Stickman's 2013 Glog - Time To Pull The Plug on 2013

I'm pulling things together to get ready for my next growing season. I bought NuMex variety seeds from Sandia Seed company in New Mexico, Hot Paper Lantern Habaneros and Antohi Romanians from Johnny's Select Seeds in Maine and Korean varieties from Evergreen Seeds in California. Due to the unbelievable generosity of a number of THP members I've also gotten seeds to a wide variety of chiles from around the world. Special thanks to BootsieB, stc3248, romy6, PaulG, SoCalChilehead, joynershotpeppers, highalt, cmpman1974, smokemaster, mygrassisblue, Mister No, chewi, KingDenniz, orrozconleche and most recently and spectacularly, Habanerohead with a great selection of superhots and peppers from Hungary!

There are eleven varieties of Hungarian peppers in here, mostly the early, thick-fleshed, sweet ones that range from white through yellow to purple and red.., plus Aji Lemon Drop, BJ Indian Carbon, Naga Morich, Bishop's Crown and TS CARDI Yellow! Now I just have to go through my seed bank and match the space available to what I want to grow. Thanks Balázs!

 

[stickman]

Thanks guys! Got the fermented sauce started... It has about 2 pounds of mixed pods, onion, garlic, carrot, ginger, Asian pear, salt, agave nectar and a half a cup of kimchi brine to act as a starter.

 
We have guests for the rest of the day, I'll get to the other sauce later tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Devv]

Looks like a nice start Rick!
 
And you're right, Long Island is buffered by the water surrounding it and of course it's further south.

 

[meatfreak]

Stefan, the Urfa Biber plants were kind of short. Was this your experience also? They were fairly close to the Tomatillos and they might have gotten shaded. They still made some nice pods though... like this one.

 

 
Rick, I took some pictures for you when I went to the garden today. Mine have gotten about 2,5 foot high and really bushy. All the 3 plants have different podshapes, mostly looking like bell peppers There's one that looks similar like yours and I took a picture of that one. Gonna be a while before these will ripe off since the plant grown a lot first. As you can see on the pictures we're still having good weather over here. Will go a bit lower in temp next week but still around 65 during the day
 

 

[MGOLD86]

Looking great Rick!  I have been out with the crud and haven't spent much time awake past 8 pm this past week....LOL.
 
One thing is for sure...I am WAAAAAAY behind on the sauce front.  I think that I am just gonna wait until the season is over and then spend the spare time that I would be spending in the garden in the kitchen makin some sauce....I still have frozen pods from last summer that I haven't touched.  I will definitely be heading back through your GLog to get the recipes! 
 
Also, loving that kitchen sink eh??  I love mine, and the best part is every time I add something to it the whole dynamic changes.  I have about 1/3 a qt jar filled now and 2 qts of pods that still needs to go in the dehydrator.

 

[stickman]

 
Rick, I took some pictures for you when I went to the garden today. Mine have gotten about 2,5 foot high and really bushy. All the 3 plants have different podshapes, mostly looking like bell peppers There's one that looks similar like yours and I took a picture of that one. Gonna be a while before these will ripe off since the plant grown a lot first. As you can see on the pictures we're still having good weather over here. Will go a bit lower in temp next week but still around 65 during the day

Thanks for the pics Stefan... I guess mine got shaded by the Tomatillos, but I got a good packet of seeds out of it, so I'd call that a win.

Looking great Rick!  I have been out with the crud and haven't spent much time awake past 8 pm this past week....LOL.
 
One thing is for sure...I am WAAAAAAY behind on the sauce front.  I think that I am just gonna wait until the season is over and then spend the spare time that I would be spending in the garden in the kitchen makin some sauce....I still have frozen pods from last summer that I haven't touched.  I will definitely be heading back through your GLog to get the recipes! 
 
Also, loving that kitchen sink eh??  I love mine, and the best part is every time I add something to it the whole dynamic changes.  I have about 1/3 a qt jar filled now and 2 qts of pods that still needs to go in the dehydrator.

Sorry to hear you've been down with the crud Matt, hopefully the rest of the family is staying healthy.
 
I like sauce making as a way to set aside shelf-stable product that won't oxidize and go stale without having to keep pumping electricity into it, and you get to blend in other flavors to make a more complete gastronomic experience... what's not to like. I'm sure you're great at it with your sense of taste.
 
I did the same thing last year... with the exception of the pods I dried for chili powder and gochugaru, I threw the rest into the dehydrator and ground them all together. The difference this year is that I had superhots to add to the mix and I smoked them first.
 
I got my act together this morning and made a batch of sauce with all my Orange Hab pods using Ramon's Tres Alarmes recipe, but tweaked it a bit to make it the way I like it. I used 40 hab pods, Garam Masala and a pinch of turmeric instead of curry powder, and it seemed a bit harsh to me when I finished up and tasted it, so I adjusted with half a cup of brown sugar and a 10 oz can of coconut milk.

 
Hope all are having a great weekend!

 

[WalkGood]

Nice sauces Rick and good on da tweaks ... 
 
