Stickman's 2015 - That's All She Wrote...

Hi All! It's been an incredibly busy winter dealing with one thing and another, and it's only about half over here.   Still, it's time to get on the stick and put my seeds in the dirt in preparation for plant-out in another 12 weeks or so. I have a Manzano over-wintering inside that's going on its third year. It's next to a sliding glass door with a great southern exposure but the light it gets here this time of year is pretty paltry... I expect it'll start to perk up sometime in March. I have a couple of MoA Scotch Bonnets over-wintering at a friend's house because there wasn't space in front of the sliding glass door for them and my wife's indoor plants... the deal is that if they both survive the winter, we'll split the plants. If not, he'll keep the one that lives. That seems fair since he did all the work.
 
The rest of the list is looking like this...

Pubiscens Varieties
Total bust this year... nothing that germinated survived.

Baccatum:
Ditto

Frutascens:
Tabasco
Hawaiian Bird chile
 
Chacoense:
Ditto

Chinense:
7-pot Yellow Turned out to be a red "Not"
MoA Scotch Bonnet
Beni Highlands... Also turned out to be a "Not"... maybe a Mako Akokrosade cross?
Ja Hab
Trinidad Perfume
Zavory

Annuum:
Cabe Rawit (mouse turd pepper, in Singapore where the seeds were collected they're called Cili Padi)
Red Thai
Biggie Chile Anaheim
Poblano Gigantia
Jalapeno Ciclon
Jalapeno Tormenta
Serrano Tampiqueno
Hungarian Hot Wax
Almapaprika
Ethiopian Brown Berbere
 
I'll also be planting a sweet Criolla de Cucina plants and about 20 sweet Kurtovska Kapijas. The Kapijas have the longest growing and ripening times of any Annuum I know, but they're big, meaty sweet peppers that average around a half a pound apiece... just the thing for making that eastern european condiment called Ajvar.
 
Too tired to say more now, but will pick up later... Cheers!

 

[OCD Chilehead]

If I had to eat one type of vegetarian food. It would be Indian curry. The flavors are so vast and complex. It's amazing how many dishes there are. Different regions different dishes. I was watching a show the other day filmed in India. They were traveling the various region's sampling different styles of cooking. Some veg some not. I would love to visit India and Indonesia. Well enough about food, I'm hungry. LOL

HAVE A GREAT DAY

 

[stickman]

Rick a question about the Almapaprika.....I am about to pick the first few ripe ones, in your opinion would they make a good smoked powder? They seem thick walled and almost remind me of a larger version of a cherry pepper. How is their heat?

 
Almapaprika are only mild to moderate heat Terry. I've never smoked or powdered them because I prefer to pickle them with Balazs' (HabaneroHead) mother's cold-pack recipe. The Hungarians pick them when the pods are full size, but still yellow. That way they're very firm and stay crunchy after the addition of a little pickle crisp (calcium chloride) http://www.culinate.com/author/Linda_Ziedrich/blog/the_scoop_on_pickle_crisp I boil the brine first to make sure all the ingredients are dissolved, then cool it off to room temperature, add a little potassium metabisulfite to sterilize the peppers so they don't go bad in the cold brine, and pack them up in mason jars. http://www.livestrong.com/article/470024-what-is-potassium-metabisulphite/
  There's also sugar in the brine to make up for the lack of natural sweetness due to using unripe peppers in the pickle.
 
here it is as Balázs sent it... most of the amounts are in metric, and we can't get 10% white vinegar here in the States... I just doubled the amount and reduced the water by the difference.
 
  HabaneroHead


Heating Up

• 
• Members
• 
  
• 473 posts

• Location:HUNGARY

Sent 10 July 2013 - 04:27 PM
Hi Rick,

As I promised :-)

Pickled Almapaprika - Secret recipe

Ingredients:
2 pieces of 5l jar
4 liters water
1 teaspoon calcium chloride (pickling lime)
3 teaspoon potassium metabisulfite (K2SO5, also known as E224)
15 dkg salt
40 dkg sugar
6 dl 10% vinegar
bay leaf, whole black pepper, whole allspice, whole coriander (seed)

According to my Mom: bring the water and the vinegar to boil together with the salt and sugar. Let it to cool, after you can put the
other ingredients in. The key thing is that the liquid should not be hot, otherwise the peppers will be soft.
The other key thing is to remove the stem of the Almapaprika. If any brown spot, or leafe piece remains, scratch them off
with a sharp knife, what you usually use for veggie peeling.You should wash them well, and put the into the jar tightly next to each other, then to pour the liquid to them.
I guess you will not have enough to make the above quantity, so please scale it to the Almapaprika you have.


