Why are Some Hot Sauces Bitter?

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Q: Hi Dave,I’m Sgt Steve Powell, a Canadian "Army Sargent" up here in Canada, currently working as a facilitator in a Deployment Support Centre.  Our boys are over in Afghanistan and it is my job to provide spousal assistance if problems arise on the "home front," whatever their nature may be. I have just recently become a hot sauce devotee …

When and How to Pick, Dry, and Start Anew

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Q: Hello,I have a bird pepper plant my aunt brought back from Florida. It has grown very well but I don’t know when they need to be picked. They are green and about a half-inch long. Can you tell me what they should look like and what size and color they should be? Also how do you go about drying …

How to Transport Roasted Chiles

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Q: Dear Dave,We are planning on going to Hatch, NM for the Chile Festival in September 2003, Labor Day weekend.  We would like to purchase chiles and have them roasted.  How long do we have to bring them home to Chandler, AZ and freeze them before they go bad?  What is the best way to transport roasted chiles?Thanks, Duane and …

Burn on Both Ends

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Q: Dear Dave,I am 18 years old and have eaten hot food my entire life, thus my tolerance is quite high.  Lately, however, I find myself eating very spicy foods and sauces, and suffering later for it, when it hurts the whole way down!  It seems my digestive tract just isn’t as tolerant of the capsaicin as my mouth is.  …

Pimiento de Padrón

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Q: Hello Dave,I heard on a television cookery program (by Rick Stein) that there is a certain pepper which, although not hot and spicy, every so often is very fiery (almost like playing Russian Roulette with chiles).  Have you by any chance heard of such a pepper?  I think it is grown around Spain, but I am not sure.Thank you …