Any pepper growers here?

[PSP]

I might be the whitest salsa master in the world!

Whenever I break out my special blend, my home-made salsa is fought over by my friends and co-workers alike. I am looking to take the next step - grow my own special peppers! To do that, I just ordered seeds from a special outlet to grow my own jalapenos and habaneros - and the new King of hot peepers, the Carolina Reaper!

Anyone have any experience growing peppers? Any hints / tips/ secrets?

 

[Sookie]

I have grown just about everything ...except peppers. I need to get some started, this will be my first year doing peppers.

So far all I have started are radishes, yellow squash, butternut squash, green beans and wildflowers. And out of those, the only thing sprouted and on its way to being done are the radishes.

But I'm sure if anyone can master growing special peppers...it's you!

 

[jumboscampi]

I am a gardener. Peppers always! and yes, LOTS OF SALSA!!!

 

[Mben]

I've never had a green thumb so gardening isn't on my list of hobbies.

Have you used chiltepin in your salsas? Just wondering.

That's the only chili I use to make my salsa with. Yes, I'm boring. I never deviate. lol

 

[PSP]

I have never heard of those - where can I find some? Are they tasty?

 

[PSP]

My coworkers want me to try to sell my salsa at the local swap meet - I must admit that it is pretty damn good....

 

[PSP]

They say it is better than any salsa that they have ever had at a Mexican restaurant....

 

[PSP]

Must be my Mexican heritage....

 

[PSP]

Oh, wait ... I don't have any...

 

[chillymellow]

Here in San Antonio, you are just crazy if you don't have hot sauce with 99% of what you eat. Loco Gringos!

I first encountered chile pequins when I was a kid and they had a little bottle on the table at the restaurant with these little red balls of peppers in some kind of liquid. I guess oil or vinegar or something like that.

http://www.pequin.us/

You can buy some here, or, if I remember when they are growing again in my yard, I can send you some!

The Mexicans that worked for my dad used to come out on the weekends just to pick some peppers from our pequin plants. They are cool plants, they keep producing more and more and more peppers to pick. Heck, you could probably pick a peck of peppers from just one bush! : )

 

[Mben]

I have never heard of those - where can I find some? Are they tasty?

I find them in the Hispanic food aisles at the stores. They are dried and bagged and hang with the Mexican spices in that aisle.

Green chili has a taste that is distinct, jalapenos have a taste that is distinct, but chiltepins probably not so distinct of a flavor. They defiantly have a kick though.

What type of salsa is yours? A smooth one or like pico de gallo?

Mine is smooth because I make mine in a blender. Do you?

 

[Mben]

They are cool plants, they keep producing more and more and more peppers to pick. Heck, you could probably pick a peck of peppers from just one bush! : )

So true.

My ex-in-laws grew them also.

 

[PSP]

My salsa is pico de gallo style.

I'll give up my major secret here - primarily because they don't seem to be available on the West Coast. It is all about the tomatoes - and they have to be Campari! They are small, "tomato on the vine" type, but I haven't found that taste in any other variety of tomato. They come from Canada and Mexico, but they only seem to be sold on the East Coast.

Find them if you can - it's worth the effort. There are many that look similar, but they don't taste the same...

 

[Mben]

Is that your salsa in your avatar?

 

[PSP]

It is

 

[Sookie]

YUM!

 

[Mben]

It is

Can you bottle me up some and ship it on over? LOL

 

[PSP]

Look what I found at Costco yesterday...

 

[Sookie]

Look what I found at Costco yesterday...

Are those marigolds planted around it? Are those for pollination purposes? Pest repellent? Did it come that way? Brilliant.

 

[Mben]

Well hey now, that plant looks familiar!

Once the chili is ready to be picked, I hope they open a whole new world of flavor in your salsa making.

Another way I eat them is by taking the dried chiltepen and crushing them in a napkin and sprinkling them on a bowl of menudo.

Mmmmm ... menudo. Shoot, now I'm craving some. lol

 

[Sookie]

Had to google menudo.

 

[PSP]

Are those marigolds planted around it? Are those for pollination purposes? Pest repellent? Did it come that way? Brilliant.

Yes, those are marigolds and it did come that way. My understanding is that the marigolds are for repelling pests

 

[PSP]

Well hey now, that plant looks familiar!

Once the chili is ready to be picked, I hope they open a whole new world of flavor in your salsa making.

Another way I eat them is by taking the dried chiltepen and crushing them in a napkin and sprinkling them on a bowl of menudo.

Mmmmm ... menudo. Shoot, now I'm craving some. lol

There are 8-10 that are ready to be picked now!

 

[Sookie]

Yes, those are marigolds and it did come that way. My understanding is that the marigolds are for repelling pests

Cool, and yes they do. Very smart. But the thing is, when your plant makes new flowers for new peppers it needs bees for pollination, otherwise they will just remain flowers. So having other flowers around to attract bees is a good idea. I think marigolds actually repel bees along with other pests now that I think about it. You may have to pollinate that plant by hand.