StettoGro 4: Spredner Tin 2020

ahayastani · Sep 23, 2020

stettoman said:
Mmmm Dieter, we use the Anaheims on virtually every facet of cook that we do. I love growing, picking, roasting, cooking, eating them!

The Ripe ones seem quite a bit more stubborn when it comes to roasting and peeling, but they do have an evolved flavor when ripe. I make a self-styled Chiles Rellenos with whole peeled chiles, Big Jim or otherwise, that look like a thick green pancake. A Mexican lady in Tucson AZ taught me the recipe, and I've NEVER seen it done that way anywhere, restaurant or home made. The dried chiles, lightly salted and broken up into small pieces, are great on a salad in place of croutons. I've heard they're great deep fried too.

I haven't smoked them, but now you got me thinking....

Thanks for the explanation! In my world, Anaheim peppers are unknown... For my Mexican family, Anaheim is Disneylandia

stettoman · Sep 24, 2020

ahayastani said:
Thanks for the explanation! In my world, Anaheim peppers are unknown... For my Mexican family, Anaheim is Disneylandia

Funny man....No, really.

I like to just call them "chiles". The word to me means all the hybrids and crosses they can come up with. I prefer the "hotter" varieties, though I haven't had what I'd call a hot chile, only spicier. Until harvest, if we run out of the previous seasons freezer stock, we buy the quart jars of 505 Southwestern chopped "Hatch" chiles to get by...They have a pretty good, warm flavor, but nuthin' beats homegrown...

stettoman · Sep 28, 2020

The tomatillo crop is overwhelming. This is just the first pick, there's easily twice this still on the plant...I'll have to freeze the bulk of these, but not before making a great amount of Salsa Verde...

ahayastani · Sep 28, 2020

In Europe I sold my extras to members of the very small Mexican community in my area. For small money really, but these plants were so productive, the people grateful, and the freezer full... Pennies for the piggy bank, savings to buy compost in winter

I can't really recall problems with these plants, except for overloaded branches that could snap after rainy weather.

You'll like your salsa verde :thumbsup:

stettoman · Sep 28, 2020

ahayastani said:
In Europe I sold my extras to members of the very small Mexican community in my area. For small money really, but these plants were so productive, the people grateful, and the freezer full... Pennies for the piggy bank, savings to buy compost in winter I can't really recall problems with these plants, except for overloaded branches that could snap after rainy weather.

You'll like your salsa verde

Yeah, those branches get leggy, then load up with the weight. I started tying them up with twine. You'd think the Darwin thing would have woke these guys up to evolving with stouter limbs, eh?

This is my first tomatillo grow, so naturally will be my first homemade Salsa Verde. I'm already conniving to up my game with a number of the recipes I use often, like pork green chili and my shredded beef enchiladas...

I do have an aversion to cilantro, was overdosed by a woman who knew no tasteful restraint. But we will see, yes?

stettoman · Sep 28, 2020

And this is the Fargo ND 7 day "forecast".

We're actually about 50 miles NE, those mid-30 lows later in the week will be hard frost where I am.
I think that the current weather has pretty much shut down any growth progress the plants in the garden
might have had, so if I can navigate the drizzle and the muck I should go ahead and harvest what's out there:
A LOT of green chiles that I plan to make a green chile powder with, three plants full of Antep Aci Dolma,
undersized and green, a number of The Darlin' Brides demanded Bells, about 10,000 of Uncle Eccoli's
Aji Limo (baccatum), and a very few Aji Oros. There are a few Haskorea, Aleppo and Aji Arnaucho out there
as well, no doubt I'll be grabbing all that as well.

I'm going to have to check on how tomatillos handle a frost...There's only so much room to store this much produce.

The container queens will of course come into the garage, that Aji Amarillo has what looks like 30+ nice 4-5 inch pods, all green.
Last year it took the Aji Amarillo into January/February to begin ripening...

...let the great panic harvesting begin!

stettoman · Oct 3, 2020

My first salsa verde.

Kinda winged it from a base list of ingredients: Tomatillos, onion, garlic, *ick*cilantro*ick*, a hot pepper, lime juice. salt. Me and "proportions" never got along when I cook, so I took pictures.

Sliced for roasting

Roasted, awaiting the Pulverizer. Note my pepper of choice: Peruvian Red Rocoto, from PaulG seed.

Then the *ick*cilantro*ick*. Added in small increments, it stunk up the kitchen just being rinsed...

This stuff was a hit right out of the processor. I wound up adding another Peruvian Red, but the flavor profile is so complex, and the Rocoto heat,
though intense, isn't sharp or intrusive like a lot of jalas can be.

The greatest sign of success? My 22 year old boy says it's the best he's ever had, store bought or restaurant or whatever.
Coming from him, a real persnickety snob with his palate, means lots....WAY lots.

And I have gobs more tomatillos..... :dance:

CaneDog · Oct 3, 2020

Looks great! :drooling:

PaulG · Oct 5, 2020

stettoman said:
My first salsa verde.

Kinda winged it from a base list of ingredients: Tomatillos, onion, garlic, *ick*cilantro*ick*, a hot pepper, lime juice. salt. Me and "proportions" never got along when I cook, so I took pictures.

This stuff was a hit right out of the processor. I wound up adding another Peruvian Red, but the flavor profile is so complex, and the Rocoto heat,
though intense, isn't sharp or intrusive like a lot of jalas can be.

