I just bought fingerling potato seed from here
(Thanks @bogman ! )
And here
1 Like
The Sugar Rush peppers were incredibly bountiful. I made chili paste this weekend and it received rave reviews from my husband. https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/sauces/fresh-chili-paste-how-to-make-chili-paste-from-fresh-peppers/
3 Likes
Surprisingly, no killing frost yet. Iām still picking greens and herbs. My shishito peppers are still producing slowly.
4 Likes
Good idea! How would you describe the heat?
I canāt take much heat so just tried a little which was quite spicy but I could definitely taste a sweet note. He spread it on bread then had to add cream cheese to try and tone it down. I could see it , as suggested, being added to some mayo and sour cream for a quick chip dip or being added to chili for some heat and flavor. The recipe says itās only good in the refrigerator for about a week then into the freezer.
2 Likes
Yes. Iād freeze it straight away, lest it gets forgotten behind a bunch of other foods (a common occurrence in the fridge here) . Without sufficient acidity, and under oil, botulism is a concern. Mold is more common a spoilage issue. I make a lot of different chili oils and pastes. The ones made with dried chilies and oil and contain no water are much more stable. Fresh peppers introduce water, which microbes require. Since the paste uses oil, it doesnāt freeze as hard and a knife can dig out what you need without fully defrosting.
The paste sounds yummy! If itās too hot, wear some disposable plastic gloves and carefully remove the septa when coring/deseeding the peppers; the more white āveinsā you remove, the milder the peppers will be. This is especially true with Capsicum baccatum and C. annuum, where the heat is concentrated in the septa. With C. chinense, all bets are off. You might lower the heat some by removing septa, but many are blazing hot no matter how much septa one removes.
Sugar Rush peppers are wonderful!
1 Like
Neat! I didnāt think to use the leaves. The tie/wrap makes convenient bundles.
Using a vacuum-sealer, if you have one, helps keep frozen Lemon Grass tasting fresh for longer.
Hope the covid is retreating and you feel better!
Yes, Iām familiar with botulism all of the safety issues. Yes, I wore gloves and removed the seeds and ribs. The aroma was still enough to make me choke multiple times and make the paste plenty spicy.
3 Likes
1 Like
That happens to me when working with the really hot ones. A fan, off to the side and positioned to blow the fumes away really helps. Cleanup, in the sink, is especially irritating, as the capsaicin aerosolizes. No matter what one does, it seems a handkerchief is needed! As a good friend once told me: āItās poison I tells ya!ā Even though he made a LOT of hot sauces.
1 Like
Cool! I used to make leaf mold (USA)/mould (British) and found some trends:
Hard, waxy leaves, like oak, Magnolia grandiflora take much longer to rot down than softer leaves, such as maples, hickories, willows, etc. The Magnolia leaves took forever to rot, maybe 3-4 years. Before adding to the garden, getting a pH check on the leaf compost is wise. Some leaf compost gets pretty acidic, especially oak and pine composts.
We had a big leaf compost pile at the vineyard where I used to work. Mixing in green, soft pruning leaves and twigs adds nitrogen and helps the leaves break down quicker.
I donāt know about CA, but in Virginia, millipedes often hang out in leaf piles. Many millipedes have strong odors as a defense mechanism. Theyāre harmless and feed on humus, rotting leaves, etc. Thereās a couple species here that really have a powerful stink and another that smells like almond cookies or marzipan!
Since millipedes secrete often toxic compounds, itās advised to avoid handling them or wash your hands afterwards. They canāt bite or sting.
3 Likes
Wow! Thatās gorgeous. I had to bring most of mine in just blushing, to color inside. Late start, late startā¦
1 Like
Thatās a lot of oaks!
Iāve never been able to achieve āhotā compost without adding fresh manure, e.g. horse manure. You really need a lot of nitrogen for fast, hot composting.
1 Like
Apparently its a ācoldā process that works using mostly fungus to break down the leaves rather than bacteria. It takes much longer! I watched a great video yesterday, but canāt seem to find it.
This is it.
2 Likes
Small victories! Our first saffron crocus bloomed today. I planted 150 corms in the summer, crossed my fingers and waited. Today, voila! It looks like some critter nibbled the petals, but the stigma was perfectly intact. The flower has a rich, honey scent. I hope there are enough flowers for a small recipe of saffron buns. For those unaware of yield (as I was): 75 to 100 flowers produce 0.5 grams of saffron. So exciting!
Add images here
10 Likes
Well done! Forgive me if you have already said, but where do you garden?
2 Likes
