The Hottest Pepper Blog

July 12, 2010

Picking Peppers

Filed under: Ask Jamie — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 12:20 pm

Question:

Hope you don’t mind another question or two…I have several peppers that are almost completely red with a touch of orange on the top and also several orange and of course new green ones. When do you pick the peppers? Then, do I put them in the fridge or leave them out? How long are they good for? Can you freeze them for future use? Should I take extra precaution with them in the heat?
Thanks,
Tom

Answer:

Hi Tom,
Pick your peppers when they are completely red but still firm and crunchy. Do not allow your peppers to stay on the plant past this point or they will become soft and limp. Rinse them very briefly in cold water then allow them to dry. Do not soak in water. They do not store well at room temperature, so get them into the fridge ASAP. It is best to vacuum pack them if you can. It is not a good idea to freeze them as they would be soggy when you defrost them. The best thing to do would be to cut them in half and then dry them in the sun, or dehydrate them. If you would like to use the seeds, take the seeds out first as the sun can damage their ability to germinate.
Good luck,
Jamie

June 10, 2009

The Sifter

Filed under: How to — Tags: , , — admin @ 9:34 am

Aloha,

I hope that every one had a great weekend! And GO LAKERS!!!

Today’s Blog will be about “The Sifter”. This little garden assistant works wonders when getting soil from your compost pile. The purpose of it is pretty simple- to keep the larger particles of soil on top of the screen and allow the smaller ones to fall into your bucket or other carrying device. It is very important to have a very fine soil composition for certain vegetables like carrots which can be easily sidetracked when they grow. I have seen many a crooked carrot in my day because the gardener did not take the time to sift the soil. You can make a sifter easily and cheaply and it saves a ton of time.

How to Make “The Sifter”

I use a sheet of diamond lath (available @ The Home Depot) or any good garden supply store. They have different thicknesses of the lath, but the cheapest one (about $5.00) will work just fine. It measures 2′ x 6′ and you can just frame it out with 2 x 4 lumber in any size that you want. If you want a higher sifter, then use 2 x 6 lumber. This sheet can makes two 2′ x 3′ “sifters” if you know a friend that needs one. OR, you can just put the sheet of lath on 2 piles of dirt, put a bucket underneath the center and shovel the soil on top of the lath. Use your hands (I wear gloves as the lath is a bit sharp) and rub the soil through the “diamond” shaped holes. Now you have a fine soil that is good for germinating seeds, transplanting, or for vegetables that need a fine, sifted soil

Aloha,

Jamie

picture 002 225x300 The Sifter