Try Turbo-1's Habanero Sauce - Hot Stuff!

[Borek]

Strangely, my crops this year are much, much milder than the last year. As for the most time we were on vacation I am not sure what the difference was. Well, I am sure about one difference. The neighbor asked to water peppers forgot to use fertilizer while watering plants last year, it didn't happen this year. Crops are better, but not as hot.

 

[Ms Music]

Okay, I need some advice. Yesterday I noticed one marble sized jalapeno that had turned red, so I picked it and ate it. Decent heat for a jalapeno. There are about two dozen peppers, ranging from marble size to about 1 1/2 inches long and close to an inch wide. All green but one that it just turning color. Do I pick them all? Do I just pick the larger ones and leave the smaller ones to ripen further? Do I pick them just as the color starts to change? It still is flowering, also.

Also, the night time temperatures are getting cool, it is about time for me to at least bring it in at night, but not necessary to take it to work yet as the days are still hot. So there is still plenty of growing season IMHO. But even at work (which has a south facing window), it should still continue to flower.

I am so tickled at how well this plant has grown, I had no idea peppers could be grown in Seattle's cool/short summer. It was just a scrawny grocery store pepper, but is now nice and bushy, with a nice, thick stem. If it does as well at the office as it has here at home, I have hope it will still be around next spring. The pot I selected for it has turned into my favorite, sort of a red/brown with some gold fleck in the glaze. I think the dark color of the pot may have also contributed to this plant being so happy. The only issues I had was the white on the leaves, but when the sun would come out for a week, the leaves would grow out green. Then rains came back, and leaves started growing out with white again. But I have seen no bugs, mildew, black spot, fungus or anything that I would expect to bother it in a cool moist climate.

I will try to take and post a picture soon.

Successful in Seattle (and impatiently waiting for spring to plant the seeds from the peppers the neighbor gave me, hoping they are the hungarian cherry and hungarian wax, but we will see. I have the jiffy pellets, just hope the seed is still good, and will keep in pots this time!)



Peace to the world...

 

[rhody]

Have a look at these, I carefully removed all the seeds from these babies with synthetic gloves, just to be sure of potency, I ate the flesh, end portion of the first pepper from the left. OMG, they are hot. One thing I did notice the seeds from the ripe ones were more plentiful than the not ripe ones on the right, even though the seeds themselves were about the same size.

I should have them in the mail to you once they are completely dry. I will label them, "ripe", "not ripe" so you can plant and tell the difference. I must have about 40 or more still on the vine, and flowers to produce more. Ms Music is right, I may need to bring them inside so they continue to ripen. You are in for a treat folks, once you successfully grow these babies.

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/9080/seedstock.jpg

Rhody...

 

[dlgoff]

They look outstanding Rhody. I can't wait to give them a try.

BTW You need to sample the one on the right. I bet it is even hotter. :)

 

[rhody]

After two years and countless failures from the two plants I kept over the winter and the one survivor I had this year, I got this:

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5404/ghostscw.jpg

I picked about half of my remaining peppers, lots of smaller ones on the plants. I figured if I picked the bigger ones, the remaining energy in the plant would facilitate the smaller ones growing quicker. That is just a guess on my part. I will put the seeds in the mail before the end of the weekend to you guys. If you want success with one or two plants, (unless you have a green thumb like Evo), I would plant 6 to 8.

Rhody...

 

[rhody]

I can report that I mixed about 1/4 of a pepper into salsa and chicken enchilada at a local Mexican place tonight and I must say, it was good. The ghost pepper has a sweet taste that is distinct from anything else in the food. It really works well. The seeds add a little extra bite, which is nice too. Little by little I plan to add more to dishes I make at home as well.

Another funny thing happened on Friday, I have been telling the owner of a Lebanese restaurant for a long time I was going to bring him a pepper, so I brought him some. I ordered my food, he and he and I got in a discussion about seeds, growing techniques etc, etc... and seemed very happy, gave me my order free of charge. He wouldn't take my money no matter how I insisted. I promised to check back with him to see if he had success with the seeds. He is going to try and grow some himself. Another ghost convert... hehe...