If you have questions, feel free to ask.

Balázs
 

 

Those Almapaprikas look great.

 
Cheers Freek... and welcome to the zoo!

If I had to eat one type of vegetarian food. It would be Indian curry. The flavors are so vast and complex. It's amazing how many dishes there are. Different regions different dishes. I was watching a show the other day filmed in India. They were traveling the various region's sampling different styles of cooking. Some veg some not. I would love to visit India and Indonesia. Well enough about food, I'm hungry. LOL

HAVE A GREAT DAY

 
Well, India is really more of a subcontinent than a country, and culturally diverse, so there's lots of room for variation. I've been loving curries for a very long time and they're actually very easy to make, though they often call for ingredients we're unfamiliar with in the States. I'm lucky to have an Asian market nearby that has a great selection and low prices so I can indulge myself every once in a while.   Cheers !
 
Sungold cherry tomatoes are beginning to come in now. These are great on salads or just eaten by the handful! They're the perfect balance of sweet, tart and tomato flavor!

 
Today's harvest of Hot Wax peppers, Serrano and a couple of dropped pods from my Biggie chile when I staked them up yesterday. The three Biggie chiles went into the slow cooker with a chopped Jalapeno, onion, garlic and sour orange juice substitute. I skinned a whole pork shoulder, scored the outside and rubbed it well with a mixture of cumin, dried oregano and olive oil... then added it to the slow cooker. I'll cook it for 10 hours at low heat and shred it for carnitas when it's done.

 

[tctenten]

You actually shared that recipe with me last year and I loved it.  Just pickled 2 jars of jalapenos Tuesday night, they are in the fridge for about a month till I crack them open.  My daughter likes smoked paprika and no heat, so I may try to powder them and see if she likes it.   
 
Thanks Rick.

 

[stickman]

You actually shared that recipe with me last year and I loved it.  Just pickled 2 jars of jalapenos Tuesday night, they are in the fridge for about a month till I crack them open.  My daughter likes smoked paprika and no heat, so I may try to powder them and see if she likes it.   
 
Thanks Rick.

 
Sorry Terry... I forgot.   Some of the new folks might like to try it too, so I'll leave it up here.

 

[HabaneroHead]

Hi Rick,

It's good to see that your peppers are loading up.
Nagykúti is one of the biggest pungent Almapaprika variety.

Balázs
Ok, I just realized I was not reflecting to the last post.
I'm also glad to see that my Mom's recipe worked very well for you, Rick, and also for others. Your glog is also a goldmine of International recipes, and it is really good to see how open you are for New and unusual flavours. (any 'unusual' food I was taking home was evaluated by my parents 'interesting', which means 'I do not like it, but I am too polite to say that' )

 

[tctenten]

Hi Rick,

It's good to see that your peppers are loading up.
Nagykúti is one of the biggest pungent Almapaprika variety.

Balázs
Ok, I just realized I was not reflecting to the last post.
I'm also glad to see that my Mom's recipe worked very well for you, Rick, and also for others. Your glog is also a goldmine of International recipes, and it is really good to see how open you are for New and unusual flavours. (any 'unusual' food I was taking home was evaluated by my parents 'interesting', which means 'I do not like it, but I am too polite to say that' )

 
 
Thank you and your mom for the recipe…and i agree about Rick's blog being a goldmine.  Thanks to both of you for sharing!!

 

[randyp]

       Rick your detailed soil work-up is payoff for me following your glog like a religion.I will be testing my soil at my local Ag extension(in iowa ag offices are more popular than bars) going into next year.I do well but it will be nice to know why I get so lucky.And what will be needed to be ready for the 2016 season will be less of a wing and a prayer buddy.,

 

[Essegi]

All looks great and another cool recipe!

