Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Chillies Ahoy => Topic started by: Admin aka Dan on September 21, 2008, 13:13:07
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Welcome aboard,
Welcome to a new subforum dedicated to chillies!
Biscombe (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=4065) is your host and moderator.
Cheers
Dan
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First of all, thanks Dan for this sub forum, a great idea especially for the chilli enthusiasts on the site!
Hi all! as you know I'm a chilli nut! I'm growing 110 varieties and expanding next year! ::) so I'll be glued to this forum and trying to help out on any way.
I've been busy this season getting my website up and running www.allchillies.com and will be offering prizes later on in the year when the site is trading.
Up the chillies!! ;D
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How exciting for you Biscombe.Hope all goes well. :)
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good luck biscombe!
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Hey thank you Dan! ;D
Fantastic Biscombe that you are hosting this part. I dont grow many and this years crop was miserable. I cant wait to learn from yours and others expertise ;D
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I'm sure you are familiar with one called imaginatively "Hot Stuff" can't remember where I got the seed, probably a wyevale bargain bin, but I have a marvellous crop of bright yellow chillies... will they go red or is that it?
:-\
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Not heard of that one Saddad! but I find that the mellow yellow colored chillies do turn light red eventually and the vivid bright yellows stay like that
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The website is looking great already! Didn't know about camomile tea for preventing damping off- thanks for that tip and good luck with your new enterprise!
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Thanks all! I'm really excited too! slow going seed collecting though!
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that's a really good website. I'm looking forward to next year already
just a suggestion - might it be a good idea to also have them listed by hotness as well as alphabetically? It's the kind of thing chilliholics are interested in
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Thats a great idea thanks Rhubarb! good to get feedback ;D
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Well done with the website - it looks great :) :) :) My son taters (who doesn't come on the forum much) is the chilli person in our family, the hotter the better.
Are you going to sell the sauces too?
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Thanks :D I'm only selling the sauces locally, the postage cost would be too high!
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ooh hello Biscombe one of the only things that have been prolific for me this year have been chillis some of which you sent me the seeds of even managed to make hubbies eyes water too good luck with this
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Great! do you remember the variety?
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Shame you're not quite up & running yet- Hugh FW had an article on Chillis in this weekend's Guardian magazine and had links to several online sites.
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Hi Bis and good luck, I tried growing some this year but I left them outside in the hot spell and the snails chomped them to bits and they never recovered, are there chillis you can grow all year round on your windowseal. ;D ;D ;D
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Thanks! a great little chilli with will look really cute on the windowsill would be demon red which has a great flavor and has tiny leaves and pods. Prarie fire would also be good bigger than demon red but would still be great!
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Hi Biscombe,
Did you have any luck with the chilli seed I brought back from Thailand for you?mine were terrible, too cold and seed put in too late I think, plants six inches high with tiny chilli's on them. should be ok next year as we are staying at home.
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Hi Biscombe,
Did you have any luck with the chilli seed I brought back from Thailand for you?mine were terrible, too cold and seed put in too late I think, plants six inches high with tiny chilli's on them. should be ok next year as we are staying at home.
I'm going to try mine next year! too late too! Hope they are like the pics on the packet!! ;D
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Hi Biscombe,
Nothing to do with chillis but wanted to let you know we found a great restaurant called 'La Concha' in Torrevieja last weekend. It's a street or so back from the seafront promenade and just does Spanish regional cooking. Very genuine and good value for a resort/seaside town.
The stuffed baby squid in their own ink was delicious :)
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'Chillis Ahoy'
May i ask why chillis in particular? What need do we have for a sub forum for chillis in particular, when everything else is bunched in together? Why not just have seperate Fruit and Veg boards?
OK If we are going down this route, can i ask for a sub forum covering Tomatoes please? Then after that what about one for Runner Beans oe Potatoes? Any chance?
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Chillies are the 'in thing at the moment!' there are quite a few forums dedicated to just chillies! I think Dan is spot on for adding this sub forum!
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Hi Biscombe,
Nothing to do with chillis but wanted to let you know we found a great restaurant called 'La Concha' in Torrevieja last weekend. It's a street or so back from the seafront promenade and just does Spanish regional cooking. Very genuine and good value for a resort/seaside town.
The stuffed baby squid in their own ink was delicious :)
Sounds great! how was the holiday? started to get cold here!
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There for 5 days and it rained every day! The food was the only consolation :)
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Oh no!! poor babes! more rain for the weekend here!
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Chillies are the 'in thing at the moment!' there are quite a few forums dedicated to just chillies! I think Dan is spot on for adding this sub forum!
