Can you feel the burn?

[GM54-120]

My spicy Turkish bell did ok. I got plenty of seeds now.

Tossed another couple pounds of Aleppo in the dehydrator.

 

[Idaholewis]

Those Turkish Bell peppers look REALLY Good! Do they have much heat to them? Interesting Pepper for sure :yeah:

 

[GM54-120]

About as hot as a jalapeno. Much bigger than a Bonnie Cajun Bell. Walls are thin enough to dry fairly quickly.

Its called Antep Aci Dolma

 

[GM54-120]

Made some DELICIOUS sweet heat powder. More like medium flake really. IMGUR is having fits atm and wont take an upload.

50% Aleppo
30% Antep Aci Dolma
20% Bell of Lebanon

Im going to try a salt cure style soon too. First you dry the peppers for a day in the sun. You want them about 50%-70% dried. Run them through a hand crank meat grinder with the medium size plate. For about 250gr of semi dried peppers you want around 15 grams of sea salt.

Spread out the ground pepper on something like a cookie sheet. Sprinkle them with salt and mix it all up good. At this point you can:....

Freeze the peppers
Mix it with olive oil and put it all in a jar (refrigerated)...This is a common condiment in the middle east.
OR
Finish drying.

 

[Idaholewis]

Sound Good GM54! My house smells like a Pickle atm, I just Started about 3 Gallons of Split Green Tomatoes in a Saltwater Pickle Solution. These are in my 5 Gallon Crock (Old Redwing) These aren’t for everyone, Kinda Salty, And HOT. Lots of Garlic as well. I put them in a Cheese cloth Bag (New Game Bag) lined inside the Old Crock, Ad Tomatoes, Layer of Tomatoes, Hot peppers, and Garlic, Repeat the Process. Then to 1 Gallon of Water i mix 3/4 Cup of Pickling Salt and Stir til completely dissolved, then pour over The Tomatoes, Repeat The Gallon of Water 3/4 Cup Pickling Salt as many Gallons as it takes until you have the Tomatoes Covered Well (5-6” of Brine above the Tomatoes) Pull up the Cheese cloth/New Game Bag from around the Sides of the Crock and Tie a Loose Knot in the Bag, You need to Weight the Tomatoes Down so they stay Fully Submersed (I find a Nice big Flat Smooth Rock :yeah: ) Then Throw some kind of Cover over the Old Crock so Nothing can get in it. Wait a Full month (Hardest Part :lol: ) in a month The top layer of Brine will be GROSS looking, Scum. Gently push that aside, Ladle it out. Then remove Weight, UnTie the Game bag and Roll the edges around the Crock, Dip tomatoes up and put in Jars, either keep them in the Fridge, or Dry Seal the Jars with a Vacuum sealer.

Like i said, these aren’t for everyone! They are QUITE Pungent! But i love em when I’m out hunting and get back to my Truck :yeah:

 

[GM54-120]

IMGUR is finally working again

Aleppo blend powder/flake

Dried Aji Panca. The color is hard to capture...Just gorgeous.

P. Dreadie select pods for seed stock and off to the dehydrator. Im only saving the best shape/size pods from the 3 plants i have somewhat separated.

 

[GM54-120]

I ferment peppers and make lots of kraut. Havent done naturally fermented cukes in ages though. Ive got a huge glazed stone crock i havent used for ferments in years.

 

[Idaholewis]

I ferment peppers and make lots of kraut. Havent done naturally fermented cukes in ages though. Ive got a huge glazed stone crock i havent used for ferments in years.

Get that Bad Boy Out! :yeah: I have 2 and really enjoy using them, a 5 and 8 Gallon, Both of mine are Old Marshals and Glazed. I was wrong in the post above saying my 5 Gallon was a Red Wing

 

[GM54-120]

I cant eat enough (fast enough) for the size of my crock and i prefer my kraut fresh. I have 2 small fermenters that handle around 2-3 smaller heads of cabbage. Plus it has double lids so it dont get too much "funk" on the surface. Fresh kraut has active probiotics. The good bacteria for your gut. Canning or cooking it kills all the bacteria.

Instead of answering this in a PM i thought others might find this useful and its fairly inexpensive to put it together. Overwintering plants can be a chore. I suggest checking out the pepper forums for better advice since i havent done it. Ive only done some of my herbs in a window sill.