Sungold cherry tomatoes are beginning to come in now. These are great on salads or just eaten by the handful! They're the perfect balance of sweet, tart and tomato flavor!

I've never tasted yellow tomatoes... Looks cool!

 

[stickman]

Hi Rick,

It's good to see that your peppers are loading up.
Nagykúti is one of the biggest pungent Almapaprika variety.

Balázs
Ok, I just realized I was not reflecting to the last post.
I'm also glad to see that my Mom's recipe worked very well for you, Rick, and also for others. Your glog is also a goldmine of International recipes, and it is really good to see how open you are for New and unusual flavours. (any 'unusual' food I was taking home was evaluated by my parents 'interesting', which means 'I do not like it, but I am too polite to say that' )

 
Hi Balázs, thanks for dropping by and the good vibe! I'm always curious about other cultures and love to share the bits I like... especially the food. Thank you for sharing too. Hope all is well with you and your family, and that you give them my good wishes.
 

       Rick your detailed soil work-up is payoff for me following your glog like a religion.I will be testing my soil at my local Ag extension(in iowa ag offices are more popular than bars) going into next year.I do well but it will be nice to know why I get so lucky.And what will be needed to be ready for the 2016 season will be less of a wing and a prayer buddy.,

 
Cheers Randy! Just trying to be helpful... I can understand the popularity of the Ag extension out your way, as a farmer you would have to have a successful crop before you had money to spend at a bar...
 
 

All looks great and another cool recipe!

I've never tasted yellow tomatoes... Looks cool!

 
They really are Giancarlo! I sent seeds last year to Lourens in South Africa. He said his older daughter had never liked tomatoes before tasting the Sungolds... I suspect they were commercial slicing tomatoes that had been harvested before they were fully ripe. She loved the orange cherry tomatoes though!
 
The Mexican-style pulled pork in this recipe came out excellent! http://www.recipetineats.com/easyrecipe-print/3160-0/ 
It had lots of umami and layers of flavor added by the herbs, spices, aromatic vegetables and bitter orange juice. It was fall-apart tender and juicy, and got even better after making a reduction of the juices left over after cooking in the slow cooker and stirring it back in to the shredded pork, then browning it in a frying pan, giving it a few squirts of my Scotch Bonnet/Peach sauce and rolling it up in a flour tortilla.
 
Checking on the Chinense varieties in the raised bed out back this morning I found a nearly ripe pod on what Andy ID'd as a Cili Goronong. Thanks Andy!  I chopped it into my breakfast egg-n-cheese sandwich for my first burn of the 2015 harvest. Definitely on the mild side of Habanero hot... next time I'll let it get completely ripe, but nice flavor... even half-green as it is.

 
 
A pic of the first blossom on some Balloon Flower I started from seed in my Wife's flower bed last year. The flower buds really do seem to inflate like a hot-air balloon as they approach maturity.

 
TGIF all... have a great weekend!

 

[stickman]

Another busy weekend... cleaned up the kitchen, made some pesto for freezing and a couple of 2 quart jars of New York half-sour pickles.

 
Fatali plants are beginning to blossom now.

 
Lastly, the first usable Jalapenos of the season... Jalapeno Ciclon of course.   The "el Jefe" and "tormenta" varieties are blooming and setting pods now.

 
Have a great Saturday all!

 

[tctenten]

Another busy weekend... cleaned up the kitchen, made some pesto for freezing and a couple of 2 quart jars of New York half-sour pickles.

 
Fatali plants are beginning to blossom now.

 
Lastly, the first usable Jalapenos of the season... Jalapeno Ciclon of course.   The "el Jefe" and "tormenta" varieties are blooming and setting pods now.

 
Have a great Saturday all!

 
 
Nice Rick.  Sorry to keep asking, but would you share your pickle process?   I just made some garlic dills, but would love to try to make some sour pickles.  

 

[stickman]

Nice Rick.  Sorry to keep asking, but would you share your pickle process?   I just made some garlic dills, but would love to try to make some sour pickles.  

