Sari's Garden 2006, a bit about 2007 and 2008 dreams

[thp]

If that was meant for me, I'm doomed. :mrgreen:

[Aji Inferno]

If that was meant for me, I'm doomed. :mrgreen:

Whatever you guyz are talking about, it's 1) extremely suspicious, 2) highly fiery and 3) something someone just *has to* shoot on video!

[cmpman1974]

Brutal video clip.   I couldn't even imagine doing what you did.   You are very brave.  There should be medals for that accomplishment.

Chris

[svalli]

We had again three days of almost constant rain. On Tuesday my workplace almost flooded, it is good that our home and my garden is on a hill. Usually from August to mid September we do not have to do much mowing and the grass turns brown, but now it is lush green and grows a lot.

Yesterday I was finally able to check the garden. I picked one plastic grocery bag of sweet peppers, one of hot. peppers and a bag full of cucumbers. I took a day of vacation today to do canning, freezing and dehydrating. So I better get to work now!

[svalli]

I tasted the first ripe Pimenta Cambuci. It had no heat and tastes and looks just like PI 441551 and Christmas Bell, so I wonder if actually all of them are the same variety. Only way the Pimenta Cambuci differs from the PI 441551 that it is not as productive and seems to be later. The pods are also a bit bigger, but there is just few of them. I have only one plant growing of this variety, so this individual plant may just be a bit late.

This week we got much cooler temperatures than normally. Sunday it was still almost 30°C and today it way be only 11°C. West side of the state has frost warning for overnight. I hope we will not see any killing frost yet, because the garden is full of ripening peppers. Somehow I'm tired of the tomatoes, so I would not mind if they go. In the end of the season the tomato plants start to look quite ugly, while the peppers are green and lush. Again I am promising my self not to plant so many tomatoes next spring...

[luca]

Cambuci and PI 441551 are not the same.  They are quite similar, but Cambuci (which is the same as chapéu-de-frade or friar's hat or bishop's hat) is bigger and the pods are generally more round than PI 441551.  The taste is quite similar, but I found the PI 441551 to be a bit sweeter.  Also the PI 441551 has a hint of heat in some pods, while the cambuci is non-pungent.  This is at least my observations from plants I had.

Anyway, very similar varieties from the same region in Brazil (Minas Gerais), so it might be that they're closely related or even that some varieties known as Cambuci are actually a bit mixed with PI 441551.  Hard to say...

[JartsaP]

Also the PI 441551 has a hint of heat in some pods, while the cambuci is non-pungent.  This is at least my observations from plants I had.

:?:  I think PI441551 I am growing has a lot more than just a hint of heat in the pods...  It may, of course, be not pure variety.

[luca]

:?:  I think PI441551 I am growing has a lot more than just a hint of heat in the pods...  It may, of course, be not pure variety.

"A hint of heat" is a relative concept But since you're a seasoned chilehead, I'll take your comment as something rather hot to the initiated

I have two PI 441551 plants (seeds from Fatalii) and both have the exact same looks, both in the growth habit and in leaves/fruits shape.  Also the taste and (almost total) lack of heat is the same.  Some pods were slightly hotter, but they were still very mild.

Of course these variations can occur depending on the growth environment, so maybe your plants have received a lot more sun and heat than mine, which could have caused the extra heat ;-)

[cornell]

My (Fataliis) PI441551 was practically heatles in the beginning of harvest, but after warm july and harvesting one half of the pods the rest got quite pungent

[svalli]

Cambuci and PI 441551 are not the same.  They are quite similar, but Cambuci (which is the same as chapéu-de-frade or friar's hat or bishop's hat) is bigger and the pods are generally more round than PI 441551.  The taste is quite similar, but I found the PI 441551 to be a bit sweeter.  Also the PI 441551 has a hint of heat in some pods, while the cambuci is non-pungent.  This is at least my observations from plants I had.

Thanks for the information Luca!

So my observation about the Cambuci being larger than the PI 441551 is because they are different varieties. So Cambuci should be safe to give to children if they have no heat, like the PI 441551, which can sometimes be surprisingly hot. I like the surprise factor of the heat, because it usually is not too pungent, but for a child it may be too much.

I learned a lesson the other night. I touched some dry Chocolate Habaneros with my bare fingers and then made a sandwich for our son. While eating he started complaining that something is burning his lips. First did not realize what could have caused such until I put one of my fingers on my tongue. My fingertips were covered with capsaicin and I had got it also in the sandwich.

[svalli]

I harvested most of the potatoes today and now my back hurts really badly. For dinner we had then traditional Finnish style browned ground beef in gravy with pink potatoes (pink also inside), ripe green tomatoes and Beaver Dam peppers. Quite simple meal with fruits and tubers of three different solanaceae family plants from our own garden. It is quite amazing that all these edibles originated from same area and are now cultivated and eaten all around the world.
Photo of the harvested potatoes is in my journal.

Long waited first Aji Orange was finally ripe. I took the seeds out for saving and ate the pod. Taste is really fruity with hint of mandarin orange and heat is a bit more than in PI 441551. This is really tasty baccatum.

[svalli]

There is threat of frost for Thursday night, so I went to harvest all ripe peppers. I got one grocery bag of sweets and an other one of hots.


Tomorrow I am planning to cover the garden plants and carry all pots to garage. Baccatums are full of green pods, so I hope this is not the killing frost, since the weather should get warmer after Friday.

[svalli]

We did not get frost week ago and there has been even some thunderstorms earlier this week. Now we have again cold air coming and tonight we may see the first frost. I covered all peppers in the garden, because they look still so good. I built some kind of a greenhouse over the chinenses from the cheap greenhouse frame and plastic sheet. The original greenhouse did not fit over my beds, so I had to modify the construction.


