Stetto's '21, ok ok ok, SEMI-glog glog

I wasn't planning to do a grow log this year, too much going on and little time to devote, but I've had a real good seedling season, so I thought I'd drop in from time to time to glance around and give you guys n gals something to talk about...
 
SUPER small list this season, but germ rate was outstanding on some varieties, so whaddaya do?
 
Pubescens
Aji Oro Rocoto (spawn of Aji Oro OW)
Rocoto Rojo (from 2019 harvest)
Turbo Pube (from 2019 harvest)
Hyper-X Rocoto (Canedog)
Awesome Orange Rocoto (Canedog)
 
Annuum
Chimayo (Harry_Dangler)
Nambe Pueblo (Harry_Dangler)
Hernandez Hot (Harry_Dangler)
Big Jim Legacy (Sandia)
Serrano Tampiqueno (Sandia)
YOLO Bell (Tradewinds Fruit)
 
Overwinter
XL Brown Rocoto (Canedog)
Aji Oro (Bhuter)
Aji Oro (spawn of Aji Oro from Bhuter)
 
Tomato
Prairie Star (Harry_Dangler)
 
There are many of each variety, the germ rate was crazy good. I'm convinced the Frog Farm Ocean Forest soil contributed yugely to that.
 
The Hernandez Hot was the only one of the Annuums to limit me to one plant, and the Turbo Pube was the only Rocoto to resist germination, though I did get one to hook. It actually sprouted the same week as the others, but was stunted to where I almost pulled it. But today I found true leaves emerging, so...

 
For a little scale perspective

 
I'm curious how this little guy will turn out and how long it will take to do that turning out, but hey, it's the Turbo I got, right?
 
I'm super happy with my Aji Oro crop so far, I've had to cut a bunch out and I HATE culling more than just about anything, and yet there are still 2-3 plants currently in each and every pot. This one is a personal triumph. Backstory: I had a total of two helmet heads in this planting, one a Chimayo, the other this Aji Oro. I spent almost two weeks trying to keep them moist so they could figh their own way out, but at some point I lost patience or faith, one, so I mechanically tweezered the cotys loose. The Chimayo was stunted but otherwise a healthy plant, but he Aji Oro had no cotyledons, no bud, just a stump. I figured the plant had been helmeted too long and rotted inside the seed shell. Oh well, right? There are two healthy plants in the potlet anyway, no loss...
 
I thought that too, until this morning: 

 
The tip started to grow a tiny bulb a couple days ago, I simply let nature persevere, as it is guaranteed to do...
 
I just don't know how you guys do it, cut out perfectly good though overpopulated exotic pepper plants. I have no problem thinning anything out, carrots, lettuce, bell peppers...But this is hard...
 
Also note there are no Baccatum or Chinense this season, heck, I already planted more than I should have... 
 
Hey Paul, that little Aji Oro stublette counts as a duck, no?
 
Ok, maybe a turkey or a goose, but it counts....right?

 

[stettoman]

Hey, Eric, have you thought of cold smoking.
Those recipes seem like they are trying to cook,
rather than smoke the peppers! Maybe that
would be hard to do with a lot of peppers at
once. I usually only smoke a weber kettle grill
full of peppers at a time.

If you want to smoke-dry them like a chipotle I'd recommend a combination of smoker and dehydrator. Smoking first until they are cooked through but firm and then on the dehydrator.

There, 'nuff sed. I read somewhere (how much ya wanna bet it was on these hallowed pages) that the actual smoking of peppers shouldn't take any longer than 20-30 minutes, then into a dehydrator. Thanks for nudging my memory brain cell, guys!!

 

[The Hot Pepper]

With the high water content they will take on plenty of smoke in that time. You might want to go longer. You want to snag them off the smoker when they still have their pepper shape, before they wrinkle and mush down. Then dehydrate. I mean for pepper poppers I smoke until mushy but that's how I like to eat em.

PS. Thick-walled peppers take longer. Duh, but just mentioning. A huge ass poblano isn't going to wrinkle for awhile. A little hab will be fast.

 

[PaulG]

If you want to smoke-dry them like a chipotle I'd recommend a combination of smoker and dehydrator. Smoking first until they are cooked through but firm and then on the dehydrator.

That's my take on it, Pook. Not trying to totally cook the peppers,
just give them some smoke flavor before dehydrating. The dehydrator
smells great when drying the smoked peppers

 

[stettoman]

I swear that End of Days are upon us.

What with everything else going wrong on this planet recently, a sudden change in the weather has befuddled my Rocotos into believing that it's the May/June that never actually happened. Almost every plant is now in robust bloom, and pods are setting willy-nilly amongst them. Though it isn't forecast yet, our traditional first frost in within the week. A real head scratcher.

I won't have room to bring more than 3 "adult" plants in, and those are already chosen for being a bit earlier to awaken. What a goofy season, yeh?

 

[stettoman]

This is for you, Boss: I told you there were more that size and bigger, here is a small gathering of 17 more I picked a half hour ago:

Group photo

The largest (so far--the garden has a few dozen still on the vine)

I would have thought, given the recent moisture, that I would have got a pounder, but we'll wait on what's still in the garden to develop, frost notwithstanding...Here's the weight of all 17 (yes, tare thumbnail)

I'll let you guys do the math on average weight. There were a few smaller ones I grabbed in the frenzy, but just about every one of these is a stuffer. Suggestions will happily be accepted.

