Have had these on the side for a few days.
Saved, and to be given to loving homes.
Category Archives: chillies
Patio sizzle
These took me by surprise. Had to rummage through the foliage. If memory serves, there are lots of fruit-I can attest to that-and quite hot. We shall see!
Purple plunder: you beauty!
Finally, they have arrived.
Purple beauty sweet peppers. That whilst these aren’t big yet are beautiful.
Plunderer today with some others.
Yours in anticipation,
Horticultural Hobbit
Jalapeño!
These were from real seeds and are an early jalepeno. I checked these over today to see their progress. There are quite a few on the plants. Some of have now developed the harmless black smudges. These are not a problem. What they have yet to develop is the corking cracking markings. They can bid their time, as they may get jellied.
Yours in anticipation,
Horticultural Hobbit
Nigel’s bank holiday
Nigel is spending his bank holiday fruiting nicely in the Wendy. Have never seen so many fruits. That said, I’m waiting for them to go red.
Horticultural Hobbit.
All change in the chilli house
Had to do a bit of re-arranging in the Wendy house. It’ positively heaving with chillies and bells. Some of which are small and bushy, others are getting quite tall. Early Jalepeno and it’s friend have been shifted outside and placed under improvised cover. There is one single solitary, long red Marconi. As of yet, it’s still green. A few more frauzauber and Nigel have been harvested. As well as couple of purple rainbow chillies.
Have observed about a dozen small sweet bell peppers. Wonder if they will get any bigger.
Yours in anticipation,
Horticultural Hobbit.
Jelly in a jar
Having collected a handful of purple rainbow chillies, I wanted to do something with them. Whilst a single solitary one, made it into a courgette chutney ( http://www.rivercottage.net/users/Pam%20the%20Jam/blog/1281015134-courgette-aid-and-jam-fest/ ). I wanted to make further use of the rest. The chillies are small, berry like. And quite full of seeds. There are additional chillies in the wendy. I have been impatient, and harvested a few non green Nigels, as well as some green frauzauber, These are a lovely lime colour. I have yet to ascertain, whether this is a sweet or a spicy chilli. it went in regardless.
The recipe that I used is as follows : http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chilli-jam-2692
There was some nervousness about this recipe. In particular, with the quantities. I didn’t want make too much of it, and how would I know if it had boiled properly to then set. The home grown chillies, were padded out with two large red chillies, and one and a half sweet red peppers. I did panic abit, with the boiling, and the mixture was boiling for 15, rather than 10 minutes. Wobbled beautifully, whilst cooling. There was the flecking floating too, of the chopped up chillies. Definitely in the wobble and the flecking.
The verdict. It tastes lovely! Consistency wasn’t bad. Depending on how much you have, it either wobbles like jelly, or splodges like jam. The flavour is a lot like a sweet chilli sauce, just with a different texture. Goes lovely with the dipping crisps, we know that for a fact. It is also wonderfully more-ish.
Might try it again 🙂
Yours in anticipation
Horticultural Hobbit
Little bits of rocket fuel
I love my spicy little triffid monsters. These leafy, flowered beauties have taken up the kitchen window sill for some time now. Little berry sized chillies have formed; today I harvested those of a reasonable size. I felt compelled to as there are a lot of flowers but also a number of these self abort and fall off.
The vague plan with these, is to possibly make an experimental batch of chilli jam.
And with the jam making. I tried to make a courgette chutney.
The recipe is from pam the jam at river cottage. And is tenuously Bollywood. It now sits in the fridge. Ready for consumption.
Yours in anticipation,
Horticultural Hobbit
Take a walk with me
Have been meaning to do this for a few days. To me, what you see; looks a mess. There’s lots of foliage; weeds, things planted all over the place. So I wanted to make sure, that you have a good idea of what is where. Without actually taking a microphone and doing a bit of an Alan Whittaker around the plot; this is what we have. I did try this, but the video was a bit big to transfer simply! Didn’t quite get the whittaker accent right, I must say. It really does look like a jungle. There is generally no logic to what goes where. I have a rough idea of crop rotation; in that I will do my best not to plant similar families in the same place. The next thing-other than the paper and plastic thing-is to the plant out classroom cabbages. Hence the hooped beds. I realise that these may not cope with the potentially poor weather that we expect with autumn and winter. Will probably require reinforcing at some point.
I have had another rummage in the wendy and have observed:
We have two early Jalapeno’s. These are very new arrivals, I don’t recall seeing them previously. All of the bells and chillies are doing well in the wendy house. I am surprised, actually, by the number of sweet peppers that I have managed to sow and propagate. Hadn’t thought that there would as many as I have seen. There is a frauzauber pepper. That I have no idea whether this is spicy or sweet creature, very light lime green in colour. I really would like to know which one it is. Quite a robust creature with two fruits forming. I really must get feeding them with increased frequency.
The last of the garlic was hauled up. And of course, some carrot thinnings. A pair of which, seemed to be caught in a comforting clinch. Have sown some more today, as well as some Florence fennel.
Yours in anticipation,
Horticultural Hobbit
Bells and Bumps
As Blighty hold it’s breath in eager anticipation of the new Royal Baby, there otherwise sweet bumps in the wendy house. These were given a feed and water today, as they hadn’t been looked at in a few days. There are many flowers forming, suggesting fruit to be formed too. I have to say, that the purple beauty and long red marconi seem to have stalled. Perhaps they don’t like the wendy house. They were fine before they went in there; and maybe the weather has been too much for them.
It is my own fault, that not many of the pots are labelled. Will therefore be a surprise as to what actually crops. You’ll see that some of chillies and bells grow up, and others grow down. In my experience, hot chillies, grow down. I remember cayenne growing down. Yet, Nigel, has grown upwards. Jalapeños, have grown downwards.
These are by far, the largest number of chillies and bells that I have grown. Seeing each one develop and grow, is really quite interesting. The weather-the heatwave-has been a boon to them. I don’t think, that I would have had such progress otherwise. The purple rainbow chilli in the kitchen, is as happy as larry. Both fruiting and flowering.
You will see a little pumpkin. If the label is right, it is a jack be little pumpkin. Just not sure it has been fertilised. If not, then that is a disappointment.
Tomorrow, we are to have thunderstorms. Insert your own Queen lyric.
Yours in anticipation,
Horticultural Hobbit
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