Rhody...

 

[Ms Music]

I have realized I am afraid to try ghost peppers...

 

[turbo]

I have realized I am afraid to try ghost peppers...

Moderation! Handle them carefully, and add them to dishes in small amounts. Even habaneros command respect if they are properly ripened. Carribean Reds and Savinas are considerably hotter than the chocolate habs and Scotch Bonnets. People who are not used to the really snarly varieties of habaneros can get a potent surprise.

When I first started making chili relishes from my own chilies, I gave a small jar to my neighbor, who took it to work on "sandwich night" when the paper-machine crew would all order subs and dagwoods. One guy was pretty cocky, and used to make a big production out of putting Tobasco sauce on his sandwiches, and he demanded that Al share the relish. After being warned, he put quite a bit on his sub. He took one bite, turned red and broke into a sweat, and threw his sandwich in the trash. Not a happy camper.

 

[rhody]

I have realized I am afraid to try ghost peppers...

I second turbo's opinion, I cut 8 little bits of ghost pepper and added it to salsa, and expected to be set on fire. I was pleasantly surprised, the sweetness of it came through first, that's how I knew I bit into one of the bits, then the hotness, it only lasted about a minute tops, I didn't need to drink anything to break it up, it was just fine. I put it on my main enchilada main course, same deal, nice in small amounts. I do recommend you just cut up the flesh and not include the seeds though, they are too valuable, and will leave you with more hotness. I would say the size of a pencil lead tip would be ideal. The cool thing is the salsa itself is mild, then every once in awhile you get a little zip, kind of as a surprise, which I like.

Rhody...

P.S. To all who have asked for them, I mailed the seeds today, you should be seeing them before the end of the week, except maybe for NeoDevin who lives outside the U.S.

 

[turbo]

P.S. To all who have asked for them, I mailed the seeds today, you should be seeing them before the end of the week, except maybe for NeoDevin who lives outside the U.S.

I'll be looking. I have to devise a plan. Perhaps in return for a couple of viable plants, the two guys that run the greenhouse here will agree to start my Ghosts along with their chili peppers. They use furnaces to heat the greenhouses, so they can start early. My little ceramic heater gave me a bit of an edge in my mini-greenhouse, but it wasn't like I could germinate and start in early March.

I'll have to coach my wife and get her to negotiate with them. They are both so saturated in fragrances that I have to have a strong tail-wind to survive even brief encounters.

 

[rhody]

I'll be looking. I have to devise a plan. Perhaps in return for a couple of viable plants, the two guys that run the greenhouse here will agree to start my Ghosts along with their chili peppers. They use furnaces to heat the greenhouses, so they can start early. My little ceramic heater gave me a bit of an edge in my mini-greenhouse, but it wasn't like I could germinate and start in early March.

I'll have to coach my wife and get her to negotiate with them. They are both so saturated in fragrances that I have to have a strong tail-wind to survive even brief encounters.

You are a devil turbo, these things don't smell so they won't threaten you. I can put a couple of ripe peppers in a small box (save the seeds though, just use the flesh) for you to try on salsa, and Mexican dishes if you like. Say the word and they will be in the mail too.

I tried the greenhouse deal with two local owners, same deal, a couple of plants for nurturing a small brood, both said they wouldn't or couldn't do it for liability reasons, too bad for them I grew them on my own.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

You are a devil turbo, these things don't smell so they won't threaten you. I can put a couple of ripe peppers in a small box (save the seeds though, just use the flesh) for you to try on salsa, and Mexican dishes if you like. Say the word and they will be in the mail too.

I'd love to see one or two come this way so I can try them out, and I'd be very careful to preserve the seeds. Sorry to hear that your negotiations with the greenhouse didn't work. This couple is very fragrant, so I can't get anywhere near them. Nice enough people, but if you can smell them from 40 feet off, there is a bit of a problem.

