First Ghost Peppers

[Steve B]

JCBBQ the hot hot peppers like a lot of sun and fairly dry conditions. At least this is what works for me.
Yes wait until they are red before picking.
I like making hot sauce from my peppers. Usually ferment them for about 2mo with some garlic and puree them and through a fine mesh strainer. I also dry some and grind them into a powder. A coffee/spice grinder works great.
Good luck with your crop
oh and BTW I just had the last strip steak from the marketplace you hooked me up with Thursday night.

[JCBBQ]

Road trip!! 😀 Thanks for the info.

[Michael Brinton]

Peppers are like tomatoes they will continue to ripen after you pick them. Half colored up peppers will ripen all the way. More quickly in a brown bag (ethylene gas same trick works with tomatoe). Direct sun eight plus hours is good. If the temperature goes over ninety they will stop setting fruit. Moving them to the shade for a little during that temperature will increase fruit production, but it's kind of a pain. Fermented hot sauce is incredible made from all reapers will be extremely hot. If you have a dehydrator that's a great way to save them. They sell dried on the internet for ridiculous prices 65-70 a pound. You can vacuum bag them and freeze to use later. Especially if your making hot sauces because you'll want to get a ratio of reapers you like. One goes a long way. Pickling is easy. Search out Dave DeWitt his site is great and his books are cheap used on Amazon. He is my go to resource for peppers.


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[Michael Brinton]

Smart moving it to the garage. There's some potential chemical warfare drying out super hots. Aztecs used to put them powdered into sacks to throw at enemies.

[JCBBQ]

Thanks Michael! This gives me plenty to work with.

[Pirate Scott]

Tried the brown bag, works great Thanks.

[JCGrill]

There's a lady in Minneapolis who makes vegan candy. One of her treats is a chocolate salted ghost pepper caramel. So good.

[JCBBQ]

Ooooooh!

[HouseHomey]

I can not add anything here. Me and mi little Serrano peppers. They are mighty tasty though.

[JCBBQ]

You guys are the best! Thanks for your help. This site rocks!

[Spinaker]

Just an update on my peppers. After conversing with my good friend Steve B , I think I might actually have some Trinidad variety of Pepper. Not a huge deal but I was really looking forward to growing some Carolina Reapers. I we thought I had some Trinidad Douglas peppers, but those tend to be more burgundy than a waxy red color. None of mine have the distinct scorpion stinger on at the bottom of the pepper. So either it develops later in the ripening stage, or I don't have Carolina Reapers. Take a look and let me know what y'all think.

[EdF]

That's right - you need to eat them!

[Pirate Scott]

The different colors are awesome"

[HouseHomey]

Wow, those sure are pretty.

[gijsveltman]

Spinaker from his visual guide, I think it looks like a Trinidad Scorpion Moruga

[Michael Brinton]

I've grown heirloom habaneros that are long and barely round. San marzano tomatoes are weird like that too. Even the heat can vary from pepper to pepper. Those reaper seed at ten dollars for ten are basically the most expensive seed on the market too. Where did you get them?

[Spinaker]

I got them from ribeyeguy Who got them from a local retailer. I have no way of knowing that retailers credentials. What are your thoughts on what I have here? Michael Brinton

[Michael Brinton]

It's hard to tell scorpions were the first ones with the tail. Reapers are related closely to them. There's lots of factors, soil type, light. Identifying plants is hard even for experts. Either way they look great and I'm sure you'll enjoy them. Pepper growing is addictive.

[Pirate Scott]

Spinaker My ghosts have some variety too! Can't wait to try the pale ones the red ones are fantastic.

[Spinaker]

Great looking plants dude!

[Pirate Scott]

Here is my Reaper Plant, all buds no Peppers yet and it is starting to get cold here. This one will probably have to come inside.

[Pirate Scott]

HouseHomey Serrano are pretty hot too! And it's a really neat plant.

[Spinaker]

I love me some serranos. Especially in some fresh Civiche.

[HouseHomey]

Those are beauties! Yes, some f ours get screaming hot. So fresh tasting though, I like the mild to medium Serrano. I'm not a Chili head but do love flavor

[Pirate Scott]

Tequila Sunrise waiting to turn Red.

[Steve B]

A couple of pics of my Reaper plants. notice the stinger starting on some of them.

[Pirate Scott]

Looks great!, hope mine get busy before it gets too cold. Been 90days, season is 85 to 120.

[Steve B]

Pirate Scott for Reapers you're definitely looking closer to the 120 day mark.
And yeah as we get closer to the colder days we want these puppies to grow and ripen as fast as possible. They are on borrowed time.

[texastweeter]

I always deseed some, and smoke dry them. Then grind them up OUTSIDE (trust me) in a dedicated pepper grinder for some super hot but very tastey chili powder for your chili.

[Steve B]

I hear you brother. When drying Reapers you don't want them inside. And using a dedicated grinder is a must.
Ain't that powder almost deadly?? Beautiful stuff.

[Spinaker]

I always deseed some, and smoke dry them. Then grind them up OUTSIDE (trust me) in a dedicated pepper grinder for some super hot but very tastey chili powder for your chili.

Check out this thread, you might find it interesting.

[texastweeter]

very very interesting.I may try this sometime. I have heard of people packing the peppers in salt and then after they dehydrated grinding them all together, but never with the smoke addition.

[Spinaker]

It is awesome. And JGrana has a ton of info on the subject. I am sure he would be happy to guide you through it. texastweeter

[texastweeter]

I have about a gallon of scotch bonnets in the freezer, and dad just text me and said he harvested 10 gallons more. I may try with them first.

[Skip]

John, your peppers have nice color! Your thumbs must be green! or burnt!

[Spinaker]

You know it!