same route for sure!
 
Have great weekend!

 
Sure are. I like the crowd though. So far things have stayed much healthier than they did when I grew in a ton of pots, but I may have a better handle on what's going on. I've also been very adamant about removing troubled foliage and keeping the airflow. The second chinense bed is catching up with the first. 
 

garden looks great bro, good on ya!

 
Thanks man! 
 

Happy birthday too Adam!
I let pods go at least a week after the pod has completely changed color if I am after seeds. Sometimes weeks.

 
Thanks Jason! Yeah I am letting them go a little longer than I did last year, as much to get enough ripe pods for processing as anything else. So worried ripened pods are gonna get snatched by birds or worms though.
 
Seeds are tricky. I have gotten a couple of plants to set in organza bags, so I should have some isolate seed to contribute to the train. Not every variety yet. The MoA's are being difficult.
 

 
You wash and sterilize the jars and lids, and boil the brine and let it come back to room temperature first, but that's exactly right... that's how you get crunchy jalapeno rings. The sodium metabisulfate in the recipe kills off any nasties on the peppers themselves. Just wash them well beforehand and make sure to pull/scrape off the stems and bits of calyx as those will make the pickled peppers bitter. The same as if you were making sauce.
 
It really does look like an Annuum explosion in your garden Adam... I'm sure you'll get it sorted... and a Hippo Birdie Two Ewes to you too... Cheers!

 
Tons of questions, but this is soon on my list of projects. See below! And thanks again for all the help!
 

Love your grow, Adam. I usually leave the ripe pods on for at least 2 weeks to be sure the seeds are good. Some varieties even need longer, I had the Ampuis growing last season and even after 2 weeks not a lot of seeds were good. Great looking Jals you got there I did a different method on pickling my Jalapeno's last season and they had more then enough crunch. Think I posted it in my 2013 glog. Gonna be doing the same this year. 

 
Thanks man! Glad to know I can let them go a little longer than I though. Just worried about birds. Jal pickles are coming soon.
 

Well done Adam. The garden looks night and day compared to a couple months ago. Very happy plants. Fajitas look good.

 
Thanks man! Yeah it has really taken off, and bounced back after the April freeze. I was expecting to hit these speeds in July, but I'm happy the plants decided to really start performing in June.
 
They're coming! Pods have started ripening all over the place. Going to let them sit on the branch a little longer to get good quantities for processing. Lining up a ton of projects for upcoming weeks.
 

 
Birthday loot. Picked up the ingredients for Rick's pickle recipe, a smokebox and some cherry wood chips for our apartment's gas grill (going to smoke some super pods for powders). Dehydrator is en route as well, should be here tomorrow. Which is good... I think I'll be able to start using it next week.
 
Weekend projects for the next couple of weeks:
 
1) Salsa (if I run out)
2) Try out Baláz's pickled Jal recipe via Rick
3) Jal Jelly
 
Also planning to ferment some red pods... not sure which kind yet. Sauces are in the works as well. Chinenses aren't really mature enough yet to get any of this rollin' but it's coming.
 
Got to the garden today. Spent most of the time trimming and corralling tomato plants, pulling a couple of weeds, and hit a couple of pale plants with epsom salt.
 
Now for pods:
 

 
Goat's Weed! After a week or two I should have enough for dehydrating.
 

 
Long Orange Thai via Jason via Annie. This plant doesn't like a ton of moisture.
 

 
JA Habs getting HUGE.
 

 
Giant Jals are my most productive. Gonna let a couple get closer to ripening.
 

 
Ripening purple and black jals.
 

 
Jagged, gnarly fatali.
 

 
And here she is, the queen of the garden... the white bhut. Starting to ripen. Right now this one is looking yellow. I assume the white will come after the yellow. Hard to see in the light.
 

 
MoA's looking good. Got two good MoA's going, one from Jamison and one from Jason. Both look to be growing true. Great looking pods.
 

 
Wall of Roma's forming. Can't wait!
 
Thanks for reading!

 

[stickman]

Looking great Adam... you're well-placed for a chile explosion any time now! Keep us posted on the pickling experiment, and Drive On!

 

[stc3248]

Looking great Adam! I am with everyone else....I pull what's ready every Saturday and don't worry about them the rest of the week. They won't go soft, but if you're worried about birds and bugs you can pick them a little early. 

 

[HillBilly Jeff]

Pod shots are awesome.  You will start popping soon.
 
Fish recipes that are simple is just a simple brown sugar/salt brine then smoke with a fruit wood. I also like mine deep fried.  I fillet them down thinner so they will fry up crispier.  Flour, then dip in milk, then in your bread crumbs.  I keep my right hand dry and use it for the bread crumbs so the crumbs don't get all messed up with the milk.  Dried hot pepper powder works wonderfully in the bread crumbs, as does a hot sauce or diced hot peppers in a homemade tartar sauce.  Those are about as simple as they come.
 
