PeriPeri's Grow Log 2012: South Africa

Stefan_W · Jan 25, 2013

PeriPeri said:
Well, we are having a heat wave at the moment, its 38ºC today... haven't had rain for quite a few days now... so come on heat!

Wow, we couldn't couldnt be any further apart. Our temps here were sitting at -30 all week, not including wind chill. A nice 38 degree day seems like a slice of heaven right now!

PeriPeri · Jan 25, 2013

Stefan_W said:
Wow, we couldn't couldnt be any further apart. Our temps here were sitting at -30 all week, not including wind chill. A nice 38 degree day seems like a slice of heaven right now!

I can not even imagine -30ºC... I can't even imagine you get to summer time temps with temps that low. OMG that is cold... !

PeriPeri · Jan 26, 2013

Huge thunder storms at night, but alas... all electrical, no rain

Was at the farm today and all looking good. Things still not turning red... but I am sure it will come.

I will post pictures later, got to get them off the camera first.

saugapepper · Jan 26, 2013

Once they start turning red, you won't stop picking until May!

PeriPeri · Jan 27, 2013

saugapepper said:
Once they start turning red, you won't stop picking until May!

I'm counting on it lol!

So lets start with the smallest plant in my garden... it's called ignite. Its about 4cm3 and I'm totally fixated on this plant. It had a nice pod, so I ate it. I think the pods are meant to turn red... but this miniature plant's pods have a kick lol Good name. I can't help thinking that the guys doing the grow throwdown should try and grow this little plant and see who can grow the biggest plant or pods for that matter... now this would be interesting - as this is definately a dwarf chilli!

And there appears to a green little bug on this plant lol

Touch wood... I have seen quite a few aphids here and there, but an absolute army of Lady Birds and good bugs... so things stay in check

Ignite breakfast was small but hot lol

Bishops are still green. We are having very hot weather at the moment, so I am hoping, this will bring on a flurry of colour sooner rather than later.

This Bishops was looking particularly gnarly and freakish...

My first Red Cherry Bomb... yay! Can't wait to do a taste test on this one. I may have to remove the seeds though as I have so few of these babies.

I think not long before the Black Pearls start to turn. I did make Chilli flakes from these spicy little fellas the one year and the smell (never mind the taste) was just out of this world.

These little fellas are definately the brightest most irridescent red chillies in my garden. Someone metioned they were Facing Heaven chillies... I just hate it when nurseries sell stuff that is incorrect. Confuses the hell out of us guys...

The Hot Pixies are coming along great. I have been meaning to find out if the Hot Pixie and the Bishops are in fact one and the same.... this is a pic of the Hot Pixie, which seems to have a tail in the middle...

The Bishops do not seem to have this tail, but are rather rounded in the middle part. So I am coming to my own conclusion that the Bishops and Hot Pixies are not the same...

Fatalii's coming on...

Fish Peppers galore...

Bump please someone

Ok, so my intention is to collect seeds and freeze flesh by type. Later, I will make sauces from the flesh. I am hoping to create a 2013 vintage which will be a blend of all of the chillies this season and this will be available in mild and hot. I will have to play around with the mix... but seeing I am separating all the flesh at source will mean I can do this. I have a pre-concieved notion that I would like to use the Bishops as the main base for my sauces. I fell in love with the juicy and amazing flavour (and mild kick) of the bishops last year. I thought they would make a great base for any sauce.

We finally got some rain in the early hours of this morning here in Joburg. The farm is bout 1 hours drive from here and the story might be different there. At the moment I keep fluctuating between wanting to water less to get the chillies to go a little hotter and wanting rain. Sitting at ones computer it is easy to hypothasize, but when you stand amongst the chillies its a different story all together. That sun is fierce... its very very hot and the ground is baking... I almost kick into rescue mode and just want to water all day long. It amazes me how they get fried out there and still survive...