Hmm Nice though they are I think they are overrated. i grow just one type 'Numex Twilight' and it is sufficient for my needs.
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Chillies are the 'in thing at the moment!' there are quite a few forums dedicated to just chillies! I think Dan is spot on for adding this sub forum!
Hmm Nice though they are I think they are overrated. i grow just one type 'Numex Twilight' and it is sufficient for my needs.
Broadly speaking I agree there is no need to grow loads of different chillies. I grow them much as someone else might grow Dahlias - because I love the plants. There's no way I could use all the chillies produced and I give many away - even the plants themselves when winter comes.
But I think that, even from a purely pragmatic point of view, you're missing out with just that Numex. They're pretty (and prolific) but very high in heat and not great on flavour. For example, I have one powder I made just from Italian cayenne and another from Espanola, Mirasol, Apache and Georgia Flame (all medium heat) and you can smell and taste the substantial difference.
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But I think that, even from a purely pragmatic point of view, you're missing out with just that Numex. They're pretty (and prolific) but very high in heat and not great on flavour. For example, I have one powder I made just from Italian cayenne and another from Espanola, Mirasol, Apache and Georgia Flame (all medium heat) and you can smell and taste the substantial difference.
how did you make the powders?
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But I think that, even from a purely pragmatic point of view, you're missing out with just that Numex. They're pretty (and prolific) but very high in heat and not great on flavour. For example, I have one powder I made just from Italian cayenne and another from Espanola, Mirasol, Apache and Georgia Flame (all medium heat) and you can smell and taste the substantial difference.
how did you make the powders?
I'd be interested to know too. I'm drying my smaller chillies with a view to crushing them for use as I need them. I've also seen a 'chilli mill' which looks like a pepper mill and I'm thinking about getting one if others can vouch for their usefulness.
G x
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I've got a coffee grinder that I use for spices. It does a great job on dried chillis. Whizz for a short time to get chilli flakes, longer for powder.
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I've got a coffee grinder that I use for spices. It does a great job on dried chillis. Whizz for a short time to get chilli flakes, longer for powder.
Ditto :)
PS I always de-stalk and sometimes de-seed first - especially if they are very seedy chillis.
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Am I right in assuming that you have a separate grinder for spices i.e. you wouldn't use the same one for coffee, nuts etc? I'm in a bit of a dilemma now.
G x
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I've got a coffee grinder that I use for spices. It does a great job on dried chillis. Whizz for a short time to get chilli flakes, longer for powder.
Ditto :)
PS I always de-stalk and sometimes de-seed first - especially if they are very seedy chillis.
thanks for the info :D.
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Am I right in assuming that you have a separate grinder for spices i.e. you wouldn't use the same one for coffee, nuts etc? I'm in a bit of a dilemma now.
G x
Clean between use :)
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Am I right in assuming that you have a separate grinder for spices i.e. you wouldn't use the same one for coffee, nuts etc? I'm in a bit of a dilemma now.
G x
Clean between use :)
Sorry to sound dumb but the with current grinder I have (a Krups one) you cannot wash the bit with the blade/motor, you just wipe the inside around with kitchen towel. This is fine as I only use it for coffee beans, breadcrumbs and nuts. But surely chilli would leave behind the taste?
G x
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Am I right in assuming that you have a separate grinder for spices i.e. you wouldn't use the same one for coffee, nuts etc? I'm in a bit of a dilemma now.
G x
Clean between use :)
Sorry to sound dumb but the with current grinder I have (a Krups one) you cannot wash the bit with the blade/motor, you just wipe the inside around with kitchen towel. This is fine as I only use it for coffee beans, breadcrumbs and nuts. But surely chilli would leave behind the taste?
G x
now don't get cross ;), i know the mexicans and some south Americans add chilli to their hot cocoa, i tried it and blow it does taste very good, maybe the flavour of the chillie might also enhance your coffee :-\
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The inside of my grinder is some kind of brushed metal that doesn't hold any taint.
Chilli and chocolate - a match made in heaven!
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Similar grinder - brushed metal interior - just wipe with damp kitchen towel. I haven't ever noticed any cross contamination.