Good luck.

 

[Sawyer]

Your grow is just beautiful, Adam.  Mine seems to be bordering on disaster.  I was late getting them in, but these last two weeks of almost continuous cloudiness and cool temperatures has stalled everything (pepper-wise... other things are doing okay).  Worse than stalled, actually, I'm losing plants by the day.  It's supposed to clear off Wednesday, so hopefully that will help.  Never thought too cool and too cloudy would be a problem in Arkansas in June.  Strange times indeed.
 
I made some jalapeno pickled rings last year that turned out well.  I sliced them and packed them into 1/2 pint or pint jars, along with 1/8 or 1/4 tsp of calcium chloride (I see you have some up there).  Then I poured a hot, spiced vinegar solution over them, seal and hot water bath process for 15 minutes.  No added salt in the vinegar, the calcium chloride substitutes for that and has the added benefit of preserving the crispness of the rings.  They probably aren't as crisp as Rick's no-cook version, but they are far more crisp than some of the store-bought pickles I've had.  Plus they are as shelf-stable as any other acidified pickle.

 

[maximumcapsicum]

Looking great Adam... you're well-placed for a chile explosion any time now! Keep us posted on the pickling experiment, and Drive On!

 
Thanks Rick! I think this week's pull is gonna be a big one. Lots of Jals, my first supers, and a half a dozen or so Goat's Weed should be ready. Pickles, salsa, and smoked supers are on the horizong.
 

Looking great Adam! I am with everyone else....I pull what's ready every Saturday and don't worry about them the rest of the week. They won't go soft, but if you're worried about birds and bugs you can pick them a little early. 

 
Thanks for the advice! In the past I've pulled them almost as soon as they turned color. I'm trying to be more patient this year, build up a nice pull. If I start losing them to pests that'll change the equation a bit.
 

Pod shots are awesome.  You will start popping soon.
 
Fish recipes that are simple is just a simple brown sugar/salt brine then smoke with a fruit wood. I also like mine deep fried.  I fillet them down thinner so they will fry up crispier.  Flour, then dip in milk, then in your bread crumbs.  I keep my right hand dry and use it for the bread crumbs so the crumbs don't get all messed up with the milk.  Dried hot pepper powder works wonderfully in the bread crumbs, as does a hot sauce or diced hot peppers in a homemade tartar sauce.  Those are about as simple as they come.
 
Good luck.

 
Thanks HJeff! That's the goal. Got a bunch of pods turning color now. Pics tomorrow.
 
Going to give these fish techniques a try after my in-laws visit next week. I am itching to fire up the grill.
 

Your grow is just beautiful, Adam.  Mine seems to be bordering on disaster.  I was late getting them in, but these last two weeks of almost continuous cloudiness and cool temperatures has stalled everything (pepper-wise... other things are doing okay).  Worse than stalled, actually, I'm losing plants by the day.  It's supposed to clear off Wednesday, so hopefully that will help.  Never thought too cool and too cloudy would be a problem in Arkansas in June.  Strange times indeed.
 
I made some jalapeno pickled rings last year that turned out well.  I sliced them and packed them into 1/2 pint or pint jars, along with 1/8 or 1/4 tsp of calcium chloride (I see you have some up there).  Then I poured a hot, spiced vinegar solution over them, seal and hot water bath process for 15 minutes.  No added salt in the vinegar, the calcium chloride substitutes for that and has the added benefit of preserving the crispness of the rings.  They probably aren't as crisp as Rick's no-cook version, but they are far more crisp than some of the store-bought pickles I've had.  Plus they are as shelf-stable as any other acidified pickle.

 
Thanks man. You're going to bounce back man, and at least the cloudiness gives the plants some time to strengthen. This has been a rough season for a lot of folks. It's actually been significantly drier around here this year, which has helped cut down on disease and pests.
 
This sounds like more or less what I'm going for. Going to try this and Rick's recipe via Balázs as well. (Need a THP Glogger's compendium cookbook-wiki I think...) I think I'll have enough jals. Also need to do a big salsa batch, probably very basic. Giant Jals are definitely my best producer. Next are cracked and Biker Billy's.
 
Four "white" bhuts have turned yellow now. Do the whites normally turn white after yellow, or is this just where I'm at? No negative feelings either way. Some of the pods the plant has produced so far look amazing.
 
Didn't have time to take any good pics today. Will try to get some pod shots tomorrow. Looking forward to Friday or Saturday's pull.
 
Thanks for commenting guys!