Q: Dear Fellow Hothead,How do manufacturers extract the capsaicin from the pepper to make a hot sauce hotter than a habanero?Matthew Michel A: Hello Matthew:Hot red chile peppers are dried, ground, and pelletized. They are treated with hexane, a petroleum distillate that acts as a solvent, and the result is oleoresin capsicum, a thick, reddish oil. The oil is heated …
Company looking for Herdez Chipotles
Hi Dave,Anna again with a questions about Herdez Chipotles. It is my understanding that the Chile Guy in Bernalillo is no longer carrying Herdez due to problems with the FDA. Do you know another source for Herdez Chipotles in adobo?Thanks.Anna ShawverApple Canyon CompanyHoly Chipotle & Firehouse SalsaHello Anna:I did a Web search, and the only source I could find was …
Seeds Lose Their Viability Over Time
Q: Dear Dave,I have some old seeds of various unnamed C. pubescens varieties that I am going to try and start this February. Most are 6-8 years old, if I read the info correctly. Last year I had very poor germination with 3 Rocoto varieties and ended up with only 7 plants out of 100+ seeds. Do you think that …
Extract added to New Mexican Restaurant Sauces?
Dave,Both the green chile and red chile sauces in one of my favorite restaurants in Albuquerque have begun to convey an unusual and strangely hot quality not found heretofore. I wish I could be more specific, but the "bite" is unnatural, and I am quite familiar with hot chiles. Now, I have heard that some products are "spiked" and I …
Looking for Hickory Smoked Potato Chip
Dave:I have been searching everywhere for a simple, hickory smoked potato chip popular in the 50s-60s. Does anyone make such a thing now? Love this site, my husband is a pepper lover.Thank you,skculver@aol.comHello Skculver:I don’t think so. There are potato chips with smoked flavors, like Smoked Ham and Smoked Cheddar, and of course barbecue flavored potato chips, but a search …