 

[rhody]

I'd love to see one or two come this way so I can try them out, and I'd be very careful to preserve the seeds. Sorry to hear that your negotiations with the greenhouse didn't work. This couple is very fragrant, so I can't get anywhere near them. Nice enough people, but if you can smell them from 40 feet off, there is a bit of a problem.

I will send some turbo, then you can give an expert cooks opinion on how best to prepare them for the PF peanut gallery.

Moving on to another subject, this time chocolate ghost peppers, that's right and guess what Rhody has some seeds, check out this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv5HOXhSiu4", especially around the 3 minute mark, watery eyes, drooling, numb tongue, back of throat but I must say I give the young lady credit she is very tough. I really like the thicker skin and more crunchy like consistency you see in the video. The regular ghosts are thin skinned, not like a regular pepper in that way. I love the color of them as well, just like chocolate, but with a kick.

Rhody...

 

[rhody]

http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/Genetic%20variability%20and%20traditional%20practices%20in%20Naga.pdf"

Good article on the history, use, growing, and prevention of disease of ghost peppers, Astronuc was right, potash in the form of fine wood ash seems to provide protection from aphids and mealy bugs (see page 4 of the presentation). Also, plants grown indoors can grow as high as 12 ro 13 feet after 3 years of age, and don't need bright sun. One pepper can serve the needs of a family of 5 to 6 for two meals a day, because it is used in small bits added to dishes (as I discovered myself, in tiny amounts, it is in fact a real treat).

I believe my observations are correct as well, these things almost require a tropical rainforest like environment in order to thrive in the wild. This paper reinforces that assumption. If go into google images and search: "Nagaland rain forest" you will see images that corrobrate my observation. If you search on: "nagaland bhut jolokia plant" you will see some images of fairly tall ghost pepper bushes as well. Cool stuff.

There are many more interesting facts than I highlighted here, the paper is worth reading if you are serious about growing these plants.

Rhody...

Does anyone know where I can find an electric pot blanket (like a heat mat) that you can use to surround the pot and keep it a nice toastly 80% degrees. I think it is more important to keep the roots warm than the plant above the soil. I may be wrong, but it is just a guess on my part, maybe the air temps need to be in the 80's as well, but I am betting they don't. I would like to find a cheap, safe way to grow these things year round, regardless of the living in a colder climate.

 

[Borek]

Chop 12 habaneros and 2-3 cloves of garlic in a food processor. Transfer to saucepan with 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 tsp sale, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tbsp molasses. Bring to a boil, then transfer to sterilized canning jars and process in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes.

I assume sale is just a typo and means salt.

White vinegar - how strong? Standard here is 10%, but I know it can be different in different places (like 70% in Italy - but that is used just in a drop amounts).

As I told you on chat there is no molasses in shops here, so I will have to buy brown sugar. What I am afraid of is that if memory serves me well molasses is rather thick, I wonder if it doesn't make the relish slightly syrupy.

Have you tried to use honey? Completely different taste, but I feel like it can be interesting.

 

[rhody]

[Does anyone know where I can find an electric pot blanket (like a heat mat) that you can use to surround the pot and keep it a nice toastly 80% degrees. I think it is more important to keep the roots warm than the plant above the soil. I may be wrong, but it is just a guess on my part, maybe the air temps need to be in the 80's as well, but I am betting they don't. I would like to find a cheap, safe way to grow these things year round, regardless of the living in a colder climate.

How about this to control heat, http://news5.thomasnet.com/pnn-pdf/497346.pdf" (range: Adjustable thermostat: 50 -425°F).

If I use thin shelled pots (like the kind you buy fall Mums in, we just bought some BTW), there should be good thermal conduction to reach the dirt. I plan on getting a thermometer on a long rod and test the temps at various spots and compromise with a setting that works the best. Does this sound like a good plan ? The main issue I have is safety. I don't want any fires.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

I assume sale is just a typo and means salt.