There are a couple items that look good for a small overwinter project. First you need some lighting and most of us are using our good lights for seedlings and such. Its pretty obvious having our 2 inch tall seedlings under the same lights as a foot tall+ plant can be a pain. Not everyone wants to spend another $100+ on a light just to over winter a couple plants either.

Well you can get quite a few lumens in 5500K for under $20 each. 1-2 of these should be enough to keep a couple plants going all winter AND if its in a slightly confined space some heat also. Its will screw into a standard E26 socket.

Bonlux 40W LED Studio Light Bulb Medium Screw Base 5500k Daylight Balanced Full Spectrum Bulb for Photography and Video Studio Lighting
https://www.amazon.com/Bonlux-Daylight- ... B01EFK7XE6

You could just use a standard socket fixture or a clamp on shop light. Just make sure if you use a clamp on it fits and has plenty of air flow around the bulb. Aim a small fan right at the bulb and reflector.

Now, to hold in some heat and reflect light there is a simple solution. EMERGENCY Mylar blankets. They are WAY cheaper than buying a small sheet of reflective Mylar. Even Walmart has them and there are really cheap. https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/emergency-blankets

Hang however many you need from the ceiling if you dont want to build a frame. This one is a bit more expensive but it has grommets and better made. Probably need 2-3 to mostly enclose a couple smallish plants. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stansport-Sp ... t/21934535

And last but not least a timer for the lights/fans. A would suggest a nice one that can handle a small space heater too. They even have them with a temp probe so the heater is not running all the time. You can buy really small 200watt space heater for under $20.

It will easily handle a small space heater plus lights/fans.
https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temperat ... B015FKG4CC

Full list if you need more options than just heat/time. You can also get cooling to turn fans on if needed.
http://www.ink-bird.com/products-temper ... oller.html

 

[GM54-120]

This is beginning to be like work and i still got loads of pods in ground/lower patio.

Picked all the pods off 2 Dreadies (upper deck) and 2 MWCH MOA reds to compare production. Pretty close but ive also already harvested a few more Dreadies than MOA reds. I still have 3 more Dreadies to go on the lower patio and a few more greeners on the MOAs. . Got another nice load of Ed's Aleppos, some more CCN Jamaican Gold and a few more Aji Panca. Im guessing 4 Aleppos will end up with around 12oz of powder/flake at this rate. Not that bad for 4 plants in 7gal grow bags.

 

[Idaholewis]

Man! Those look good GM54!!

I went ahead and picked My Lemon Drops and Beni Highlands, it was 35 here this morning, it could Frost on us anytime now.

Kinda Sad to pick these guy’s, the Plants were literally LOADED with tiny pods, But just no way they can make it. Both of these Peppers have GOOD Solid heat :yeah: And the house Smells VERY citrusy like a Lemon, These Lemon Drops are a really neat Pepper!

Lemon Drops, ever seen them turn Dark like the few on top? Almost like a Dark purple, I had quite a few do this. They taste AWESOME!

Beni Highlands, I actually ended up with way more of these than i thought i was gonna get. The Plants were LOADED with inmature pods, I should have started Both of these under lights a Month earlier. Always next year :yeah:

 

[GM54-120]

Those dark spots are sun burn....Completely normal.

They might still ripen on the counter. The best trick is to pull the plant or branches. Hang it someplace like the basement. Seems to make them ripen faster when picked green.

 

[Idaholewis]

Those dark spots are sun burn....Completely normal.

They might still ripen on the counter. The best trick is to pull the plant or branches. Hang it someplace like the basement. Seems to make them ripen faster when picked green.

Wish i had known the trick of leaving them on the Vine and hanging them up to ripen, That makes good sense, I’ll remember that for next time. Actually i have 2 little Thai plants that are loaded with Green peppers in my Garden, i will try it with them. I have 4 little Thai plants total, the 2 potted plants look like little Bonsai Trees, the 2 in the Garden didn’t do as well for some reason? Stil more of them than i know what to do with tho :yeah:

 

[GM54-120]

This sounds good

14 ounces Red Rocoto
6 Cups sugar
1 Cup AC vinegar
2 Tablespoon lemon juice (concentrate)
1 package liquid pectin

Process Rocoto, vinegar, and lemon juice until smooth
Transfer and bring to boil, simmer 20 minutes
Stir in sugar and pectin
Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute
Remove from heat and skim foam (as required)
Ladle into sterilized jars
Seal jars and process 5 minutes in boiling hot bath

