WalkGood 2013, 2014 and Beyond

Sanarda · Jul 29, 2013

I love the looks of that Choco Scorp. I have some brewing. They were really late starts but I am banking on having at least one pod to taste.

WalkGood · Jul 29, 2013

stickman said:
Had to do a 2-page catchup Ramon... Thanks for the TS review... it's given me some pointers to look for when I finally taste my Yellow 7s and Douglahs. The Red TS is certainly a mean-looking pepper!

So can I look forward to reading your Yellow 7 review? I’ve never tried one, was thinking of growing one next year but not sure yet. I sent you a little one (TS) hopefully it will taste like her bigger sister so you let me know how it tastes too.

stickman said:
Nice looking foodie with the Tuna, and a question... Do you think freezing the pods first helps speed up the drying process? It seems to me that the ice crystals puncture the cell walls and let the plant juices leak out when you thaw them, making them flabby and soft.

Thanks for da Tuna kudos, it was definitely delicious.

Yes you are right, frozen pods take me an extra day to dehydrate because they’re so soft and juicy but this time it gave me the opportunity to try some of that juice I strained off. I have some good ideas on how to use that juice as it’s delish. BTW I’ve add a step now because of our high humidity, I make rice packs in coffee filters to put into the powder pack and it absorbs just as good or better as food grade desiccant packs and I can make them as large or small as I wish.

meatfreak said:
You didn't tell me you would add my note on the picture what an awful writing

lol, my handwriting is worse so I do like Scott and type when it’s important but not on seed shipments. Don’t worry it looks fine IMHO …

Devv said:
Nice score on the seeds!

Really glad to see you're still setting pods, congratulations!

We're at 100-101 for the next 5 days

Your handwriting is WAY better than mine, I send typed messages...LOL guess I should have been a doctor.

Thanks Scott ^_^

The plants were dropping flowers like mad especially the Red Bhut but we had rain off and on for 3 or 4 days last week which cooled it down enough for her to set plenty more than I need. Hope they all develop fine as there was three baby pods on her and it was so hot that they ripened at less than normal size like dwarfs but still had da taste. I hope your temps drop like mine did. Although Aug. is typically our hottest month if we don't get rain :o per da news some coming later this week, keeping fingers crossed.

Sanarda said:
I love the looks of that Choco Scorp. I have some brewing. They were really late starts but I am banking on having at least one pod to taste.

Hope your brew rocks \o/ … if not let me know and if I have some ripe I’ll send ya some ^_^

Al-from-Chile · Jul 29, 2013

WalkGood said:
Al thats very cool, thanks for the link. I checked and they have them for Canons for around $8 to $12 bucks here. Ill do a little more research and if I like what I see its definitely affordable. Since you say you have one hows it perform for you?

It has its limitations - you shoot 100 percent manual w/o live view - so you probably need 3-4 setup shoots for every sujet... Def not candit pics of a party... I'm somewhat setup w/ a split screen insert for manual focusing.

Dof is extremely flat that's why you ll try to shoot @ high f (16 or 22) - which means you need *much light* (on the other hand you shoot small stuff so a good flashlight goes a long way. If you need to shoot @ dawn (=wide open) your focal plane is even thinner - bummer but you can easily go artsy - fartsy

But for 10 bucks you can't go wrong

Al

Sanarda · Jul 29, 2013

WalkGood said:
So can I look forward to reading your Yellow 7 review? I’ve never tried one, was thinking of growing one next year but not sure yet. I sent you a little one (TS) hopefully it will taste like her bigger sister so you let me know how it tastes too.

Thanks for da Tuna kudos, it was definitely delicious.

Yes you are right, frozen pods take me an extra day to dehydrate because they’re so soft and juicy but this time it gave me the opportunity to try some of that juice I strained off. I have some good ideas on how to use that juice as it’s delish. BTW I’ve add a step now because of our high humidity, I make rice packs in coffee filters to put into the powder pack and it absorbs just as good or better as food grade desiccant packs and I can make them as large or small as I wish.

lol, my handwriting is worse so I do like Scott and type when it’s important but not on seed shipments. Don’t worry it looks fine IMHO …

Thanks Scott ^_^

The plants were dropping flowers like mad especially the Red Bhut but we had rain off and on for 3 or 4 days last week which cooled it down enough for her to set plenty more than I need. Hope they all develop fine as there was three baby pods on her and it was so hot that they ripened at less than normal size like dwarfs but still had da taste. I hope your temps drop like mine did. Although Aug. is typically our hottest month if we don't get rain :o per da news some coming later this week, keeping fingers crossed.

Hope your brew rocks \o/ … if not let me know and if I have some ripe I’ll send ya some ^_^

YOUR AWESOME RAMON!!!!!!!

annie57 · Jul 29, 2013

Dang, Ramon . . . that Choc Scorp review lingers in my heart of hearts . . . along with the MoA reviews :dance:

and the White Bhut :party:

. . . ahhhhhhhh. My mouth watered on that big slab of JA habs too that you're drying . . . I might wait until I have fresh pods for ferment . . . or buy some off here. Dunno. That batch of JA Habs were certainly uh, inspirational to do so!

Oh yeah--got the other pods thawed and in frig, not without slight accident--but might just smoke em--kinda mushy, but funny story on what happens when one person who's 6'3" is coming in basement door from mowing grass as a another who's 5'5" is going out, with cutting board, lots of chili guts (naga, 7 Pods, bhuts)--the ones with black seeds, and stuff, really juicy waste product (I was headed to compost bin)--and those two people collide. Of course the cutting board wound up in my face. :rolleyes:

Of course I wasn't wearing safety goggles; geez. Now that I can see again. I really don't recommend that anybody ever do that. But can say that a BIG bowl of water with ice cubes, and just submerse face, eyes open, and keep doing it for an hour . . . or so :rofl:

Peace querido: it all looks so gorgeous and great descriptors!

cone9 · Jul 29, 2013

Love all the pics.

And Ramon, if you ever decide to give up your day job, there is likely a future for you...

WalkGood said:
I found her hotter than the ghost but let’s set the picante factor aside. Once I cut into her a sweet smelling fragrance aroma filled the kitchen air, wow what a heady scent!

WalkGood said:
...she shouts “eat me, eat me, eat me!” She’s tantalizing, spicy, hot, fiery, sharp, stinging, pungent, lively and strong. But at the same time she is delicious, delectable, mouthwatering, tasty, delightful, and a over all lip smacking treat screaming “I’m a scrumptious bad girl that’s food for the gods an epicurean delight, so eat me!”

...there is a hint of fruitiness within her flavor but it is not as fruity as the red Jamaican ...

...in romance novels!

Al-from-Chile · Jul 30, 2013

annie57 said:
the ones with black seeds, and stuff, really juicy waste product (I was headed to compost bin)--and those two people collide. Of course the cutting board wound up in my face. Of course I wasn't wearing safety goggles; geez. Now that I can see again. I really don't recommend that anybody ever do that. But can say that a BIG bowl of water with ice cubes, and just submerse face, eyes open, and keep doing it for an hour . . . or so

Peace querido: it all looks so gorgeous and great descriptors!

just see if you can get it on video the next time, and put something along the line of "fire breathing idi0t" into your nick - and you will be on the verge of being an internet diosa

kidding aside, I still cant really wrap my mind around using latex gloves when manipulating hots - so I get reminders like 10 times a day when I handled my bastard-Bon Scotts .... mostly nose and eyes ...

well live and learn (some will take forever to learn i guess :-)

cheers, and I am glad you are better.
Al

cone9 said:
...in romance novels!

yep ... Mr. Ray as the Antonio Banderas of the writers

ramon,

here are some pics on what to expect doing macros ...

as I said, the dof is very shallow, but that is also something you can use to your advantage

orchid intimate and symmetrical

a grain of weed

orchid upclose and personal

(sun?) flower - the center of it

cheers, Al

PIC 1 · Jul 30, 2013

Great review on the Scorpion. I think you hit it solid in respect with the taste testing. What I can say is the Indy pods such as the Bhut Jolokias and other Naga's taste completely different than the Trinndy pods such as the Scorpions and 7 Pots. If I were to taste test a pod for the 1st time, as we do around here at our pepper gatherings I would make that the 1st pod to try. After a few slices of various pods my taste buds get a bit desensitized. Even taking whiffs of the scent of freshly cut pods can mask the "nose" of things. That reminds me of a detail I worked, it was at a security entrance for an important event. The gov security had bomb dogs checking the "specials" as they came through. The dogs were rotated out often as their "sniffers" became desenitized.