The Chimayos and Nambe Pueblo continue to be happy peppers. I tried one of each and could not tell the difference, so they are being kept together, mostly for chile powder. Nice sting to them, for a savory.

The GIP Serrano plants are continuing to progress, I'm getting mighty excited. The first batch will be picked and done hopefully in the next few days. We're doing a moving sale this weekend, all hangs on my participation in that. But these look textbook fantastic

I gotta get Big Jims out too, I like them green for my rellenos and they want to turn, but I got no room. One reason why--

Harry_Dangler's Prairie Star. You guys HAVE to try these!! So flavorful and meaty, I may grow these instead of Amish Paste next time. And they're gargantuan! I put the house keys there for size. Had to pick some a bit early because of rain engorging the poor guys and splitting the skins. My Amish Paste have split almost in half--

We've had a lot of wild raspberry bushes on the property that the rabbits would eat down to the snow line every winter, so harvests were piddlin'. This last year I fenced about 12 feet of them off, and NO RABBITS last winter!! So we're getting a quart of fresh plump raspberries every other day this summer--thought I'd rub your noses in them....so to speak...

That's what I got, quite a haul considering the drought and the fact I decided NOT to do this this year. I hope you suth'nuh's are dealing well with Ida, stay safe.

Like it or not...

 

[MikeUSMC]

Lookin’ good, @stettoman!

 

[PaulG]

Hey, Eric, quite a non-grow for you this season.

Looks like you have pulled it out, brother!

 

[stettoman]

Hey, Eric, quite a non-grow for you this season.

Looks like you have pulled it out, brother!

You should taste these Honey Crisps, Paul!! Drought may have stunted them, but they're twice as sweet and crispy, and no frost yet!!

So anyway, picking the first batch of Serrano pods for the smoker today. Will post pics then....

 

[PtMD989]

Is it cheating if you smoke them in an electric smoker ? What wood did you decide on using? I sun dried ( well, dashboard dried) a bunch of Chimayo peppers, they came out great. They have a raisiny flavor, you could call them , New Mexigan raisins .

 

[talas]

A lovely collection of chilis,Tom's and raspberrys I'd be happy with that collection any year well done.

 

[stettoman]

June in September. Now the Rocotos are ALL podding up.

Is it cheating if you smoke them in an electric smoker ? What wood did you decide on using? I sun dried ( well, dashboard dried) a bunch of Chimayo peppers, they came out great. They have a raisiny flavor, you could call them , New Mexigan raisins .

I don't think any method of smoking is cheating, Bryan. Except for the chemical variety. I used what CaneDog referred me to, a post by GIP himself listing Cherry and Alder. Without any "recipe" to go by, I just went with a 1:1 ratio and took advice from the Boss and PaulG on "cook" time, and it smells an awful lot like the GIP bottle I still have. My Chimayos are going straight into the dehydrator, but smoking them may be a future endeavor.

I really hope to grow and bottle the GIP powder every season, and I suggest more of us do so. It is fullfilling and carries on a robust and flavor-rich tradition!!

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Is it cheating if you smoke them in an electric smoker ?

Nope. Use what you got.

 

[stettoman]

Yep, it's that day...

 

[The Hot Pepper]

 

[CaneDog]

Looks like a lot of good things happening for a season that started out in question. The rocotos look great - wish they could look like that in springtime more often.

 

[stettoman]

The Anuums, though stunted for height, loaded up remarkably well: Chimayo/Nambe Pueblo, Big Jim Heritage (roasting now), Serrano and Bells. Short list, but I didn't plan to grow at all.

Unfortunately for the Rocotos we met with a land pimp yesterday, house goes on the market October 18. If the market stays current we should be setting up under our chosen overpass in the Springs in Nov.

 

[stettoman]

Welp, it had to come, it's that time of year in the northern hemisphericals. Light frost forecast for Wednesday. I thought about covering, but I think I'll just pull everything but the Rocotos on Tues evening. The pots will go in the garage for the night. There's another good harvest of Serrano and Big Jim coming, and Mama's bells too. There will be enough green Serranos to make up some Lime hawt sauce for T, and my 1oz bottles just arrived--Funny though, they say 1oz, but they're exactly what GIP used except I'm using red lids...Let's hope these guys make a LOT of powder!!

 

[PaulG]

Unfortunately for the Rocotos we met with a land pimp yesterday, house goes on the market October 18. If the market stays current we should be setting up under our chosen overpass in the Springs in Nov.

Hey, @stettoman, maybe the new owners will be
chiliheads, and take over the care and feeding
of the rocotos for ya!

Good luck finding a comfy overpass!

 

[stettoman]

Huh, they called off the frost for tonight, lows "in the 40s"...

As much as I'd like to trust them, I'm picking Serranos today. House goes on the market in late Oct., current selling conditions guestimate a week to sell, then 45 days to close. We'll likely leave here before Dec. 1.

The list of neglected fix-ups around here is causing extreme trepidation, and that list grows every time I walk through or around. Kinda wish for a tornado, we're insured for replacement value, not appraised ($$$$$$$).

 

[talas]

stettoman hope things go well with the house sale and like myself I sold my place in Wales last year and had to do a lot of jobs before hand but was worth the effort.
Best of luck to you and the family on the sale.