[Caretaker]

I have just picked my first chilli that is the first one I have ever grown in my life, on the way out of the allotment I met the local expert on chilli growing and showed him my chilli.
He looked at it and said it's green; it’s the red ones that are hot.
I went home and showed the wife my achievement, and continued to make my self a corn beef and chilli sandwich.
I toped and tailed it, cut it down the middle, scoped out the seeds.
Washed my hands.
Remembering the experts words, it's green, not red.
I then cut a sliver of it and gave it a chew, ***%^***.
Wow that was hot, forgetting to drink milk downed a glass of water, hopped round the kitchen and throwing the part made sandwich away.
Will I ever get the hang of this allotmenting.
Reg.

[Heather_S]

Watch out for those ones if/when they do ripen! You can always freeze them green and use one or half of one in a very large pot of chili or a curry so it doesn't appear to be so hot.

[jaycee]

What variety did you grow Reg?

[milkman]

Sounds like you already have Caretaker - Reg!

[Oliver]

I have just picked my first chilli .

She is wary of all chillies! in her book a chilli is a chilli, green or red: and it's always hot, perhaps hotter when its ripe.

Books say it's only the seeds that are hot - no so. It's all hot! (Although some chillies are hotter than others!)

Sweet  peppers, though, ('Capsicums') are another matter. They can be eaten green, but ripen to red, yellor or orange. They are often a different shape and are generally a bit bigger. Although, having said that, Hungarian Hot Way peppers (   sounds like a beauty treatment) are about 5" long, 1.5" in diameter and they are HOT. There is another kind of hungarian pepper 'yellow wax', that is slightly warm. So to be on the safe side, its best to be wary!

[wellingtons]

... is that the smaller the chilli (when fully grown) the more respect it deserves!

I grow small perfectly round chillies that are mild when purple and blow yer heady off when bright orange.

I've also been told that green chillies are simply unripe (although you can obviously eat them) and are milder than their red or orange riper brothers and sisters.  So you might prefer to harvest yours when they're green cos if you let the lil devils ripen they'll be hotter still!

[Oliver]

... is that the smaller the chilli (when fully grown) the more respect it deserves!

  I reckon!

[Sadgit]

I have 5 Jalapino (sp?) type plants and some are blisteringly hot and some are hotless (is that a real word?).

It is like playing chilli lotto, you never know what the hell you are going to get, mild or BAM HOLY MOTHER!!! from the same plant...

[Gav]

I’ve grown a few types in the past, and one thing I’ve noticed is that the more sun they have, the hotter they are - so these last few weeks may have done the trick on those chillies.

Another thing I’ve noticed (probably common knowledge to most of you :o ) - if your prepared to keep them warm over winter, you get a much better crop the second year - my Tepins are on their second year and must have about 50 chillies on each - not sure what I’m going to do with them all though - they tend to be rather hot. :oops:

[Organic Cragg]

Hi, I have just picked about a dozen chillies from my plant that I have grown on the allotment. The problem was, that they all had brownish/black markings on them. Is this unusual? Are they still edible? How do I prevent this happening again? Can anyone help?

[Oliver]

Hi, I have just picked about a dozen chillies from my plant that I have grown on the allotment.

What colour were they when you picked them (apart from the brownish/black markings) green or red or halfway or what?

[wellingtons]

... I think for the really small or exceptionally hot chillies the best thing you can do with them is dry and turn them into chilli powder.

Keeps you happily spiced up throughout the winter months and you really can use a little or a lot, dependent on your nerves!

[Organic Cragg]

What colour were they when you picked them (apart from the brownish/black markings) green or red or halfway or what?

They were green.

[Ian_P]

Good caution, and advice for others. I've just grown my first ones, and I have literally hundreds or green ones, just turning yellow on some plants.

Does anyone know if I can dry them and if so how?

This is one plant the mini-beasts of Hampshire haven't touched at all.  :twisted:

[BillinPA]

Yes to all of the above.   Here is a link to "The PepperGal" site which has a heat index scale that ranks the most common varieties of Hot Peppers.  It also has a catalog for seeds.  http://www.peppergal.com/pdf/2006catalog.pdf

Keep the milk bottle handy when testing, better yet - find a volunteer  :twisted:  I love the guy that sayz, a like really HOT stuff.....here try this it's mild  :evil: