Jalapeño “Guts”

Dave DeWitt Chile Gardening Leave a Comment

Hi Dave, I just discovered your interesting website this evening.  I have a question re: jalapeño peppers.  Is there anything at all that can be done with the seeds and the insides that you scrap out before using them?  I know someone who made a bazillion stuffed jalapeño appetizers last weekend and she saved the “guts” in hopes of being …

Second Year Yield

Dave DeWitt Chile Gardening Leave a Comment

Hello Dave, I am not suere if you can help me with this question but I will try. I am growing some ‘Bhut Jolokia’ peppers. The plants are yielding OK. I read on a website somewhere that the plants will yield better the second year. It also stated that I should bring them inside and place them near a south …

Chile Seeds in Recipes?

Dave DeWitt Cooking Leave a Comment

Hi Dave: You’ve probably been asked this a lot.  Why does every recipe with chilies say to remove the seeds?  I’ve never removed the seeds.  Am I missing something, or does it actually have an affect on taste? Mike Hello Mike: It’s not so much the taste as the texture.  Seeds get between your teeth, don’t add anything to the …

Making Hot Sauce at Home

Dave DeWitt Cooking Leave a Comment

Dave, You stated, in your response to my original question, that fresh habanero can be used 3 to 1 for habanero powder. Umm, can you be more exact is that 3 fresh peppers to 1 teaspoon of powder or? Also when bottling a sauce, how would you go about making it shelf stable so that it doesn’t have to be …

Capsaicin Causing Headaches?

Dave DeWitt Misc. Leave a Comment

Dave, Hello, and thank you for reading my email. I recently tasted a few drops of hot sauce (actually an extract) rated at 1.5 million Scoville Heat Units. While the pain in my mouth was quite intense, it was nothing compared to the headache I experienced about 60 seconds after tasting the extract. It was a severe pounding that started in the …