 
Sure thing Terry... I came across this recipe in a web search a few years ago and have been using it with good results ever since. I get Kirby cukes at the local market or from my own garden plot and wash them, put 2 tbsp of pickling spice in the bottom of a 2 quart jar along with a sprig of fresh dill, 3 crushed cloves of garlic, 2 dried chiles (I use takanotsume chiles) and pack the cucumbers in as tightly as I can without bursting them. I mix the brine at the rate of 80 grams of kosher salt to 2 quarts of clear water and  pour it over the cukes, leaving an inch and a half of airspace below the top of the jar to allow room for expansion. These are fermented pickles, I don't add vinegar, so the longer they sit in the brine the more sour they become. I start to eat mine after a week, and finish them off by the end of the following week. That makes them half sour. Full sour pickles sit in the brine for 3 weeks and you have to finish them quickly before they get soft on you.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/805067

 

[tctenten]

Thanks Rick.  I read the recipe that linked from chowhound too.  Do you put them in the fridge after a day or two, or do you leave yours out for the full week?  I have read a few different ideas on this while I was looking for different pickle recipes.  

 

[stickman]

Thanks Rick.  I read the recipe that linked from chowhound too.  Do you put them in the fridge after a day or two, or do you leave yours out for the full week?  I have read a few different ideas on this while I was looking for different pickle recipes.  

 
After 4 days out at room temperature you can put them in the 'fridge. It'll slow down the fermentation but not stop it. My recommendation is to leave them out until the brine has the "tang" you like and then put them in the 'fridge.

 

[HabaneroHead]

Hi Rick,

Interesting pickle recipe, thanks for sharing, I Will surely try it.
Hungarians have a very similar recipe, made with bread, called 'kovászos uborka'. Fermentation process takes only a couple of days, as you should leave the jar on a sunny and warm place. I think we took this recipe from the russians, who are just crazy about it: they eat It with vodka. Well, we do not really like vodka, but eat It just like any other pickle and drink its brine to cure hangover.

http://zsuzsaisinthekitchen.blogspot.hu/2011/08/fermented-pickles-kovaszos-uborka.html?m=1

 

[stickman]

Hi Rick,

Interesting pickle recipe, thanks for sharing, I Will surely try it.
Hungarians have a very similar recipe, made with bread, called 'kovászos uborka'. Fermentation process takes only a couple of days, as you should leave the jar on a sunny and warm place. I think we took this recipe from the russians, who are just crazy about it: they eat It with vodka. Well, we do not really like vodka, but eat It just like any other pickle and drink its brine to cure hangover.

http://zsuzsaisinthekitchen.blogspot.hu/2011/08/fermented-pickles-kovaszos-uborka.html?m=1

 
Thanks for the recipe Balazs! I've never heard of putting a slice of sourdough rye into the brine to inoculate it... it must be a Slavic thing. The best garlic-dill pickles I ever had as a kid came from a butcher shop in the next town. He sold sandwiches as well as meat, and had a pickle barrel by the counter for the lunch crowd. He always did a brisk business too!   I'll have to give the kavaszos-uborka recipe a try. I've had kvass at a Russian friend's house but I remember it as being somewhat sweet instead of sour... I'll have to google it to see how they differ. Cheers!

 

[stickman]

Hi All! I picked my first completely ripe Chinense pod today, and I think Andy nailed it... it's a Cili Goronong. It was a "baby pod" as the ones that set after that are more than twice the size.

 
This is one of six half-dollar-sized pods on the Bhut cross... I'm hoping they start to ripen up in the next week or so

 
... although this JA Hab pod may end up being first

 
King Naga is getting the classic "rough" look... covered with pimples...

 
C'mon Bonnets... grow!...

 
A Tawny Emperor butterfly hanging out on my Wife's Echinacea... sipping nectar.

 
Cheers all!

 

[KiNGDeNNiZ]

Pods look great. The goronong is a nice tasting pepper... bonnets are those the moas?

 

[stickman]

Pods look great. The goronong is a nice tasting pepper... bonnets are those the moas?

 
Cheers DeNNiZ! Yup, all six of my Bonnets are MoAs... my local climate seems to prevent A-grade pods but as long as they taste the same I don't care.

 

[ronniedeb]

Great photos Rick. wildlife, flowers and peppers!