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Thanks everyone. You've just saved me £15. ;D
G x
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You've just saved me £15. ;D
G x
More money for seeds then? ;)
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More money for seeds then? ;)
LOL! You know me too well. ;D
G x
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hi biscombe
great website. i have grown both the demon red and priare fire and will say that you get a lot more chillies from the demon red. i even overwintered a demon red last year and it did really well. have you ever tried to grow tepin. i tried this this season. the planr grew big but didnt get any flowers on at all. you might want tocheck oot "chorley chilli man". just type the name into google and have a look if you havent already. he doe chilli cheese and chilli beer and chilli chocolate. good luck with the project
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Sounds as if there might be experts here - I'm a mere enthusiast ;D - so I'll describe the problem I had last season: among other things in my greenhouse were tomatoes and chillis. The tomatoes caught blight, and the chillis soon showed very similar symptoms, brown blotches on the stems and the leaves fell off, but it didn't affect the fruit although obviously no more were produced after the leaves went. Could the two be connected? Four varieties of chilli were involved - apache, cayenne, caliente and Iranian round and all were affected to the same degree.
Geoff.
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Hi Geoff,
Just back from hols. They've been grown near tomatoes that have developed blight, but the only time my chillis have shown those symptoms is when they've got too cold, otherwise no ideas.
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Barnowl is right, my chillies that are still out in the cold (not over wintering!) have the same symptoms
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Thanks weedgrower! I'l have a look now! I sell chilli chocolate too, It's delicious! Dark bitter chocolate followed by the warm glow, can't beat it!
Chilli chocolate being made!
Mauricio the chocolate maker
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/Biscombe/goingin.jpg)
Home made power going in!
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/Biscombe/5strengh.jpg)
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Thanks for your replies. I thought it was a long shot that the two were connected.
Geoff.
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Hi,
All of my chillies have sprouted lovely much to my surprise. I planted a few more as i have managed to plant carrots/lettece wrong so far (Very new to growing).
But now i have 20 that need to be transplanted into larger pots packet is saying 1 to a 4 inch pot but was wondering if i could plant say 2-3 in a larger pot or are they better off on there own. They will be going outdoors eventually so will need transplanting to a patio planter when the weather is warmer.
Giving one to my nan and one to my sister just hope they fruit and well think i'll be eating chillies for a while ::)
Thanks lucy
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oopppps cant even post in the right place today :-\
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First time I have had a look into this thread it was your request to Saddad that brought me in.
Must say I am no chilli expert I only grow them for my son and son in law who both have asbestos lined mouths ::)
So here is my offering for what it is worth;
wondering if i could plant say 2-3 in a larger pot
I wouldn't reccomend it it is best to go up in increments i.e. 3"to 4">etc.
After this stage then it is OK to up two or three to a 10" pot
Then variety can play a big part too.
If they are only going to grow to around 12" high at maturity then a 5"/6" pot should do.
If they grow to around 36"+ then they may want a 10" pot to themselves.
http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Chilli/Chilli.htm (http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Chilli/Chilli.htm)
I hope that helps.......I now await the response from the experts 8)
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I'd agree with TG. Before I use root trainers the best results were to pot on several times until the correct pot size for the plant was reached. As TG says compacts are ok in around 6" pots and larger bushes will need around 9"-10" pots. I can't think of any that would need anything larger there may well be other opinions out there :)
I've grown two (of the same type) to a pot, but if you plant two or more in the same pot their roots will get tangled and make it difficult to separate them later. Together they will need to end up up in a larger pot than they would as separate plants.
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we grew some hot chilies from a chili fruit which we bought at the greengrocer about 5 years ago and have collected the seed ever since
when we have too many we put them into jars with olive oil and they last for ever and the oil is HOT HOT HOT too!
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Hello daxzen, great to hear you have an old reliable chili and are saving seeds.
Do be careful with chillies and oil though, a recipe for Botulism! better to use dry chillies in oil.
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Hello daxzen, great to hear you have an old reliable chili and are saving seeds.
Do be careful with chillies and oil though, a recipe for Botulism! better to use dry chillies in oil.
Thanks Biscombe I never realised that
1066
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Some people heat the chillies and /or oil before bottling.
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Some people heat the chillies and /or oil before bottling.
Thats a good tip - thanks ;D Just need the new crop now......
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hello, have just returned to Italy from a grey week in UK and my chillies have gone bananas so to speak, have far too many to eat now, whats the best way to keep them, I am sure I read somewhere that you can freeze them whole?? Also have loads of small green peppers, ideas for them too!!
thanks
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hello, have just returned to Italy from a grey week in UK and my chillies have gone bananas so to speak, have far too many to eat now, whats the best way to keep them, I am sure I read somewhere that you can freeze them whole?? Also have loads of small green peppers, ideas for them too!!
thanks
Hi Benson
Yes, you can freeze them whole. I just put any surplus into freezer bags. :)
G x
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I saved some seeds from bought chillies and have just planted them, does this work or is it a waste of time
should I buy some more.
any views ?
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I saved some seeds from bought chillies and have just planted them, does this work or is it a waste of time
should I buy some more.
any views ?
It works fine as long as the seeds have been dried for a day or so...
