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

March 22, 2010

Can I Freeze Peppers?

Filed under: Ask Jamie — Tags: , , — admin @ 10:39 pm

freezer 150x150 Can I Freeze Peppers?

You ask them, Jamie answers them! Here’s another edition of Ask Jamie, with a wonderful question on freezing peppers.

Question
Hi, I heard about these peppers and have read through your website (and a few others).  When is the time of year to be able to buy whole peppers from you ?   My recipe for chilli is a bit warm (Jalapenos and Habaneros, I really prefer the Habeneros because I like the fruity taste of them (and also of course the heat). I would like to have a very hot version of my chilli using Habeneros and the Ghost pepper. Obviously I dont know how much to use and still be edible, I’ll have to use a little, and add small amounts until I get it where I want it.

A couple of questions:
1) When would I be able to buy whole peppers from you ?
2) Does freezing the pepper until used have an effect on flavor ? (I imagine yes, but not sure how much).
3) Since you are the experts on these peppers, any handy tips on how/how much to use ? (I am aware of the need to be careful – made that mistake with Habeneros once).
Thanks, and I’ll place my order after receiving your feedback (might get some powder for now since you are out of the actual peppers according to your site).
~JC Harris

Answer
Aloha JC,

Thanks for your inquiry.  Just like the Habanero pepper, the Bhut Jolokia has a wonderful flavor. It also has an intense back heat.  I cannot tell you how much to use as this is very, very subjective.  You just have to experiment.
As far as the freezing goes, we pick our pepper when they are bright red, and very ripe.  Not one pepper ripens in transit, or is picked before it’s time.  They are then de-seeded by hand which is a huge pain in the butt.  The peppers are then either, sun dried, or dehydrated.  Then they are vacuum packed and frozen.  You can re-hydrate them if you wish, and many of my customers do this.
I would purchase the pepper flakes and experiment with them.  You are not going to be able to use the fresh peppers much anyway because they have to be diced so fine or you could hurt someone who eats a chunk. Not a nice thing to do.
We will have fresh peppers again around June 1st.
Mahalo and Aloha,
Jamie

thehottestpepper.com