Hi Dave:Have you ever heard/ seen insects getting into commercially dried chiles? I thought the dried chiles would inhibit any bugs but I just opened a commercially sealed package of dried chiles and there were what looked like webs attached to the chile pods and weird "stuff" in the package. I’ve never seen such a thing before. I know pasta …
Growing in the N.C. Mountains
Hi Dave,I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina where the summer daytime temps are usually in the 80’s (90’s in August) with the evening temps being in the 60s. My harvest this first year has not been great considering I had over 30 plants. I got fewer peppers than I did last year when I lived in South …
Extra Strength Capsaicin Cream
Dave,Where can I get capsaicin cream at more than usual .1% strength? I need something strong against the leg pain. Which company makes the stuff?Thanks, BudHello Bud:Most companies take the safe road, with relatively low strength cream. I would advise that you make your own–it’s quite easy and you can adjust the heat to your liking.Infused Habanero Salve2 tablespoons habanero …
Bottle Collecting
Dave:I have an E.R. Durkee bottle that has a date on the bottom of it 04-17-1877, and it is in perfect condition. Is this bottle worth anything?Hello Larry: There were several different products in Durkee bottles at that time, and the bottles all had different shapes. I would imagine that it is worth something to a bottle collector. If you …
Smoking with Cedar?
Dave,A coupla questions regarding smoking woods. I read your smoking page and you advised not to smoke with construction lumber (for obvious reasons), but what about cedar (since cedar planks are used for cooking fish)? Before I burn them in my outdoor firepit, I’d like to know if the cedar cutoffs from my decking project are appropriate for smoking. The …