You may get some surprises when they mature (if they do) as they may not come true from seed. If you want to know exactly what you will get then buy standard seeds but saving seed is great fun and can result in some good finds..
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Oh I like suprises so I'll stick with it and see what happens
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I saved some seeds from bought chillies and have just planted them, does this work or is it a waste of time
should I buy some more.
any views ?
Generally I find bought chillies carry seeds that make identical plants and fruits - much more identical than my own seed-saving efforts because I grow several varieties close to each other and commercial growers do the opposite - big time!
The scare stories say F1 varieties can produce very variable seeds but this assumes that the parents were wildly different. Not always the case.
Commercial growers may use F1s more than I do but I've yet to find any shop fruit that produces the divergent offspring you hear about in the scare stories.
The packet of "Black Cherry" tomatoes I was sold by T&M in '07 was at least 100x more divergent than anything I've bought from the greengrocers... about 20% came out as Black Krim beefsteaks.
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I agree with Rhubarb too
My boyfriend and his dad are MAD for chillis and both complained mine werent hot enough last year
Whats the hottest variety you have would love to get some from your website
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My husband, a chilli freak, never showed any inerest in gardening until he bought some Bhut Jolokia seeds, having heard they were the hottest ever. I've grown chillis before,so under my guidance, we now have 10 perfect tiny plants. But I've got cold feet, having read these are many thousand times hotter than anything else with a Shu of 1,000,000 and professional growers handle them all kitted out like beekeepers!.
I've even heard that from just one ingested seed you could get anaphalactic shock because it is so hot! Am I being alarmist? should I wear gloves when potting them on, and - honestly - how would I use them in cooking?
Any help would be appreciate, as my husband is so proud of his little plants!
Reards, Caro
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I grew these. I don't think you need to wear gloves when potting on, but I would very careful when chopping up the actual chillies. Also use sparingly, even if you like hot stuff! ;D
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Hi All,
I've been growing chillies for a few years now with varying success. But one thing I would like to crack.
I absolutely love green Jalapeno's. I buy jars and jars of the pickled or brined ones. :D
But, I've tried growing them 3 years running now and at best I may get one, plant, produce once chilli. But rather than the "thick walled" chillies you get in the jars, they are usually thin walled.
So firstly, why would the walls not thicken?
Secondly, if Jalapeno is a bit of a bugger to grow. Can you recommend a similar tasting, strength and wall thickness which grows easily? I have a poly greenhouse and have heated propogators to start them earlier but they never quite work out.
Also what would you consider the best chilli to use in curries like Jalfrezi, where you add fresh sliced chillies at the last moment.
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Sorry Biscombe, I just realised I should have started a new thread. Delete my last two from here if you can.
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Hi - I'm new here ;D and a new gardener (compared to many). Just thought I would shre my excitment at growing my 1st ever chillie. PIcked this morning :O) I woudl post a pic .. but I can't work out how to do this?? ???
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Hi - I have only just got an allotment (literally yesterday) and have some chillis growing (from seed) on window sills in pots. But my cats keep nibbling the leaves off! Even when i cover them in cling film they rip it off to get at the leaves! So 1) are cats attracted to chillis? and 2) any tips for transferring said chillis to the allotment?
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Im no Chilli specialist but the chillies ive grown from seed and potted on in doors are taken to the plot and left in them,I use 8 ins x 8 ins pots approx and either put them in the polly or greenhouse and take them out on sunny days and put them back in the evening,I don't seem to gain any extra fruits
by planting them in the dirt so have quite happily left them as pot plants.
I recall we used to put scented soaps and bags of pot pourri hanging on our growing frame indoors and I can only think the aromas used to keep them away as Bee Gizmo and Alfie didn't eat any of the seedlings in pots that I can remember,,,,,,not sure that its any good for them anyway.
Good luck with your growing.
Gazza
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Hi Aireeonree, Welcome to A4A and congratulations on getting your allotment :icon_cheers:
What variety of chillies are you growing and what sort of size are they at the moment, some are more suited to being grown in a pot than others. Sorry no idea why your cats have developed a taste for your chilli plants, you could try distracting them with a pot of cat grass?
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thanks. will have to check varieties (as was a gift box xmas present) and think 1 of them is a 'chocolate' chilli
no idea why the cats like them and not the other plants in the house either!
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I dunno about cats but dogs certainly like a chilli. A mate of mine had to give up growing them as his dog was so partial to a chilli that he used to eat them off the plant so my mate never got any fruit to use himself! :toothy10: :tongue3:
My dog leaves them alone (does what she's told) but she does love a bit of curry no matter how hot it is.