I think my bananas finally got bored with taunting me. Ripening nicely and fast. I'll probably firm them in the freezer overnight and start the banana wine tomorrow.
Jelly, Hot Pepper and Vinegar
- Thread starter BigDaveK
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I think my bananas finally got bored with taunting me. Ripening nicely and fast. I'll probably firm them in the freezer overnight and start the banana wine tomorrow.
Steve Wargo
Enthusiast DIYer
Pokeberry started growing in my yard a couple of years ago. Over the last few years, Mullein. Stinging nettle, Wild Lettuce, and a few other volunteer plants have popped up in my yard. Usually, pull and trash it. Then one day thinking, maybe there is a reason for them and started researching the plants. All seem to have medicinal value. A few can be eaten as a veggie, and are nutritious. So far made a Nettle tea. I'll have to check out Stinging Nettle wine.
FlamingoEmporium
Senior Member
I wondered if I would EVER have a reason to use the dancing banana emoji.
Same thing happened to me. Pulled everything for years and then out of the blue I wondered what the heck am I pulling? Jeeze Louise, it's like my yard is a drugstore! I was amazed! I still have a couple more to identify but it sure is fun to find their uses.
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That is one seriously happy banana! I'll like some of whatever he had!!
Since the banana wine takes so long to mature (I've read up to 2 years!!) I'll probably start another batch. If I buy them now they'll probably be ripe in a couple weeks, taunting me, teasing, sticking out their banana tongues and giving me the raspberry. Those jokers....
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FlamingoEmporium
Senior Member
![[Upgraded] 9Pcs Tree Root Growing Box with Drain Holes, Half Transparent Plant Rooting Propagation Ball & Metal Core Twist Ties, for Fast Propagation Plants (Size M)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514MWQxtWOL._SL500_.jpg)
Thanks. I'll have to try that once things are growing. I have hundreds of gardening books (mostly free) and it seems the only way to identify most of my wild growth is with a Euell Gibbons kind of book. I also have a book on poisonous plants that was helpful.
Fox Squirrel Vin
Senior Member
I just put out 18 Aji Charapita plants yesterday that I started indoors. But those get lacto-fermented into sauce. Lovely little pepper, great flavor. I'm also trying some yellow Jalapeno's from the University of New Mexico, 3 other Aji's, Paprika, Pimento's, cayenne, pepperoncini for pickling, and a lot of Anaheim's for my everybody loves it -green chili with pork and white beans. I've given up on the 20,000,000 scoville stuff. My backside can't handle it anymore. All up I put out 8 trays of 36.. 288 plants.
That's a lot of peppers!
I'm trying Aji Charapita this year for the first time. I do the Greek pepperoncini, slightly thicker skin, I think better flavor. Nine pepper varieties total.
I do ferments and dehydrating. I'm surprised more people don't ferment peppers and other vegetables. You can't get any simpler that water and non-iodized salt for ingredients! And the transformation is wonderful!
Fox Squirrel Vin
Senior Member
I usually make them into sauces, pastes, and sell them dried and flaked at farmers markets in December-January when it's snowbird season in Florida. I'm usually sold out in 4-6 trips. Some fresh if I have an abundance of one type and have enough for what I'm doing. I think the only ones I don't sell are the Anaheim's. I make about 350 bottles of various hot sauce a year and about the same number in little bags of flakes and maybe only a few dozen of fermented whole in pint Mason jars, mainly just the pepperoncini and pimento's.
Aji Charapita are REALLY small, like pea size small. The plant gets about 3 feet tall and can be just covered in them but it takes A LOT of them if you want to make a sauce or have any dried quantity, but boy, are they good. I grow them for a Peruvian restaurant and I get $12 an ounce for them.
Fermenting peppers and other veg is the way to go, the longer they ferment, the better they get.
I forgot to mention I also do some Florida Datil peppers, if you get an opertunity to try those, they are fantastic. They are around Scotch Bonnet heat and they make a really nice hot sauce mixed with some lemon juice and garlic.
Aji Charapita are REALLY small, like pea size small. The plant gets about 3 feet tall and can be just covered in them but it takes A LOT of them if you want to make a sauce or have any dried quantity, but boy, are they good. I grow them for a Peruvian restaurant and I get $12 an ounce for them.
Fermenting peppers and other veg is the way to go, the longer they ferment, the better they get.
I forgot to mention I also do some Florida Datil peppers, if you get an opertunity to try those, they are fantastic. They are around Scotch Bonnet heat and they make a really nice hot sauce mixed with some lemon juice and garlic.
I will be trying fermentation for making hot sauce this year.
Years ago I started smoking all my leftover peppers until leathery then transferring them to the dehydrator. Crush and It results in the most amazing chipotle style seasoning.
I'm looking forward to the Aji Charapita! That restaurant is getting them for a good price! I think the average is around $15 an ounce.
I'll remember that about the Datil pepper. I have my favorites but each year I try 2 or 3 new ones. My favorite from last year was the Black Hungarian. Similar in size and skin thickness to the jalapeno and maybe a bit hotter. But it's sweet! After a bite you think it's a wonderful sweet pepper - and then the heat hits. I'm growing more this year.
Update - have a tab open on my browser. I'm going to order the Datil and Korean Gochugaru for my kim chi.
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That's a lot of peppers.
I'm growing the Trinidad Scorpion again this year. You have to wear gloves at all times when handling and use a rediculously small amount to season a dish. I made a hot sauce and put 6 drops in a bowl of chili. It was close - I almost couldn't eat it.
I like the smoking idea!! I'll have to try that this year. The ones I don't ferment get dehydrated and I'll grind them just before adding to a dish.
Update - just ordered 2 Datil peppers. One is sweet.
I usually get my seeds from Bake Creek but Refining Fire Chilis has a HUGE selection of pepper plants, sweet to super hot.
https://www.superhotchiles.com/?v=492bdaa17064
Fox Squirrel Vin
Senior Member
Great company and great prices. I'm definitely going to give them a try. Not sure about their peter peppers though
Baker is my go to as well, it's rare to get bad seed from them. I found these guys recently but they are stupid over-priced but they have some hard to find stuff. I save the rip off artists for last resort if i can't find them anywhere else.Thanks for sharing that link.
https://pepperjoe.com/collections/all