I couldn't help thinking while I was standing watering the chillies barefoot, that one could actually fry an egg on the dirt lol... clearly breakfast was on my mind.

stickman · Jan 27, 2013

Hi Lourens
Bump for more pics... Nice looking\ so far! Mulching would deffo cool the soil it that's an issue.

DocNrock · Jan 27, 2013

It's about to go crazy with color down there. Awesome. Glad to hear the little Ignite lived up to it's name! Pods look great.

millworkman · Jan 27, 2013

Awesome pictures Peri!!!! Looking great!

PeriPeri · Jan 27, 2013

stickman said:
Hi Lourens
Bump for more pics... Nice looking\ so far! Mulching would deffo cool the soil it that's an issue.

Thanks Stickman, I would definately do, just would take some load of mulching to cover all the dirt lol

DocNrock said:
It's about to go crazy with color down there. Awesome. Glad to hear the little Ignite lived up to it's name! Pods look great.

Yea bring it on!

millworkman said:
Awesome pictures Peri!!!! Looking great!

Thanks Millworkman... gonna load some more tonight!

PeriPeri · Jan 27, 2013

Brown Habaneros coming on...

Red Haba too...

Still not sure when these Pasilla Bajio's will be ready...

Serranos doing good...

I love those little Cheyenne's... taste really great too!

stickman · Jan 27, 2013

Ooh... Nice! The Pasillas will be ready when they turn a chocolate brown. Until then, they'll be a very dark green. Have you tasted Pasillas yet?

PeriPeri · Jan 27, 2013

Not long before they go yellow...

stickman said:
Ooh... Nice! The Pasillas will be ready when they turn a chocolate brown. Until then, they'll be a very dark green. Have you tasted Pasillas yet?

Hey Stickman, I haven't. I tried a green one, but it just tasted green lol... Brown... what is their specific background? How are they used culinarily?

The curious condom chilli. It doesn't catch any diseases

The Naga Morich oooh... looks like a bit of colour coming on there... can't wait to do teh taste test of these babies

Golden Haba's are already producing nice yellow pods. Changing colour every day now.

7 Pod getting the first pod

stickman · Jan 27, 2013

PeriPeri said:
Hey Stickman, I haven't. I tried a green one, but it just tasted green lol... Brown... what is their specific background? How are they used culinarily?

Hi Lourens
They're Mexican, and used for Mole and other sauces, dried and kept whole or powdered. I use a blend of dried pasillas, anaheims, chimayos and anchos ground together with toasted cumin and garlic powder for my chili powder mix. They're a mild and flavorful chile. Here's a good overview and recipe... http://www.examiner....le-sauce-recipe

GA Growhead · Jan 27, 2013

Looking really good.

PeriPeri · Jan 27, 2013

stickman said:
Hi Lourens
They're Mexican, and used for Mole and other sauces, dried and kept whole or powdered. I use a blend of dried pasillas, anaheims, chimayos and anchos ground together with toasted cumin and garlic powder for my chili powder mix. They're a mild and flavorful chile. Here's a good overview and recipe... http://www.examiner....le-sauce-recipe

Hi Stickman, thank you... it's great understanding the real speciality of chillies like this! I will check this out.

GA Growhead said:
Looking really good.

Thanks man.... come on colour already lol!

PeriPeri is still green... But I have put my feelers out for supply on PeriPeri. Seeing I am in Southern Africa, I have asked my gardener to bring me PeriPeri from Zimbabwe. And someone else PeriPeri from Mazambique... I need to get someone from Malawi to bring me some from there... I do believe they are all different. Much like the Ghost pepper has different names and slightly different types all over India. I know in Zimbabwe the locals call it Bile Bile (Pronounced Beele Beele - Ndebele for Peri Peri) and also PeriPeri... but to be factual, it was the Portuguese that brought PeriPeri or Birdseye chillies to Southern Africa and it was actually Mozambique where they first arrived

Most chilliehaeds always talk about the Zim Birdseye... but the real origin of the Birdseye lies in Mozambique! In any case... PeriPeri sauce is a huge thing here as it is in Mozambique... excellent with chicken or a barbeque (we call it a braai)...