Some of the potted plants look a bit sad, but this pequin is in good shape.


The year old Tabasco Greenleaf looks like a bonzai tree with the thick trunk. The small pot where it is growing may have kept the plant so small.


PI441551 may be difficult to identify if you have only one pod. I have picked these on the same plant.

[svalli]

There was frost on the roof and lawn this morning. We had to leave from home so early that I could not go to remove the covers from the garden. When we got home in the evening I was happy to find all pepper plants in good condition. Even the tomato vines seemed to survive without covers.

Next frost threat is forecasted for Wednesday night. This weekend should be sunny and warm, I hope it speeds ripening of the green chile pods.

My Garden Journal

[svalli]

First patch of peppers are in the smoker. I am using cherry wood for the smoke and trying to keep the temperature low. I used both some ripe sweet peppers and hot peppers to get medium hotness. Next thing is to dehydrate them and the grind to powder. I will leave the dehydrator outside overnight, because the smoke smell from the drying peppers is quite strong.

I checked the weather forecast and was shocked. Wednesday night I will be busy picking peppers, even if they are not ripe, if this forecast holds.


I cut up and froze quite many Chocolate Habaneros. I found a good use for the seeds and placenta; I rubbed them on the surface of the colorful dried indian corn cobs, which we have outside as fall decoration. Last year squirrels ate the corn in couple of days. Now the critters will get a big surprise... :twisted:

I deseeded mild C. chinenses for jelly. I should have enough for a batch to cook tomorrow night. I can't wait how it will turn out. If more heat is needed I can use some of the Chocolate Habaneros. I just love the chinense aroma; I find it somehow erotic and exiting. Baccatums have totally different fresh and fruity flavor, which is nice too, but there is something sensual in the chinenses, specially the mild ones. If hot peppers are considered in some cultures as aphrodisiacs, it must be the C. chinenses. If I succeed with the jelly, I will use it to make filled chocolates. The end result could be something extraordinary; dark chocolate filled with chinense jelly could be better than sex...

[cornell]

I found a good use for the seeds and placenta... Last year squirrels ate the corn in couple of days. Now the critters will get a big surprise... :twisted:

Or they are feeding in your chiligarden next year !!!

I deseeded mild C. chinenses for jelly. ... I just love the chinense aroma; I find it somehow erotic and exiting. ...If hot peppers are considered in some cultures as aphrodisiacs, it must be the C. chinenses. If I succeed with the jelly, I will use it to make filled chocolates. The end result could be something extraordinary; dark chocolate filled with chinense jelly could be better than sex...

So, Svalli what's your jelly recipe???  

[svalli]

I made the jelly last night and it is heavenly. It is my best hot pepper jelly so far. Heat in the jelly may be too much for some people or too little for the experts, but in my mind it is just perfect. I put a drop of it on top a chocolate piece for taste testing and it was sensational.

I used just C. chineses for making this. The used peppers were: Trinidad Seasoning, Sweet Datil, Aji Cachuca, Puerto Rican No Burn, Long Chocolate Habanero and dried Red Savina flakes. I pureed all fresh deseeded peppers in blender with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and a cup of sugar. Before starting the blender was full of the pepper halves (about 1.2 litres). I poured the puree to a kettle and got it boiling, then I added the rest of the sugar. About 1/3 of the sugar was such raw turbino sugar, which has more flavor. A taste test after adding the sugar indicated that I need more heat so I put in good teaspoon of dried Red Savina flakes. After the sugar had dissolved I boiled the mixture a bit before adding liquid pectin. Rest of the process was according to the original recipe instructions.

Sari's Heavenly Habanero Jelly

1.2 litres of seasoning peppers deseeded
1 deseeded Long Chocolate Habanero
1 tea spoon Red Savina flakes
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
4 cups granulated sugar
2.5 cups raw turbino sugar
1 pouch of Certo liquid pectin

(1 cup is about 2.5 dl)

Now when I have this jelly made, I will not be so sad that the season is ending soon.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
751 AM CDT TUE OCT 10 2006

...FREEZING TEMPERATURES WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO THURSDAY MORNING...

.A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO ROTATE OVER LAKE
SUPERIOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. VERY COLD CANADIAN AIR WILL
POUR INTO WISCONSIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY ON BRISK WEST TO
NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND THE LOW. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP
INTO THE 20S OVER MUCH OF SOUTHERN WISCONSIN LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
AND THURSDAY MORNING...EFFECTIVELY ENDING THE GROWING SEASON
ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN.

[svalli]

Gardening season has now ended abruptly. This morning the temperature outside was -2.4°C. It is amazing how quickly the cold weather came. Still on Sunday we had 23°C and even the night was above 15°.

I picked yesterday evening as many green pods from the plants as I could. I got one full shopping bag of green mature size PI 441551 pods, an other one mixed baccatums and one of hot annuums. I do also have big basket full of green sweet peppers. There must still be hundreds of green pods on the plants, but it got too dark to find them from the jungle of the stems and leaves. I did not pick the chinenses, because they are in the temporary plastic greenhouse, now I think that they may not have had any chance for survival, because it got so cold. Tonight I have to go to see if I can still salvage the green pods from them; I hope they have not got mushy.

Now I should find ways to use the green ones. I like all peppers ripe, but I do not want to let these go to waste. I may pickle some and maybe try smoking part of them. What do I do with a lot of green PI441551?

[svalli]

Here is a picture of the sad sight in the garden; all the pods on the plants are mushy. I must be grazy growing these tropical plants in Wisconsin without a proper greenhouse. I start to believe that the hydroponics or some super huge conatiners are in place for everything else than early annuums. I still have the potted plants in garage, but they do not produce at all like the plants in the ground.

[Omskakas]

That's sad.  

How big proportion of your harvest was wasted?