Q: Dear Dave,I have a quick question regarding a ’land race’. I have been saving seeds from various hard-to-get pepper varieties, and I always select seed from the strongest, most healthy looking plants. I wonder how many generations it takes for a localized variety to develop. I tend to go for those that mature well enough to get to harvests …
No Formula for Calculating Heat
Q: Dear Dave,Is there a formula that will tell a person what the degree of heat would be on peppers that one has grown?–Francis A: Hello Francis:The heat level depends on the variety grown and the environmental conditions under which it is grown, so no, there is no formula.–Dave
Habanero Soup Burns Mouth – And Insides?
Q: Dear Dave,I just came back from the CVS store about an hour ago with some Neosporin. Long story short, as I love habanero peppers in salsa, I thought I’d buy some at the city market today to make my own salsa. Then as I started to microwave my soup, I thought I’d dice up part of one and throw …
Hot Pepper Extract
Q: Dear Dave,How does one obtain an extract from a hot pepper?–Mitch A: Hello Mitch:You cannot do this at home as it takes complicated equipment. It is a chemical process. Hot pods are dried, then pelletized. The pellets are treated with a petrochemical like hexane, which dissolves the color and heat from the pellets. The result is an oily liquid …
Hot Sauce Separates as it Sits
Q: Dear Dave,I made some hot sauces off of your basic Homemade Tabasco Style Sauce recipe and they came out very good. I do have one problem though. As the sauce sits, it separates on the top. Does this mean I should use less vinegar when I’m preparing it, or should I consider something else? Also, I’ve heard that it’s …