09 September 2010 02:05:13
Sweet Ladys Finger
These are the first chili seeds we have saved for next year! it is in fact a sweet pepper without the sweetness! great for stuffing, we both enjoyed a plate full tonight stuffed with cus-cus, delicious!! hence the seed!!
03 September 2010 12:22:40
Making Chilli Oil
Chilli oil is very simple to make, unlike other infused oils you will need to heat the oil to get the best out of the chillies.
Ingredients:- 1 Bottle Olive Oil 250ml (You can also use other oils) 5-10 Finely Chopped Fresh Chillies (Depends on size and type) 1-2 Whole Chillies 1-2 tsp of Paprika Powder (Optional)
Warm the oil gently and add the finely chopped chillies, you can select the chillies you like best, the more you add the hotter it will be. You need to very very gently cook the chillies for about 15 minutes, you want the temperature to reach at least 85°C for 5 minutes to kill off any bacteria on the chillies. Then dependent on the required colour of your oil add the Paprika and leave to cool, cover and let the mixture stand for 12-24 hours. You could add finely sliced garlic to the oil with the chillies for an interesting combination, or even cardamon pods. Strain the oil back into the bottle using a very clean tea towel to line a funnel, we only wish to remove the pieces of chilli and the cooked seeds. Slit the whole chillies length ways and carefully de-seed and add to the bottle, the oil is best stored in the fridge. Chilli oil like this is great added to a pizza or used in a stir-fry, or even used to make a warm salad dressing.
02 September 2010 21:27:21
Hi Geraldine, this is a post from last year, hope it helps! 26 September 2009 02:23:17
Storing this years chilies
Have started to hang up this years crop of chilies, we are still working off last years crop and will be up to Christmas, Paul, this is how we store ours, normally about 5 or 6 threads of them hanging in the kitchen, we just take them as we need them! we use thread through the stalk of the chili ( not the chili its self!) normally about 20 to 30 chilies per thread.................
02 September 2010 17:51:18
Ground Chillies
As this years main crop of chillies are not to far from harvesting we decided to ground down the remainder of last years harvest to use in various different dishes, the majority that we used were Lemon drop and Cayenne, with a few Scotch bonnet thrown in for good measure! needless to say its HOT!!!!
01 September 2010 13:21:34
Preparing Onions for storage
We have about 450 onions drying at the moment, they will be used for storage over the winter months, it is important that you check them often and use up any that are starting to go soft, good preparation is the key to storing a good harvest, we find the following a good process for healthy storage of a seasons crop! After a couple of weeks lift the bulbs carefully, brush off the soil, and spread out on racks or anywhere handy to dry out for another couple of weeks, undercover i find the best to avoid the rain! This is to dry or cure the bulbs ready for storage. Once the onions are dried for storage, a good onion for storage should have a firm bulb and the neck dried back all the way to the bub, with a dry outer paper. Check over all the bulbs; separate any that still have a thick neck, or are a bit soft as these won't store well or any that show signs of disease and use them in the kitchen. Rub off any loose papery skin and any remaining dirt. Onions can be stored in sacks, baskets or boxes so long as there is ventilation around them. They can also be strung to hang in bunches, which is our preferred option. We find stringing them easier to store as they can be hung from the rafters in the shed and don't take up any space. They are also nicer to look at! We plait the onions together in groups of about 7-9 to make a useful bunch, one plait can be brought into the kitchen at a time. Store in a dry, frost free place with plenty of ventilation. A kitchen is normally too warm so find somewhere cooler, the garage or garden shed is often ideal