White vinegar - how strong? Standard here is 10%, but I know it can be different in different places (like 70% in Italy - but that is used just in a drop amounts).

As I told you on chat there is no molasses in shops here, so I will have to buy brown sugar. What I am afraid of is that if memory serves me well molasses is rather thick, I wonder if it doesn't make the relish slightly syrupy.

Have you tried to use honey? Completely different taste, but I feel like it can be interesting.

Yes, it is salt. Vinegar is generally around 5% here.

I haven't tried any other sweeteners. More recently, I have switched to cider vinegar instead of white, but shouldn't make a lot of difference.

 

[rhody]

Got a quote from the sales rep at the heat tape distributor, with a 25% vendor discount, I can have a 1 inch wide, by 24 inch long heat tape with temp controller for about 120 bucks with shipping. I need to attach it to the bottom of the pot with aluminum tape, and then insulate that with something like a cooler material. Then, experiment with soil temperature settings measuring how even the temperature of the soil is. If I can work these issues I may have something that will continue to generate pepper crops year round and God forbid may end up with a twelve to fifteen foot indoor monster ghost plant that has run amok. Great visual, huh !?

I will let you know how I make out once I get the heat tape. An aside, I am starting to think some kind of small greenhouse would be better. Of course it would, but then I would have to find a way to insulate and heat it all winter, that gets pricey too.

Rhody...

 

[turbo]

I just cleaned out the ghost that I sampled when the mail came. Duke was very curious - the peppers are quite fragrant.

 

[rhody]

I just cleaned out the ghost that I sampled when the mail came. Duke was very curious - the peppers are quite fragrant.

Woah... if you want to keep Duke as your best buddy, don't let him get at the seeds or the oil from the pepper, then again, if he is already habenaro trained it may be no big deal.
I gave my dog as a kid peanut butter on a spoon, it was funny watching him trying to use his tongue to dislodge the stuff from the roof of his mouth. Don't use the knife again for cutting other veggies unless you want a hot bite to them, put them through the dishwasher.

Rhody...

 

[rhody]

I was in one of my "drill down" moods and thought I would share http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale" with you.

The Scoville scale may be extrapolated to express the pungency of substances that are even hotter than pure capsaicin. One such substance is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resiniferatoxin" , an alkaloid present in the sap of some species of euphorbia plants (spurges). Since it is 1000 times as hot as capsaicin, it would have a Scoville scale rating of 16 billion.

Yes, that's right, ghost peppers are nothing, 16 billion folks, read on...

Resiniferatoxin (RTX) is a naturally occurring, ultrapotent capsaicin analog[1] that activates the vanilloid receptor in a subpopulation of primary afferent sensory neurons involved in nociception (the transmission of physiological pain).

Scientists are using this stuff injected in http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00804154" to treat severe pain for advanced cancers:

This study will examine the safety of giving the experimental drug, resiniferatoxin (RTX), to treat severe pain in patients with advanced cancer. RTX is a chemical extracted from a cactus-like plant. It is similar to capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot pepper. RTX has relieved pain and reduced the need for pain medication in several animal experiments. It works by destroying nerves that transmit pain information.

The study in National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) in the link above is worth reading and is currently active seeking participants. They outline the escalating protocols used in the trials, and the eligibilty requirements to qualify for treatment.

That is my drill down contribution for today, feeling ambitious today for some reason, and the result may be worthwhile to those who know of someone with advanced cancers. Sadly, I know more than a few of those who do.

Rhody...

 

[Ms Music]

Okay, are ghost peppers supposed to taste smokey? These were dried, but they smelled slightly smokey, yet not smokey enough to have been smoke dried. After soaking them in vodka I tasted the vodka, and it was NOT a good smokey flavor. Also, these things are small. Much smaller than those appear in rhody's pictures. I think I just wasted 4 perfectly good roasted peppers, carrots, and vodka on something that is NOT ghosts? The hot sauce would have turned out good if the peppers were good, but I think this is going down the disposal. May try this next weekend with habaneros, as I think it would have been good. Things were great until I added the "ghosts." blech.