I use the sweetness from the mango to sweeten & enhance my MoA sauce, ended up only using one mango as they were too sweet. Although IMHO the MoA Bonnets didn't need any more sweatness. I like the coconut milk idea, I’ve only use that for red curry Thai sauce so I’ll have to give that a try in other sauces.
 
Have a great Sunday mon!

 

[stc3248]

Always something great going on at Ricks place! I am anxiously awaiting the purchase of a new blender for most of my sauce making this winter. I will be reading through here and Ramon's spot to get all the good recipes!!! Still haven't tried the Ajvar recipe but really want to do that one in a range from melt your face down to anyone can eat it...

 

[annie57]

Wow, Rick love that Tres Alarmas in the Grolsch bottles. (Wherever did you get those? ) Nice that you adjust to your taste particularly using a different pepper than MoAs or S.Bonnets. Also, woman at tienda I got the chochos/chayotes last night suggested I grab some coconut milk for sauce to smooth, if needed. Know this in your Red Hab recipe but gonna try it bit at time if necessary using SBonnets tomorrow. 
 
Man, purees, smoked peppers for powders--really like the kitchen sink pepper smoke/dry--did that few years ago in desperation and was best powder I made, roasted Big J's, hatch, eggplant, sauce, ferments--nice score from Jamie, btw!
 
Ya know, hard to tell your season is winding down from this end of the screen! Great stuff and are you twins? A lot of work!

 

[Devv]

Sauce look really good Rick!
 
LB found chocho's at HEB yesterday so I'll have something to do this afternoon

 

[Jamison]

That a boy Rick! That sauce looks fantastic!

 

[Stefan_W]

The sauce looks great! I really love the yellow colour. 

 

[meatfreak]

Thanks for the pics Stefan... I guess mine got shaded by the Tomatillos, but I got a good packet of seeds out of it, so I'd call that a win.

Sorry to hear you've been down with the crud Matt, hopefully the rest of the family is staying healthy.
 
I like sauce making as a way to set aside shelf-stable product that won't oxidize and go stale without having to keep pumping electricity into it, and you get to blend in other flavors to make a more complete gastronomic experience... what's not to like. I'm sure you're great at it with your sense of taste.
 
I did the same thing last year... with the exception of the pods I dried for chili powder and gochugaru, I threw the rest into the dehydrator and ground them all together. The difference this year is that I had superhots to add to the mix and I smoked them first.
 
I got my act together this morning and made a batch of sauce with all my Orange Hab pods using Ramon's Tres Alarmes recipe, but tweaked it a bit to make it the way I like it. I used 40 hab pods, Garam Masala and a pinch of turmeric instead of curry powder, and it seemed a bit harsh to me when I finished up and tasted it, so I adjusted with half a cup of brown sugar and a 10 oz can of coconut milk.

 
Hope all are having a great weekend!

Great looking sauce, Rick! Could you tell me something about the flavor and heat of the Urfa Biber? Most times those big Annuum pods are loaded with seeds

 

[stickman]

Nice sauces Rick and good on da tweaks ... 
 
I use the sweetness from the mango to sweeten & enhance my MoA sauce, ended up only using one mango as they were too sweet. Although IMHO the MoA Bonnets didn't need any more sweatness. I like the coconut milk idea, I’ve only use that for red curry Thai sauce so I’ll have to give that a try in other sauces.
 
Have a great Sunday mon!

Thanks Ramon... the Mango I used for the sauce was yellow rather than orange, and not very ripe, so I had to sweeten the sauce to compensate. Coconut milk is also mildly sweet, but I find that in addition to pairing with sweet things it goes well with savory ones as well. Try it... you'll like it!

Always something great going on at Ricks place! I am anxiously awaiting the purchase of a new blender for most of my sauce making this winter. I will be reading through here and Ramon's spot to get all the good recipes!!! Still haven't tried the Ajvar recipe but really want to do that one in a range from melt your face down to anyone can eat it...

Ajvar is definitely a bit of work... especially the roasting and peeling part. The process concentrates the peppers, so you'll need a lot to make it. I usually start with a case of ripe Bell or Kapia peppers to make a few quarts. Adding powder for heat after making the Ajvar would probably be the easiest way to do it. Good luck with the new blender!

Wow, Rick love that Tres Alarmas in the Grolsch bottles. (Wherever did you get those? ) Nice that you adjust to your taste particularly using a different pepper than MoAs or S.Bonnets. Also, woman at tienda I got the chochos/chayotes last night suggested I grab some coconut milk for sauce to smooth, if needed. Know this in your Red Hab recipe but gonna try it bit at time if necessary using SBonnets tomorrow. 
 
Man, purees, smoked peppers for powders--really like the kitchen sink pepper smoke/dry--did that few years ago in desperation and was best powder I made, roasted Big J's, hatch, eggplant, sauce, ferments--nice score from Jamie, btw!
 
Ya know, hard to tell your season is winding down from this end of the screen! Great stuff and are you twins? A lot of work!

Hi Annie, Thanks for the kudos ma'am... 
 
