tsurrie's 2016 glog

So this is the new season... can't wait to put the seeds in the dirt.
I just finished preparing the grow "corner" for my future seedlings, and everything works fine.
 

 
The lights are prepared and I plan not to go over 200 plants this year.. but we'll see how that goes.
 
Like last year ... I'm planning to grow mostly chinense's and annums... but there will be some baccatums (Aji Lemondrop, Aji Amarillo,...) and pubescens (Rocoto,...) that  hogleg sent me....
 
I'm still working on the final grow list.
But I'm really looking forward to start the action in a week or so.

 

[tsurrie]

Congrats on the really nice harvest
 
Very nice looking peppers, the Peach Ghosts look great. I had poor results here with all the high temps. Funny how some peppers just suck it up and grow like crazy and others just sit there.

 
Thank you. Yes .. you get both kind of peppers every season.... Had very different production from the same plants each year.. depends on the plant I guess and a lot on how the season starts.
 
 

Awesome looking peppers

 
thanks
 
 
 
Received a package today. Another proof that pepper people are the best
Rick sent some Gochu seeds, Pequins and his pepper blend, which smells delicious.
Will use it wisely
 

 
Thank you Rick!

 

[OCD Chilehead]

That's very cool of Rick. I'm going to try the Gochu next year.

Some nice pulls.

Did you get that purple color out of the Sicman pod's?

 

[tsurrie]

That's very cool of Rick. I'm going to try the Gochu next year.

Some nice pulls.

Did you get that purple color out of the Sicman pod's?

Yup. Cant wait to try on growing them.

Got little red ones and purple ones that are getting brown (need to check) when ripe I think. Interesting pods.

 

[PaulG]

Uros, your season has been stellar - good work.
You are harvesting some great pods, and you are still
the pizza king!

 

[tsurrie]

Uros, your season has been stellar - good work.
You are harvesting some great pods, and you are still
the pizza king!

 
Thank you Paul.
I don't know about stellar, but got quite a few pods, and more are coming. Just put a whole bag into the freezer yesterday. Dried a few batches. Another harvest today, but I'm too lazy now to take pictures... mostly bhuts, chocolates and habaneros... oooh, a few fine looking Brain Strains among them. Maybe I'll snap a pic tomorrow.
 
Pizza king !?!! I wish
Mostly they're fine... and I always love a good pizza.

 

[tsurrie]

Tried a smaller Jays Peach with my salad this evening and it's got a lot of heat. A few tears rolled down but I managed to eat it whole. Not in the Bhut Jolokia region though....

 
Since frost is hitting us almost every morning, I'm slowly picking everything from the garden.... it's a mess out there and it will probably take me by the end of the month or more to tidy everything and prepare the soil for the winter...
... so I picked a lot of tomatoes the other day, some half ripen, and put them in a box so I can make a sauce later on when they ripe a bit more....

 
Also washed and dried a bunch of peppers for the freezer... otherwise they'll just rot. I eat as much as I can, but you know how much hot pepper you can eat in a day... Will try to give away some more.

 

[Spicegeist]

Mm, peach.  I should grow a few peach varieties next year...

 

[tsurrie]

Decided today to either make a sauce or throw away rotten peppers in a week or so... I have to use them while they're still good.
So I did this....
 
Picked out the ones that are most ready to use... it looks like a good mix doesn't it

 
sliced them open and removed as much seeds as I could by pulling out the placenta's.. but I did not try very hard because I don't mind seeds in my sauce

 
roasted some onion, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes and still green kapijas on olive oil + added hot peppers

 
and that's how it looks now...

 
but it's very.. and I mean very hot.... how do you folks usually dilute the sauce that's too hot for you... adding more tomatoes or tomato sauce? that would be my first approach.. anything else?

 

[stickman]

Decided today to either make a sauce or throw away rotten peppers in a week or so... I have to use them while they're still good.
So I did this....
 
Picked out the ones that are most ready to use... it looks like a good mix doesn't it

 
sliced them open and removed as much seeds as I could by pulling out the placenta's.. but I did not try very hard because I don't mind seeds in my sauce

 
roasted some onion, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes and still green kapijas on olive oil + added hot peppers

 
and that's how it looks now...

 
but it's very.. and I mean very hot.... how do you folks usually dilute the sauce that's too hot for you... adding more tomatoes or tomato sauce? that would be my first approach.. anything else?