 

[rhody]

Okay, are ghost peppers supposed to taste smokey? These were dried, but they smelled slightly smokey, yet not smokey enough to have been smoke dried. After soaking them in vodka I tasted the vodka, and it was NOT a good smokey flavor. Also, these things are small. Much smaller than those appear in rhody's pictures. I think I just wasted 4 perfectly good roasted peppers, carrots, and vodka on something that is NOT ghosts? The hot sauce would have turned out good if the peppers were good, but I think this is going down the disposal. May try this next weekend with habaneros, as I think it would have been good. Things were great until I added the "ghosts." blech.

No, not smokey at all, they smell an odd kind of sweet, I just cut open about 25 ripe ones to harvest the seeds, and the aroma is quite nice actually, have to be careful once the oil is spread about, though nose and ears especially. There is no comparison from dried to fresh ones. Fresh habs will work just fine for you. I have brought my peppers in for good I think, the temps are dropping to the 50's and the leaves are looking a little funky. I want to get as many peppers before I cut them back and winterize them. Is anyone here a plant trellis expert ? I need their expertise for a 5 year project.

Rhody...

 

[dlgoff]

I keep looking at the seeds you sent me rhody and have to slap myself so I won't eat one. My curiosity is getting the best of me.

 

[turbo]

I keep looking at the seeds you sent me rhody and have to slap myself so I won't eat one. My curiosity is getting the best of me.

Don't bother, Don. The seeds are relatively mild. I think most of the ghost heat is in the placenta.

 

[turbo]

The flesh is actually quite tasty, and the burn is not overwhelming and builds up slowly. The burn from eating the placenta is more immediate and stronger, without the nice taste of the flesh.

 

[rhody]

I keep looking at the seeds you sent me rhody and have to slap myself so I won't eat one. My curiosity is getting the best of me.

Try one Don, if you want the hottest one, sniff it first, if it smells oddly fragrant, that is the hottest one.
It is no big deal trust me, if you chewed a dozen or so, that is another matter.
Especially if they are fresh seeds with the oil on them like I harvested today.
I can't say for sure but I believe they are hotter than last year because of all the wilt revive water cycles I put the plants through.

Check out my https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=3536031&postcount=69" here.

Rhody...

 

[rhody]

It is getting cooler at night low 50's and my plants don't like it. The leaves on one are turning a pale yellow in spots. I have them indoors now under a grow lamp, and will get what I can from the rest of the ones that are still growing to maturity. Then, will trim them way back and repot for the winter. A whole lot of effort for short flowering and pepper bonanza at the end of the summer.

My heat mat seeds that I started are a disappointment so far, just one small chocolate ghost seedling has come up, and it has been more than ten days. Hard to believe all my seeds are not good.

Rhody...

 

[dlgoff]

It is getting cooler at night low 50's and my plants don't like it. The leaves on one are turning a pale yellow in spots. I have them indoors now under a grow lamp, and will get what I can from the rest of the ones that are still growing to maturity. Then, will trim them way back and repot for the winter. A whole lot of effort for short flowering and pepper bonanza at the end of the summer.

My heat mat seeds that I started are a disappointment so far, just one small chocolate ghost seedling has come up, and it has been more than ten days. Hard to believe all my seeds are not good.

Rhody...

You are the Ghost Pepper Guru. I love your efforts and postings here.

I'm going to wait until February to start the seeds you sent me using your growing methods. And since I know Evo has a green thumb, I'll pay attention to her successes also.

 

[turbo]

We are forecast for a frost tonight, but since all my chilies are green (with the exception of some yellow Hungarians and a few orange habs), I'm going to risk it in hopes that I can get some more mature peppers. We're in for a bit of a warm-up starting tomorrow and well into the weekend, so I may be able nurse a few into maturity.