Kitchen Garden Forum

I was a bit of a sucker for a bargain and bought a special offer of 12 chilli plants back in the Spring. They have all grown well and have lots of chillies on them but having never grown them before I am now wondering:
1. Do they go red on the plant?
2. What on earth should I do with so many chillies? We like spicy food but that is taking it a bit far! I noticed from the forums you can freeze them so maybe that is the best bet.
3. I would like to make red chilli jam but can this be made with green chillies?
4. How do I know which is the hottest/mildest.

Sorry feel such a novice but it was fun growing them and I would hate just to throw the lot away? Any help/suggestions would be really welcome!

Thanks

Hi Jules

1 Yes, if they are a red variety

2 You can also let them get mature on the plant and hang them up and dry them

3 Yes, I suppose so - it will just be green chili jam

4 Cut them and put the cut surface on your lower lip - you'll soon know. Keep away from other sensitive body parts

Alan
Thanks a lot! Looks like my bottom lip is in for a bit of a bashing!
Jules

You could make Chantal's recipe for chilli jelly which is very good. They freeze well and you can bag/tub them chopped then just take out what you need each time. You could put some in olive oil or wine vinegar. IF
f you've got plenty of tomatoes, they make good spicy ketchup.

As for the heat, if the plants are still labelled, there's a chilli heat scale on the chilli growers site.

1.Yes, they will go red on the plant, but you can use them green as well, when they have a fresher more vital taste, in my experience.

2.Best dried, then you can grind them as needed for chilli powder (make sure you keep a grinder just for this, though, don't use the coffee one); you can thread them on to string and hang them somewhere warm and dry until dry, then store whole and grind as needed. Alternatively, just leave them in a loaf tin in the airing cupboard until crispy. When dry, you can save seed for next year too, from the ones you like, provided they're not F1.

3.Yes, I've done that, but include the seeds, or at least some of them, for extra chilli-ness. I make plain apple jelly/jam, and add chilli at the setting point.

4. Teh smaller ones tend to be hotter, but this doesn't always hold true. Google the names and you should get some info this way.

Hope this helps, can't have too many chillies................

Thank you Tigger and Mrs L!
The 'one other' is Apache! I took one of each (except Scotch Bonnet) and gave my husband a taste test but they all tasted very similar and not at all hot/spicy?? Maybe it is still too early and they need to mature a little more. Anyway thanks again for all the suggestions. I will certainly give them a go!

I put mine in polythene bags in the freezer and they keep very well for years and are still just as hot when thawed out and cooked.

Look here for almost everything you might need to know :

http://www.g6csy.net/chile/index.html

I usually freeze mine. I chop them individually and freeze in little foil parcels. That way I only get chilli hands once as, when I need a chilli I just unwrap a parcel and put it in the pot.

I let them dry out first then freeze in a ploythene bag, that way they will last much longer and be even hotter.




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