Your photography is spot on ! But if you're looking to magnify the image and your macro setting won't allow you to move in closer, you could probably go with a closeup filter.
they're usually sold in 1 thru 3x grades. Honestly, I worked with a guy who used a regular large magnifying glass over a Hasselblad lense......that also works

I'm digging what you do with the food creations...and kudos to your son for trying the big heat of the Scorp.
Enjoy the rest of your week...

Devv · Jul 30, 2013

I have a really sweet macro for my old Pentax 35mm, and the depth of field is short, but not quite as short as the pics AL posted. It almost seems that the focal point is way centered in those pics, and with a true macro you should get 100% coverage of a pic like the sunflower. But for the price it's definitely worth a shot!

The cool thing with a macro is you can take pics of your old prints in good light and they come out just like the original. I haven't had time to try that yet with the new Nikon...but will give it a shot soon.

Anyways Ramon, your pics are always outstanding!

annie57 · Jul 30, 2013

Devv said:
I have a really sweet macro for my old Pentax 35mm, and the depth of field is short, but not quite as short as the pics AL posted. It almost seems that the focal point is way centered in those pics, and with a true macro you should get 100% coverage of a pic like the sunflower. But for the price it's definitely worth a shot!

The cool thing with a macro is you can take pics of your old prints in good light and they come out just like the original. I haven't had time to try that yet with the new Nikon...but will give it a shot soon.

Anyways Ramon, your pics are always outstanding!

+ 1 to the Scott, Ramon!!

WalkGood · Jul 30, 2013

Sanarda said:
YOUR AWESOME RAMON!!!!!!!

Back at ya Pia ^_^

annie57 said:
Dang, Ramon . . . that Choc Scorp review lingers in my heart of hearts . . . along with the MoA reviews and the White Bhut . . . ahhhhhhhh. My mouth watered on that big slab of JA habs too that you're drying . . . I might wait until I have fresh pods for ferment . . . or buy some off here. Dunno. That batch of JA Habs were certainly uh, inspirational to do so!

Oh yeah--got the other pods thawed and in frig, not without slight accident--but might just smoke em--kinda mushy, but funny story on what happens when one person who's 6'3" is coming in basement door from mowing grass as a another who's 5'5" is going out, with cutting board, lots of chili guts (naga, 7 Pods, bhuts)--the ones with black seeds, and stuff, really juicy waste product (I was headed to compost bin)--and those two people collide. Of course the cutting board wound up in my face. Of course I wasn't wearing safety goggles; geez. Now that I can see again. I really don't recommend that anybody ever do that. But can say that a BIG bowl of water with ice cubes, and just submerse face, eyes open, and keep doing it for an hour . . . or so

Peace querido: it all looks so gorgeous and great descriptors!

Wow I hope you are ok, espero que no te paso nada muy malo :/ Let me know muchacha.

Regarding the freezing I agree, it’s either chop and cook something up or dehydrate for powder. I don’t even make sofrito starter with frozen pods, they’re just too mushy. Good luck with the sauce and as always thanks for the kudos your too kind ^_^

cone9 said:
Love all the pics.

And Ramon, if you ever decide to give up your day job, there is likely a future for you...

...in romance novels!

Na there’s no love writing novels … it’s peppers that turn me on

Al-from-Chile said:
just see if you can get it on video the next time, and put something along the line of "fire breathing idi0t" into your nick - and you will be on the verge of being an internet diosa

kidding aside, I still cant really wrap my mind around using latex gloves when manipulating hots - so I get reminders like 10 times a day when I handled my bastard-Bon Scotts .... mostly nose and eyes ...

well live and learn (some will take forever to learn i guess :-)

cheers, and I am glad you are better.
Al

yep ... Mr. Ray as the Antonio Banderas of the writers

ramon,

here are some pics on what to expect doing macros ...

as I said, the dof is very shallow, but that is also something you can use to your advantage

orchid intimate and symmetrical
*IMG*

a grain of weed
*IMG*

orchid upclose and personal
*IMG*

(sun?) flower - the center of it
*IMG*

cheers, Al

Tanks Al and lol, you must be a stand up comic … you’re so witty!