 
Carrots, Celery and Garlic since you already put in the Onions... As you said, Tomatoes are good too. If you want a shelf-stable sauce, make sure to add enough vinegar and salt, and keep the sauce at least to 88 degrees C while bottling in sterilized bottles and caps. Your sauce looks a little thick... make sure to thin it enough to easily pour and remember that it'll thicken a bit as it cools.  It looks great so far... wish I could give it a taste.

 

[tsurrie]

 
Carrots, Celery and Garlic since you already put in the Onions... As you said, Tomatoes are good too. If you want a shelf-stable sauce, make sure to add enough vinegar and salt, and keep the sauce at least to 88 degrees C while bottling in sterilized bottles and caps. Your sauce looks a little thick... make sure to thin it enough to easily pour and remember that it'll thicken a bit as it cools.  It looks great so far... wish I could give it a taste.

 
yeah, good, thanks.... I know about the vinegar and salt.... will do that for sure... vinegar is known to take quite an edge off... and it's almost boiling every time I make sauce, but I never added Celery... does it add it's typical aroma... do you mean the leaves or the root ?
Carrots are cool, but they thicken the sauce even more.... garlic is already in... but I wouldn't add more of it...
 
I'm thinking some more homemade tomato sauce, a cup of vinegar, a spoon of salt and a bit of rosemary or basil (maybe I should try thyme someday).... to make it more appealing...
 
you should taste it... it tastes good, but the heat kicks in about half minute later and you kinda forget the taste afterwards...

 

[stickman]

 
t I never added Celery... does it add it's typical aroma... do you mean the leaves or the root ?
 
I use the leaves and stalk, not the root, though RocketMan did a creditable sauce with it.
 
Carrots are cool, but they thicken the sauce even more.... garlic is already in... but I wouldn't add more of it...
 
Yeah, carrots will thicken the sauce quite a bit, but I just thin it out with more neutral-tasting vinegar or sterile water. They also sweeten the sauce quite a bit, which helps iron out the rough edges.
 
I'm thinking some more homemade tomato sauce, a cup of vinegar, a spoon of salt and a bit of rosemary or basil (maybe I should try thyme someday).... to make it more appealing...
 
If you like the combination, why not?
 
you should taste it... it tastes good, but the heat kicks in about half minute later and you kinda forget the taste afterwards...

 
Most excellent... that's what we all strive for!

 

[tsurrie]

 
Most excellent... that's what we all strive for!

 
yeah I know but my wife and friends are not "we all"
 
I diluted it with some more homemade apple vinegar, tomato sauce and added three middle sized carrots. Blended again and simmered for 2 more hours.... it tastes freakin' good and is still pretty hot.
 
Just filled 15x 1dcl mini jars, 3x 1dcl bottles and 2x 2dcl jars with the sauce. That's 2,2 liters of sauce which equals 74.39 fl oz.

 

[Devv]

My theory is when it's too hot, just use less.
 
One reason I grow so many sweet peppers is to balance the heat.

 

[PaulG]

Just awesome, Uros!  The sauce looks killer.
Nice round of pods for the freezer!

 

[tsurrie]

My theory is when it's too hot, just use less.
 
One reason I grow so many sweet peppers is to balance the heat.

good theory Scott... and yes, sweets often round up a flavor in a good way
 
 

Just awesome, Uros!  The sauce looks killer.
Nice round of pods for the freezer!

 
Thanks Paul. The freezer is almost full.
I really need to reduce the amount of plants for next season.
Better start planning huh ?
 
 
So that's the final batch of the sauce... Now I need to buy some more jars so I can cook more.

 

[PaulG]

"Better start planning huh ?  "
 
Uros, you could have gone all day without saying that!

 

[tsurrie]

"Better start planning huh ?  "
 
Uros, you could have gone all day without saying that!

That statement was meant as a joke. You know how every year turns into "... but I can grow just a few of these... they won't take so much space and I really want to see how they'll grow this year...."... and so on. And I don't think next season will be any different.   

 

[Devv]

Wow! that's plenty of sauce
 
I for one hear you about growing way more than we need. The bottom line is we like to do it   And the cost is not the issue, it's the space and work..LOL

 

[OCD Chilehead]

Awesome Uros!!

I'm hooked on making sauce and purée. I use so much of it, I couldn't afford to buy it anymore. Mine tastes better anyways. LOL


Your sauce looks fantastic.

 

[Essegi]

Wonderful pods and great looking sauce!
 
I like to add cheese (aged or not depending on how much i want to dry it) or some dried fruit if available (almonds, pine nuts, wallnuts, cashews) on my sauce but i use them on 3 days and cheese is for sure a taste changer.