PIC 1 · Jan 27, 2013

Nice Lourens, ripened yellow habs already !

PeriPeri · Jan 27, 2013

This Indian Phuli Jyoti is curious. Thin long chillies hanging like threads from the plant. I think it will look awesome once the chillies turn red...

PIC 1 said:
Nice Lourens, ripened yellow habs already !

Thanks Pic1, yea... I think they are Golden Habs... they look different to the usual orange Habs... not much heat on the first one I tried... but hopefully the heat will still develop!

Now these plants have been sloooooooooooow to grow and are just like watching paint dry... Not much happening along the lines of flowers either...

If the Tabasco behind is about 1,4m... the Brainstrain here is about 600-700mm... but really not showing too much urgency to throw pods.

Caroline Reapers are also taking time... they have grown in height etc... but not too much happening in the pod department.

Bhut Jolokia is another slow growing customer in this patch... I think I am going to get some more seaweed fert... one more round should give them a kick maybe

Johnny Cash's favourite...

White Habanero is looking a little better... its been branching out,,, hopefully there will be some pods soon.

Antilaise Carabean is also one that belongs in the slow grow category for me. Its throwing flowers though even though it is still quite small.

Bahaminan Goat Pepper coming along nicely

and the Nagalah,

Might need a wee bump from someone please

GA Growhead · Jan 27, 2013

The bhut and reapers are not far from putting out pods. They all look great.

PeriPeri · Jan 28, 2013

GA Growhead said:
The bhut and reapers are not far from putting out pods. They all look great.

Thanks GA Growhead, that does give me confidence. One seems to go through these phases... one week they just shoot up and the next they seem to show very little development

I must say that I am getting very curious about the Reaper... there have been so many mixed reports. Can't wait to have a taste lol

Devils going through a wee bit of a go slow at the moment too... which makes me think maybe ferts are on the books...

And then theres the back enders...

I do love the Douglah. Amazing taste in my books and wow... hot! Lovely all round chilli! I just hope well see some pods... 3 months max till winter...

Moruga... would love to see these pods too...

Primo... so much talk about these babies!

I have got a big Primo somewhere in the garden... didn't take any pics this time though huh...

Barakpore... don't know too much about this one, would be nice to make an aquaintance lol

I had a few of the hybrids die on me in the nursery. Sadly the ButchTXMoruga and I think the ButchTXJonah did not make it. Would have been very interesting hybrids I think... Personally I think the ButchT is killer, unfortunately it is a no show on the flavour rankings... so a hybrid with one of the supers with flavour would be an exellent way to improve on the ButchT. But hey... that leves plenty to look forward to next year! A cross between the ButchT and Douglah could be interesting... and I am sure we will be seeing ButchTXReapers soon too...

Cutworm have definately been a pain in my... Ass for the whitefly - I am thanking mother nature there has been none of those!

PeriPeri · Jan 28, 2013

Got a bit of an interest in the whole PeriPeri thing at the moment... I want to do some research on this. I just read several articles and there does seem to be much discrepancy. Peri Peri (the plant - as we know it) originated from the South Americas... I can appreciate that it is a cousin of the Tabasco... and brought to Africa (Mozambique & Angola) by the Portuguese as these were their colonies in africa. It seems like Peri Peri is in fact the original name which came from the local language in Mozambique. Pili Pili is a drivative of this in swahili (Kenyan)... and in Zim they call it Bile Bile which also is a derivative of Peri Peri... I am not sure how Birdseye fits into the equation as this is apparently missleading... And the Portuguese took the chilli home and the name Peri Peri has stuck... I see it will be interesting to get to the bottom of this all... a project! As a starting point I'm going to research all the variations in the name... Peri Peri, Pili Pili, Piri Piri, Bile Bile... the list is growing...