 

[Idaholewis]

This sounds good

14 ounces Red Rocoto
6 Cups sugar
1 Cup AC vinegar
2 Tablespoon lemon juice (concentrate)
1 package liquid pectin

Process Rocoto, vinegar, and lemon juice until smooth
Transfer and bring to boil, simmer 20 minutes
Stir in sugar and pectin
Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute
Remove from heat and skim foam (as required)
Ladle into sterilized jars
Seal jars and process 5 minutes in boiling hot bath

Yes it does!!! You gonna try it?

 

[GM54-120]

Yep its gunna be

9oz of processed mini reds and around 6oz of red raspberry. Im saving the Miraflores for a hot sauce. (maybe). They are all deseeded and froze now.

 

[GM54-120]

Finally got some nice Big Jim Heritage Anaheims ripe and some Farmers Market jalapeno ripe. Seriously i cant process all the peppers fast enough into dried or sauce. Freezer is getting close to full on peppers i will use before next year.

Lewis, what kinda peppers you want to sample that i can fit in a SFRB? Big Jims and the bells are certainly too large. I will have some Aleppo powder soon too. I still got LOTS of pods on plants. I have a bunch already dried also.

 

[Idaholewis]

GM54, WOW!! You grow some AWESOME peppers my friend!! Those darn Farmers Market Jalapeños are REALLY interesting to me, When i ordered my Zapotec Jalapeño seeds they Sent me Some Farmers Market Jalapeño seeds as a Freebie, They also sent me some Numex Lemon Spice Jalapeño seed. I think the Rocoto, and Jalapeño Varieties are going to be my best bet here in this Cold Country. I don’t think I’m gonna try anymore of the Super hots, They simply take way more time than we have, And like you mentioned before, it’s likely they do better the 2nd year? I was gonna try and Overwinter 3 Plants but i Aborted That mission due to our house being to small, plus I don’t want to Run lights for them.

Our ground freezes deep here, Water lines are 3 ft minimum. When spring time comes and our Snow finally leaves, The Ground is stil really cold, And don’t get Warm til the First of July. Even if i get a Big headstart on my Plants indoors it is hard on them once they leave the Warm house and head outdoors, Toss in a few Wind Storms that tatter them up and they go in to “Lock Up” Mode. It could freeze any Day here the Entire month of May, The night temps in May are Mid 30s, low 40s, The only Plants i had that showed Promise in May was The Rocotos, They did STELLAR for me! Everything else “Hung Up” And really didn’t do anything til the VERY End of June, We only have 2 Good months for Growing Peppers, July and August. I also found that My Potted Plants did MUCH better than Ground Planted. I am gonna try and Go Potted only on my Peppers This next Spring :yeah: I am SERIOUSLY Contemplating a Green House Build, That would help me a BUNCH in May!

 

[GM54-120]

The Farmers Market jalapeno is delicious for a mild jalapeno. My 2 plants got large too. Main stalk was a bit thin and with the weight of the pods they did need cages/stakes. Rub the pepper down in oil and either roast it in the oven or toss it on the grill. Dont get hung up on the heavy corking. It eats just fine.

Mine are just now turning ripe but they are fine green. Probably better green if you are after that intense jalapeno flavor. They are mild enough for most "non chili heads" but the flavor!!!! Most of the mild varieties are just plain bland to me. Not this one. Im pretty sure its a landrace/heirloom also. Might want to keep the Zapotec and the FM away from each other if you plan on saving seeds.

 

[Idaholewis]

Might want to keep the Zapotec and the FM away from each other if you plan on saving seeds.

This is something i was gonna ask! How far apart should the plants be? Like opposite sides of the House type distance? Next season I plan on growing the Zapotecs, Farmers Market, Numex Lemon Spice, and Mucho Nacho. And of course my beloved Rocotos. I saved back plenty of Seed from my Mini Reds, And then i have the 2 new Varieties to try (Ecuadorian, and Guatemalan which are both Reds) I hate to speed up the Clock, but I’m already excited for next Growing season! I have better Knowledge, and Better equipment :yeah: I do believe i am gonna go with mostly Potted/Grow Bags, They can gather heat in the Critical needed months, Where our Ground is stil Cold.