Hot Peppers

Peppers are one of those foods that have something for everybody. For folk that don't like it hot: there's Bell, Paprika, Anaheim, Guajillo, and Smoked Red Jalepeños. For those that like it zesty but still manageable for children and the elderly: there are Green Jalepeños, Serranos, Tabasco Peppers, Yatsufusa/Japones, Wax Peppers, and Cayenne. For those that like it hot enough to be worth the effort but not so hot as to put them in the hospital there are: Thai Mouse Dropping Peppers (I grew these this year), Sambal, Korean Green Pepper*, and anything else in the 20,000-100,000 SHU range. SHU is "Scoville Heat Unit". Bell Peppers average between 2 and 5 SHU. Green Jalepeños are approx 2,000. Serranos are about 20,000 SHU. Mouse Dropping Peppers and the low end of the Habenero group is about 100,000 SHU. And the as yet unmentioned category of peppers for those who like the sensation of swallowing flaming ethanol, runs between the Habenero's 100,000 SHU and the Trinidad Scorpion's 2.1 Million SHU (Current World Record). Other peppers of the notorious category are the Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) and the 7 Pot.


*These resemble the Wax peppers that become pepperoncinis; but they burn the skin, and the waxy residue "...cometh not out but by prayer and fasting." Wear Chem Resist industrial gloves when handling them.



So, you've selected a variety and ordered the seeds... What do peppers need to grow well? They need good drainage and plenty of water. They need shade during part of the day. They need calcium, though not to the extent that tomatoes do. It also helps to companion plant with them.

Pepper Plant Companions:
Tomatoes
Basil
Cilantro/Corriander
Marigold
Onions
Garlic
Carrots
Celery
Parsley
Thai Basil
Leeks
Radish
Cabbage
Mustard

Pepper Plant Enemies:
Corn
Beans
Squash

Birds may be a problem, but a wire cage will negate that. A rabbit lives in my yard and took a nibble once... Never happened again.

Bumble Bees are a pollinator of Peppers and Tomatoes among other things. Don't kill them. Peppers don't need pesticides. Peppers seem to repel crickets to some degree since they proliferate in my garden but are seldom seen among the peppers. Inter-plant Peppers with Cilantro to repel aphids.

Pepper Preservation:

Drying is probably the best way of preserving peppers long term. To dry peppers, cut off the stem with a pair of dollar store scissors and lay the pepper whole on a drying rack and dry them until they are easily broken. It takes 2-3 days for my Thai Mouse Dropping Peppers in an electric dehydrator. The seeds may be removed easily after the peppers are dry, but I prefer to leave them in my peppers for making chili powder in the blender. I add a touch of rice flour to prevent caking.

Chile Paste or Juice can be frozen either en masse or in measured 1 tbs amounts on a cookie sheet or in an ice cube tray. To make Chile Paste, just cut off the tops, and pop them in a blender and blend them up. To make Chile Juice for sauces, marinades, and cocktails, cut the tops off and juice them in a juicer. I did this with Ginger and froze it in an ice cube tray in measured 1oz quantities.

Hot Sauce
Take some Chili Powder or Chile Paste in the amount of 1oz, and put it in a bottle, add 1 tbs of garlic powder, 1 tsp of sea salt, and add 1 cup of your favourite vinegar. Cap it and have your kid or hyper sibling shake it.

Chile Vinegar
Slice 2-5 peppers lengthwise and stuff them into a bottle or jelly jar. Add a 2.5 inch piece of lemon grass and a few cloves of chopped garlic. Fill the jar with Rice vinegar and let it set for a week or so.

The Cocktail from Hell
Pour 1oz of ginger juice, 1/2oz of hot pepper juice, and 1oz of vodka into a shotglass. Get someone else to try it. It will wake you up no matter how tired you are.