   The glass bottles are made by Italian glassmaker Bormioli Rocco, and are called "swing" bottles. I get them and replacement washers at the Agway Co-op here in town. The square quart-sized bottles I used were $3.50 apiece but I've seen them up to $4.
 
I think you'll like using the coconut milk to iron out the rough spots in your sauces. I first came across it making Indonesian food... they use a lot of it in their sauces, as well as lemon grass, galangal, fish sauce and hot chiles

Sauce look really good Rick!
 
LB found chocho's at HEB yesterday so I'll have something to do this afternoon

Thanks Scott... I knew LB was resourceful...   Good luck with your version of Ramon's sauce!

That a boy Rick! That sauce looks fantastic!

Thanks Jamison... Have you been putting away your northern harvest yet?

The sauce looks great! I really love the yellow colour. 

Me too Stefan! I was a little surprised that Ramon used yellow mustard in addition to the mango, turmeric and chile pods to give it that color, but in a few weeks, when it mellows a little, I'll try some to see how it came out.

Great looking sauce, Rick! Could you tell me something about the flavor and heat of the Urfa Biber? Most times those big Annuum pods are loaded with seeds

Thanks Stefan, it's too late to do it tonight, but I'll give 'em a taste tomorrow and post my impressions then. Cheers!

 

[stickman]

It's Monday morning, and the mash is making bubbles enough to cause separation, so the ferment is well under way.

 
The night-time low temperature was 37 degrees this morning just before sunrise. It's forecast to get successively warmer each night through Wednesday, and then cooler after that. We'll see what happens...

 

[WalkGood]

… Coconut milk is also mildly sweet, but I find that in addition to pairing with sweet things it goes well with savory ones as well. Try it... you'll like it!

As long as you’re happy with the results that’s awesome mon, I’m always open to new ideas and I’ll test some of my fresh homemade coconut milk in mine next time or mix in some to a portion that I didn’t bottle for additional testing. Remember we have fresh coconuts down here. We use them a lot in Caribbean Curry rice besides drinking with Añejo FTW ^_^
 

It's Monday morning, and the mash is making bubbles enough to cause separation, …

Congrats and have an awesome week mon!!!!!

 

[PeriPeri]

OK Guys lay off with hogging the sun now... its time for us in the Southern Hemisphere to get some UV ok?!! Sorry for you lol

 

[Stefan_W]

It's Monday morning, and the mash is making bubbles enough to cause separation, so the ferment is well under way. The night-time low temperature was 37 degrees this morning just before sunrise. It's forecast to get successively warmer each night through Wednesday, and then cooler after that. We'll see what happens...

 
Pretty much identical to what we are getting up here. My plants are still mostly hanging on the their pods, so I am waiting out the worst of the cold snap just to see what happens when it warms up again.

 

[Devv]

Well Rick I'm hoping for some warmer weather up your way.
 
Glad to hear the ferment is starting to work too.
 
I don't have a ph tester, is Ramon's sauce low enough to can or should I freeze it? I made some yesterday, and I too added some sugar and coconut milk, the hab's are a bit harsh compared to the bonnet's..
 
Have a great week!

 

[stickman]

As long as you’re happy with the results that’s awesome mon, I’m always open to new ideas and I’ll test some of my fresh homemade coconut milk in mine next time or mix in some to a portion that I didn’t bottle for additional testing. Remember we have fresh coconuts down here. We use them a lot in Caribbean Curry rice besides drinking with Añejo FTW ^_^
 
 
Congrats and have an awesome week mon!!!!!

Cheers Ramon!

OK Guys lay off with hogging the sun now... its time for us in the Southern Hemisphere to get some UV ok?!! Sorry for you lol

Cheers Lourens... I guess there's always the temptation to want just a little more warmth at the end of the season so you can ripen a few more pods...

 
Pretty much identical to what we are getting up here. My plants are still mostly hanging on the their pods, so I am waiting out the worst of the cold snap just to see what happens when it warms up again.

I hope it pays off for you my friend... so much has been coming in so fast here that I feel a little punch-drunk... Lol!

Well Rick I'm hoping for some warmer weather up your way.
 
Glad to hear the ferment is starting to work too.
 
I don't have a ph tester, is Ramon's sauce low enough to can or should I freeze it? I made some yesterday, and I too added some sugar and coconut milk, the hab's are a bit harsh compared to the bonnet's..
 
Have a great week!

Thanks Scott! I haven't tested my version of Ramon's sauce for pH yet... oops... I'll get the test strips out tomorrow and see what I have then. Cheers!
 
I got a great package in the mail today too... Matt did such a great job of selling the BOC that I sent off to the source in Sweden and ordered 3 packets of seeds. I also got a packet each of Brown Egg, Cascabel and Goat's Weed... none of which I've grown before, but they all sound intriguing.

 
Have a great week all!

 

[MGOLD86]

Those Brown Eggs are awesome.  Huge pods, not much heat, but wonderful almost watermelon like flavor.  Very wet/crisp.  I think you will find a ton of great ways to incorporate it in your sauces...you definitely need to give em a shot.