Topic: Chillies

[bananagirl]

My baby chillies are growing!! I'm so excited, especially since the jalapenos were gathered from supermarket chillies. Now, if I can just get them all big enough to fruit, I'll be one happy girl. I'm growing 5 different types this year, I hope.  :D

[tim]

And the fruit of one will last you a year!!

[sandersj89]

And the fruit of one will last you a year!!

Hehehe, not in this house. I am under pressure from she who knows best that I must grow twice as many as last year. We are down to our last frozen bag of chillies and we use 6 or 8 chillies a week!

Is chillie addiction a known medical condition?

Jerry

[aquilegia]

Tim - really? eek. I've got about 20 plants and we don't eat that many chillies.

I can't even give them away as mum doesn't like spicey.

But then half of them probably won't do anything.

Oh well - i'll just freeze them and give myself more greenhouse room for the next 20 years.

[Charlotte Sometimes]

And the fruit of one will last you a year!!

Heh heh.  One would not be enough for me.  I am growing 8 although I am hoping for a hot summer so 4 can go outdoors.  Last year I gave them all names.  This year I'm going to do that again - on a rock'n'roll theme.  Have already though of Lemmy, Keith (Richards), and Noddy (Holder).  ;D

[Arumlily]

I buy supermarket chillies and save the seeds and grew them on the allotment last year, it was a bumper crop. I have only one problem I am puzzle as to why my chillies are not spicy at all, I like my chillies hot the hotter the better any ideas as to where I've gone wrong.

[Mrs Ava]

I believe to get them super hot, as the fruits are developing, withhold water, then when they are really dry and the plant looks wilted, flood them.  Don't know where I read that I'm afraid.

I have oodles of chilli plants again, not only for the harvest, but they look so great as plants!  My overwintering selection in the conservatory are all in flower!

[cleo]

Arum -try growing Habenero or Scotch Bonnet-if they fail to hit the spot then gargle with petrol and ignite ;D.

I too am adicted to growing the things but Jenny and I have differing views on `heat`-mind you as age moves I do think she has a point-what was once a warm morning after botty glow can now be more of an ouch lol

[Charlotte Sometimes]

I buy supermarket chillies and save the seeds and grew them on the allotment last year, it was a bumper crop. I have only one problem I am puzzle as to why my chillies are not spicy at all, I like my chillies hot the hotter the better any ideas as to where I've gone wrong.

Maybe its just down to variety?  I bought a packet of seed (Mr Fothergills) and it turned out to be a random selection which supposedly includes Scotch Bonnet.  As you cannot tell the seeds apart and they are not separated, it has been hit and miss which I have grown.  There seem to be two main types in there - a mild, fairly large one which are more like sweet peppers, and the tiny "birdseye" type.  The latter are very hot.  Seems to be that the smaller they are the hotter, for the most part. 

I read not to save seed where you have grown different types of chilli together, as they cross-pollinate, so you will have very variable results.  Perhaps the supermarket ones you bought were grown alongside other types and therefore provided disappointing results.  That's the only other explanation I can think of... and I have not explained it very well, because I don't understand it very well...!  ;)

[northener]

Yes i think your better off buying seed. A ggod website for you chillinuts www.chileseeds.co.uk..Under the vast seed section it gives different hotness. Does anyone pickle them?

[undercarriage plan]

OK, getting jealous! I sowed chilli seeds and only 2 have germinated! Where have I gone wrong?? I'm growing tabasco and green chillies. :'( Lottie

[redimp]

I pickled some last year but they were the wrong sort.  They did not have anough flesh and had thick skins.  They were also a bit too hot for pickling.  In the end I strained off the vinegar (hot  :-X) and then boiled them down with some tomatoes and then whizzed  it all up to make lethal tomato ketchup.

[Derekthefox]

I threw a few in with my pickled garlic, mainly for colour and interest, but they were deliciously hot. The type were just packeted as 'chillie' (Kings), but they were the hot ones often found in indian restaurants. I have also grown habanero, which were equally hot.

Growing a few varieties this year, I want to pickle a large jarful of 'assorted' to keep at work as they are very curious about my chilie addiction.

[undercarriage plan]

You lot not helping!!! How do I get mine to germinate so I can pickle them, whizz them etc  ::) Lottie

[Jesse]

They need warmth to germinate, are yours in a heated propagator? If you don't have one put them in the airing cupboard until they germinate. Remember to cover with plastic otherwise the soil will dry out.

[Merry Tiller]

I germinate them in an electric propagator, they come up like cress

[Mrs Ava]

I germinate mine in my conservatory.  They are very slow to start, some have been in the compost for 6 weeks and are only just begining to poke through the soil!  I don't rush them, especially now I know I can overwinter them!  ;D

Patience and warmth seems to be the rule with chillies.

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Germination - SE-facing window sill with a hot radiator underneath and a "bottle top" propagator as shown below.  They don't come up as fast as toms.  Sowing a few in pots like this means any damping off is limited to the one container - although I only seem to have had that problem with ornamental grasses lately!  ::)

[bananagirl]

Wow. I'm pleased to see I'm not the only one who loves the things. I'm impressed by all the care y'all put into germinating them. All I did was put the seeds in a tray with some dirt on the windowsill and mist them every morning to keep 'em dry...mainly, I have to say, because my tommys had come up in the other pot and they're too delicate to water properly at the minute. Works a treat, though! Mine took maybe 5 days longer than the toms to pop up. Nice. Everythings up except the capsicums and the choccy chillies!

For the heat thing, treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen. I don't take great care of mine, and they are v. hot mostly. I've a yellow one that's quite sweet, and then POW! It wops you one. Going to make peach/chillie chutley with them in the summer!

[Arumlily]

Thanks guys and gals for your tips and suggestions.  Banana girl how do you make chillie chutney, my chillies were mainly green ones all I did with mine was pickle them. I silced them finely then fill a glass jar and just add distilled white vinegar and a tsp of sugar and just leave it a for a few days and use them as needed.