So who's growing chillies 2020?

[gar]

Golden cayenne and basket of fire. Both tasty, but still early days

 

[Kinneuchar]

Paper Lantern, Thai Dragon, Cayenne and Annaheim. I didn't put any Aji Limon in as there is still loads left over in the freezer from last year. To date I usually boil em, mash em and put them in a blender but after reading the thread about fermenting I shall have a bash at it this year. As others have posted once the Xmas presents have been opened its propogation time here up north.

 

[Oneflewover]

Paper Lantern, Thai Dragon, Cayenne and Annaheim. I didn't put any Aji Limon in as there is still loads left over in the freezer from last year. To date I usually boil em, mash em and put them in a blender but after reading the thread about fermenting I shall have a bash at it this year. As others have posted once the Xmas presents have been opened its propogation time here up north.

They look like lovely healthy plants

 

[user 18729]

First post on this thread. Very pleased to report some success growing Thai chillies from seed!

Back in December/January my better half ordered a load of ingredients from an online Thai supermarket (green papaya, chillies, fresh lime leaves ect). Anyways, after cooking with the red Thai chillies we ended up with a leftover chilli that nearly ended up in the compost. For a laugh I thought I’d try and propagate the seeds and here we are several months later with four plants in the polytunnel and one on our kitchen windowsill!

First meal with them tonight- Kung pao chicken

 

[nixhaz]

Not a growing post per se (my chillies suck this year!!) but I managed to get ahold of rather a lot of Carolina Reapers fresh, if anyone is interested I'll pass them on at cost. I just couldn't resist buying them, but have far too many!

 

[The Cat]

Got my first tiny green ones now and some flowers. Not worth pics yet but hopefully soon.

 

[Kinneuchar]

First post on this thread. Very pleased to report some success growing Thai chillies from seed!
View attachment 29995View attachment 29996

Back in December/January my better half ordered a load of ingredients from an online Thai supermarket (green papaya, chillies, fresh lime leaves ect). Anyways, after cooking with the red Thai chillies we ended up with a leftover chilli that nearly ended up in the compost. For a laugh I thought I’d try and propagate the seeds and here we are several months later with four plants in the polytunnel and one on our kitchen windowsill!

First meal with them tonight- Kung pao chicken

Now that’s what I’m hoping for

 

[VW911]

Paper Lantern,

My favourite "all-round" chilli!
Drying, freezing, pickling, and smoking are all good ways of preserving the fruits of your labours...

 

[foxbat]

I picked my first Draky at the weekend. It's big!

We ate it sliced in two and stuffed with cheese, tomato and onion. The flesh is fruity and has no heat at all. The heat is in the seeds so a couple of those mixed in gives it the desired leg-up if you see what I mean.

 

[Oneflewover]

I picked my first Draky at the weekend. It's big!

We ate it sliced in two and stuffed with cheese, tomato and onion. The flesh is fruity and has no heat at all. The heat is in the seeds so a couple of those mixed in gives it the desired leg-up if you see what I mean.

What a great pepper. I've never bothered with 'vegetable' chillies particularly, but that does provide a bit of inspiration

 

[Kinneuchar]

Wow! That looks the business. Never heard of Draky before looks like it would be a good alternative to my Annaheim for adding bulk and flavour to my sauces.

 

[Hanglow]

Starting to crop now, I've made a couple of jars of pickled aci sivri - can thoroughly recommend growing these in scotland, they are doing really well for me. Helps that you pick them green of course.

Also drying some alleppo peppers, they are just starting to ripen. Jalapenos are slowly starting to get good too

 

[Clint]

I picked a few long green knarly looking ones out the tunnel...don't know the variety..but they're like the ones you get in an Indian takeaway...and they're quite hot!

 

[Ajhutch]

Do you tend to pick chillies as and when they are ready, or wait and try to pick the whole plant in one go? Pros and cons of different approaches? I’m a first timer as I’ve said before so not sure what to do, but I have some apaches which definitely look ready though there are plenty more on the plant still small and green

 

[Oneflewover]

Do you tend to pick chillies as and when they are ready, or wait and try to pick the whole plant in one go? Pros and cons of different approaches? I’m a first timer as I’ve said before so not sure what to do, but I have some apaches which definitely look ready though there are plenty more on the plant still small and green

I would very much advocate the pick as they ripen approach. I read a study back along that suggested that you get a better overall yield that way. If you pick more than you can consume (which is very likely!) just bung them in the freezer. I'm still using last season's chillies having stored them this way.

 

[Ajhutch]

I would very much advocate the pick as they ripen approach. I read a study back along that suggested that you get a better overall yield that way. If you pick more than you can consume (which is very likely!) just bung them in the freezer. I'm still using last season's chillies having stored them this way.

Thanks. First four picked!

Question re Jalapeños. When you see them in the shops they are normally green, does this mean they are just picked commercially before they turn red or are they a different variety? If they just pick them that way, is there a reason?

 

[Oneflewover]

Thanks. First four picked!

Question re Jalapeños. When you see them in the shops they are normally green, does this mean they are just picked commercially before they turn red or are they a different variety? If they just pick them that way, is there a reason?

There are loads of different varieties of jalapeno, but the green ones are picked before they fully ripen to get that fresh 'green' flavour. Same reason some bell peppers are harvested green

 

[Oneflewover]

PS I believe that Chipotle are ripened dried/smoked jalapeno peppers.

 

[Ajhutch]

Thanks for the knowledge! Loving this new hobby and lockdown has been a perfect time for it

 

[nixhaz]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but chili plants keep really well through the winter if you have space. They start to die at 12 degrees C or below, but if you can keep them above that they are a perennial. Gives you a massive headstart next year if you can keep them. I generally cut them right back after harvest and move them in once the nights start getting down to 12.