The greatest sign of success? My 22 year old boy says it's the best he's ever had, store bought or restaurant or whatever.
Coming from him, a real persnickety snob with his palate, means lots....WAY lots.

And I have gobs more tomatillos.....

Nice work, Stettobro! Glad that the Peruvian Red
is fitting into your family so well :drooling:

stettoman · Oct 5, 2020

PaulG said:
Nice work, Stettobro! Glad that the Peruvian Red
is fitting into your family so well

It's got to where Rocotos are the only hot pod the family wants me to cook with!

stettoman · Oct 11, 2020

Man, milk chocolate peppers, who'da thunk it?

Thanks to CaneDog for the seed. This soldier actually produced two of these puppies,
the other not ripe yet but turning. This is an iso pod, she been ripe for many many weeks,
should have some mighty viable seed inside. The other was iso as well. Can't wait to taste 'er!

Making a vat of Wagyu skirt steak chili today, ground some Big Jims for chili powder but haven't decided
on heat variety quite yet....I got choices.

CaneDog · Oct 11, 2020

The XL Brown really made you work for it, Stetto. Great to see your success. And that pod couldn't look more like an apple.

What's next, caramel apple rocoto?

stettoman · Oct 11, 2020

CaneDog said:
The XL Brown really made you work for it, Stetto. Great to see your success. And that pod couldn't look more like an apple.

What's next, caramel apple rocoto?

Yeah 'Dog, worked like a dog for it!

Hey yeah! A Manzano/XL Brown cross! We can call it just that: the Caramel Apple Rocoto!

We had a bear in the back last night, tore up a bunch of bird feeders and ripped a sheperds hook out of the ground.

...and my trail cam put up on a hunting trail....

PaulG · Oct 11, 2020

stettoman said:
It's got to where Rocotos are the only hot pod the family wants me to cook with!

Your family has good taste, Eric!

Glad you have some choices for your chili powder.

The XL Brown looks great. I have picked three pods
off mine, and may get some late season small ones
with a bit of luck. Looking forward to a taste test, as well.

I sampled an Ecuador Red, and was surprised by the
heat in just the tip of a pod!

CaneDog · Oct 11, 2020

stettoman said:
We had a bear in the back last night, tore up a bunch of bird feeders and ripped a sheperds hook out of the ground.

...and my trail cam put up on a hunting trail....

And here I am concerned about the late season squirrels and black rats getting into my deck peppers...

stettoman · Oct 11, 2020

PaulG said:
Your family has good taste, Eric!

Glad you have some choices for your chili powder.

The XL Brown looks great. I have picked three pods
off mine, and may get some late season small ones
with a bit of luck. Looking forward to a taste test, as well.

I sampled an Ecuador Red, and was surprised by the
heat in just the tip of a pod!

I know I've been the classic pessimist on much of my season here in the Primordial Ooze, but I did pretty good this time around, Rocotos notwithstanding.
GOT TO try again next year tho...

The Aji Amarillo we've been chatting about backchannel? Well, she let me, and wouldja looky there?!?
I got a winner!!

There are literally over 30 nice pods on this plant, and yes, it's the one that took almost all summer to decide to grow! She's hip high and loaded!

CaneDog said:
And here I am concerned about the late season squirrels and black rats getting into my deck peppers...

Heh, we've been here over 11 years, we've had raccoons, woodchucks, deer, squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, timber wolves, foxes, moose, skunks, even porcupines, and maybe a few critters I missed (I saw Cougar prints in the snow the first winter here, but no one believes me). Bears were the FIRST critter we were warned about, and this is the FIRST we've been aware of...

It's been a live-and-let-live world for the most part, but bears have no regard for other peoples stuff....

PaulG · Oct 11, 2020

That Aji amarillo is just cranking, Eric!

It looks so typical, lots of beautiful pods
hanging down.

Good on ya for keeping it going, buddy!

stettoman · Oct 12, 2020

PaulG said:
That Aji amarillo is just cranking, Eric!

It looks so typical, lots of beautiful pods
hanging down.

Good on ya for keeping it going, buddy!

Thanks much, Paul!

Still actively flowering and trying to pod up...Would it be in the plants best interest to trim it back and force it's attention on existing peppers?

PaulG · Oct 12, 2020

stettoman said:
Thanks much, Paul!

Still actively flowering and trying to pod up...Would it be in the plants best interest to trim it back and force it's attention

I would just cont off any wonky leaves and
keep it trimmed to fit your space. As long as
pods are coloring up and plant is actively
growing and flowering, I would just sort of
let it do it’s thing and guide it a bit.

stettoman · Oct 15, 2020

Well, we're going into the nightly deep freeze for a bit, low 20s to start. I've decided to try and overwinter TWO (2) plants, besides the Aji Amarillo that will take as long as it takes to ripen all those pods.
I transplanted the Aji Limarillo (Aji Limo) to a 1 gal pot today, though I'm pretty sure this pot is closer to 3 qts. The Aji Oro container queen will go into a same sized pot once the dozen small pods on it ripen up.
The isolated Big Jim has done her job notably and will be retired to the elements once I pull the rest of her over ripe seed stewards.

Then I will make a stab at some jellies and sauces....

...oh yeah, there's a Growdown Fatalii out there with a few ripe ones on it too, close to time to make an entry....

Thanks for another season full of advice and encouragement, folks!!