Q: Dave,Well, I have 12 containers with a hot pepper plant in each. The last two weeks I have had 50 flies all around them. Is there a good way to get rid of the flies? Is there a home remedy?A: Hello Whoever You Are: Are the flies hurting your plants? Use sticky fly traps to catch them.Dave DeWitt
Red Chile Powder Substitute
Q: Dave,Great site, thanks for building it. I am working on introducing a flavor-starved country, Slovenia, to the blessings of barbecue and other flavors that extend beyond the bland. My pork rub recipe calls for New Mexican chile powder but, as you can imagine, it is not available over here and importing it would be cost prohibitive. Can you suggest …
Edible Ornamentals?
Q: Dave:I’m growing a small purple ornamental pepper. I’ve heard that they edible and also that they are not edible so I’ve decided to go to the expert. Are they safe to eat?Marty Epstein A: Hello Marty:They are edible but will be mostly heat with little flavor.Dave DeWitt
Hot Sauce Separating
Q: Dave,I have searched thousands of pages on google about this question I have for you. I have developed my own line of hot sauces or at least copyrighted the names and all. I have noticed that no matter what proportions of pepper mash and vinegar I use, I get serious settling and separation of the ingredients after being bottled …
Drying Seeds
Q: Hello Dave:I Was giving a talk on chiles Saturday while waving one of your fine books. I had two questions which I could not answer with confidence. They were:1. Should you always dry seeds from mature pods before seed starting? 2. Is there anything significant about possible red markings near the glands on a cut green pod? To me, …