Wow no gloves, heck I even use dem and even though I go thru two pairs when making powder something always seems to burn me here or there all day long no matter how many times I wash my hands :/

Whoa great pictures mon!!!! Seems worth a shot, might just have to give it a try, thanks!

PIC 1 said:
Great review on the Scorpion. I think you hit it solid in respect with the taste testing. What I can say is the Indy pods such as the Bhut Jolokias and other Naga's taste completely different than the Trinndy pods such as the Scorpions and 7 Pots. If I were to taste test a pod for the 1st time, as we do around here at our pepper gatherings I would make that the 1st pod to try. After a few slices of various pods my taste buds get a bit desensitized. Even taking whiffs of the scent of freshly cut pods can mask the "nose" of things. That reminds me of a detail I worked, it was at a security entrance for an important event. The gov security had bomb dogs checking the "specials" as they came through. The dogs were rotated out often as their "sniffers" became desenitized.

Your photography is spot on ! But if you're looking to magnify the image and your macro setting won't allow you to move in closer, you could probably go with a closeup filter.
they're usually sold in 1 thru 3x grades. Honestly, I worked with a guy who used a regular large magnifying glass over a Hasselblad lense......that also works

I'm digging what you do with the food creations...and kudos to your son for trying the big heat of the Scorp.
Enjoy the rest of your week...

Greg thanks for the taste confirmation on da TS as identifying flavor is the most important thing to me and that was my first try on her. Sharing that information is important IMHO because one can miss a flavor among all that heat. It’s also fun to wait a few days and give her a fresh try again with a clean palette, she might just surprise you with something you had not noticed the first go around.

Wow you are good brethren tasting several different pods, I can only taste test on type or do a side by side compare between two different types. More than that would definitely confuse my taste buds. Unlike others that it comes naturally I have to try them a few times to get clear thoughts about them or confirm what I think I can identify. I wish flavors and tastes just came naturally to me, that would be so helpful in deciding what to use them with or on.

Brethren you kicked some serious azz with that Fried Rav, I love that post … I have no doubt you can identify tastes to da third degree … hat’s off mon for that wonderful Rav dish \o_ Anyone that doesn't know what I'm talking about click here to see da master Greg at work.

Thanks for the tip on a close up filter, I’m looking at options later this year for sure. Oh and that magnifying glass idea is worthy as I now carry one while inspecting the girls, lol, not kidding.

I’ll tell #1 you sent him kudos, he will appreciate that and thanks for the food kudos, I’m a mere amateur compared with your skills … have a great week mon!

Devv said:
I have a really sweet macro for my old Pentax 35mm, and the depth of field is short, but not quite as short as the pics AL posted. It almost seems that the focal point is way centered in those pics, and with a true macro you should get 100% coverage of a pic like the sunflower. But for the price it's definitely worth a shot!

The cool thing with a macro is you can take pics of your old prints in good light and they come out just like the original. I haven't had time to try that yet with the new Nikon...but will give it a shot soon.

Anyways Ramon, your pics are always outstanding!

Scott I’m looking forward to seeing some of your macro shots, get a close up of bugs on a pod, lol

I hear you on the pics of old prints, my scanner broke and I’ve yet to replace it. I would only do a few here and there and there’s just too much for me to sit down and digitize everything but over time it’s doable.

Mon you are always full of complements and I love dat in you, don’t let anyone ever change that in you. Da bucket is always full of pods no matter if I only have one \o/

annie57 said:
+ 1 to the Scott, Ramon!!

Thanks Annie, you too kind muchacha ^_^

Here's a small MoA harvest after work today … Of 32 pods only 3 close to "A shape," 9 "B shape" and the rest were ... well you can tell from the pics.

These last 3 shots are the same pepper but I find it very unique as it’s the only one like this and I’ve yet to hear from any other MoA grower about one like this. It has little spikes around the circumference of the pod near the upper half and lower half and the spikes are sharp to the touch.

Party on everyone, tomorrow’s hump day \o/

Sawyer · Jul 30, 2013

Lot's of interesting stuff here. That last MoA pod is especially interesting; maybe there's something inside trying to get out.

