# Peck of Peppers



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Picked these beauts today consisting of habanero, garden salsa, jalapeno, and ghost.

This pile is almost a peck and a half. Almost filled the gallon bag three times. Total weight is 6 pounds 11.5 ounces. These will be sold for those that wonder...

Haven't picked any Thai peppers yet, but they're thick on the plants.

A few more days and I should be able to repeat today's take. We have 27 pepper plants - all producing better than usual, because of the heat this summer.

The Scoville scale of pepper heat pegs the habanero pepper between 150,000 and 250,000 units; the Ghost comes in at 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 units.

Also, took out another 6 watermelons today. Only about 1/4 or less still on the vines.

Peck = 2 gallons


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Looking real good, breakout the dryer and grinder.


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

Glen do you use any of them to make your own salsa ?


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Sure do, Ed. That's always part of the plan but we are getting so much, we cannot use them all.

Just found out the Mexicans we sell to say they're too dang hot.

Next year we're going to stick to jalapenos, because most people can handle their heat.

Plucked another 10 watermelons yesterday, too. Overstocked, but not hard to give away.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

We also grow a jalapeno that has no heat, a big hit with a lot of people.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

You can dry those peppers and the "dust" will last for years. I bought an old coffee grinder at a yard sale and used it to grind them up. After drying I took the seeds out before grinding. That leaves a little heat and all the flavor. Store it in a glass jar. 
After grinding wait for a few minutes before opening the grinder. The dust will get you.

For those of you in AZ or similar climate, you can grow a jalapeño plant year round. If have weather is going to lay frost down cover the plant with an old sheet or any cloth. Do not use plastic. I laid some mini Xmas lights on the ground under them. The heat from the lights will be enough to counteract the cold. In the spring you'll have a huge plant ready to give you an abundance of peppers.


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## Antlerz22 (Apr 18, 2011)

glenway said:


> Picked these beauts today consisting of habanero, garden salsa, jalapeno, and ghost.
> 
> This pile is almost a peck and a half. Almost filled the gallon bag three times. Total weight is 6 pounds 11.5 ounces. These will be sold for those that wonder...
> 
> ...


Do you try to maintain any distance of a pepper from another to circumvent cross pollination--IE making a mild pepper hot from such? How about other vegetables from the peppers, has that affected their flavor in any way?


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Antlerz22 said:


> Do you try to maintain any distance of a pepper from another to circumvent cross pollination--IE making a mild pepper hot from such? How about other vegetables from the peppers, has that affected their flavor in any way?


I plant my Jalapenos on the ends of my tomato plants. The tomato horn worms won't smell the tomato plants and come eat them. Since I learned that trick I have never had a tomato horn worm.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Antlerz,

I think we may have experienced cross-pollination with the 27 pepper plants, because the different varieties were too close to each other. Next season, we'll stick to jalapenos mostly and plant other varieties farther away.

My pal, Mike, is drying the ghost peppers and the Carribean reds. Still lots of peppers on the vine.


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## Antlerz22 (Apr 18, 2011)

Just a curious question, if a hot pepper plant seems to make a milder pepper hotter---can a milder pepper make a hotter pepper mild as well?


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Yes.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Cross pollination will only effect the seeds from the plant if you plan on using them for the next years crop. We've experimented with a lot of plants, saving seeds and using them the following year. Weather and stressing your plants will determine the final product. Seed source and quality are also critical.


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

Glen, what my Father in Law often said....you get a dry year and your garden does better. His reasoning was the plants prepare for another dry year by putting out more seeds.

Also I would like to add, I am in awe , I have enjoyed your photos this season. Your garden surely has produce for you!

Larry


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Thanks, Larry. Just harvested my largest watermelon of the season: 33 pounds 12.5 ounces. Not many left but it's been a good year. Heck. Who ever heard of watermelons in October in Michigan anyway? Not me.

Still lots of peppers on the vine and I'm going to pluck them today.

We're selling pumpkins now and piling up the cash for next season's investment.


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