PIC 1 · Jul 30, 2013

Very interesting with the pod shapes. I've seen spikes on other Bonnets before, also inverted and protruding tails. I can't explain what causes it though. I would think as a plant matures through the season (and your season is yr round) the pods tend to get larger and more common shaped. Same thing happens here with the overwintered plants. By the 3rd season most pods look very similar.
One can't fight with "Pepper Nature"
Thanks for the compliments in your response to my reply...

Al-from-Chile · Jul 30, 2013

maybe he just turned 15 (in pepper years) and got a lot of pimples

WalkGood · Jul 30, 2013

Sawyer said:
Lot's of interesting stuff here. That last MoA pod is especially interesting; maybe there's something inside trying to get out.

Doubtful there are aliens inside, lol but who knows, hehe …

PIC 1 said:
Very interesting with the pod shapes. I've seen spikes on other Bonnets before, also inverted and protruding tails. I can't explain what causes it though. I would think as a plant matures through the season (and your season is yr round) the pods tend to get larger and more common shaped. Same thing happens here with the overwintered plants. By the 3rd season most pods look very similar.
One can't fight with "Pepper Nature"
Thanks for the compliments in your response to my reply...

While I’ve seen spikes too, not on any other MoA so I found that strange but I’ve never seen the inverted ones, sound interesting. I think you are right on over time as my older plants are very predictable. The variegated Jamaican Hab pumps out similar shapes and colors with all her pods. I just love the look of those pods, I’ve been saving up some of her seed and hope to reproduce another plant like her but I’m not sure I can. Back to the MoA, this second podding there are more than the first round but the pod sizes seem a little smaller, hope they stabilize and pump out larger pods like you say. I can’t wait to see the 3rd production, 4th, 5th, etc, etc, etc, lol

Good point on pepper nature … and the compliments are more than well deserved my friend, I only hope I can cook half as good when I grow up

Al-from-Chile said:
maybe he just turned 15 (in pepper years) and got a lot of pimples

Dem some sharp pimples, lols

Thanks everyone for the feedback and thoughts ^_^

Devv · Jul 31, 2013

Cool pics!

That one with the pimples is mas gnarly, I wonder if there's a term for that.

Nice haul there too!

Glad to see you're still pulling in this hot weather!

WalkGood · Aug 1, 2013

Devv said:
Cool pics!

That one with the pimples is mas gnarly, I wonder if there's a term for that.

Thanks Scott and back at your pics too, they're awesome ^_^ Yea I found the pimpled one very interesting and strange I never saw one before like Greg said, as I’ve seen piles of Scotch Bonnet pods in various open markets around JA. Not that I’m interested in growing others like it but thought I’d separate the seeds and save … not sure why now that I think of it, lol we crazy mon …

Devv said:
Nice haul there too!

Again thanks but to be honest it really doesn’t seem like many peppers off 3 large plants, WG scratches his head …. not sure why production is low, could be the blasted heat.

Devv said:
Glad to see you're still pulling in this hot weather!

I’m surprised about that too, it’ going to even get hotter and no rain for the next week. We also have an African dust wave that will be hitting us by Sunday. Now I wish I had set up a shade cloth like you. Mine are drooping like mad ever day I come home, I’m not sure how they take it … can’t be good, but guess I’ll have exceptionally hot pods.

Have a great day brethren!

stickman · Aug 1, 2013

Hi Ramon,
I'm about as busy as the proverbial one-legged man at an @%$-kicking contest this week, but wanted to let you know your package got through alright, and to say Thanks Big Guy... you rock!
I hope things let up enough this weekend to do a sampling/review for you, but next week for sure. Cheers!

Devv · Aug 1, 2013

There's Ramon sharing the pepper love!

Way to go Mon!

I started watering the plants that need it twice a day. If I water the container plants once until the water comes out the bottom they are wilted the next day when I get home. So I give them a little less and then go out before dark and hit them again. I'm thinking this saturates the soil better than the one heavy watering, where in theory it finds the easy way out instead of soaking in like I want it too. Give it a whirl!

Trippa · Aug 2, 2013

All looking and sounding great Ramon!!