Q: Dear Dave,We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Austin, TX and my wife had a ground beef burrito that was very spicy hot. About 20 minutes after eating she passed out and wound up in the hospital for 3 days having tests run on her to determine what happened. Nothing abnormal was found. We were wondering if you knew …
Chiles & Tomatoes: Falling Flowers
Q: Dave,The flowers on my chiles—jalapeño, serrano, habanero—and tomatoes seem to die and fall off. What could cause this ? I water every other day . –Gary A: Hello Gary:Most often, flower drop is due to high temperatures, particularly at night. Sometimes over-fertilizing is the problem. Try watering every day and don’t fertilize for a while.–Dave
Bulgarion Carrot Chile & Germinating Frozen Seeds
Q: Hi Dave,Last year I had a white, jalapeño-type chile growing in my garden, probably produced by cross pollination. I tried to germinate the seeds this year, from frozen pods I kept from last year. It did not work. So my first question is, does freezing affect the germination capacity of the seeds? My second question concerns the ‘Bulgarian Carrot’ …
Fresh vs. Frozen & Hot Sauce Shelf Life
Q: Hello Dave,Will a frozen supply of peppers work as well as fresh (my freezer is overflowing with peppers from last summer and this summer’s bounty), and what is the average shelf life in the fridge for hot sauce? Is there an average for vinegar / ketchup based sauces? Thanks so much!–Alicia A: Hello Alicia:Yes, frozen works as well as …
Hot Sauce: pH and pH Meters
Q: Hi Dave,I’m working on making a hot sauce. I’m in the final process and it is a hit with friends and family. But now I need to learn more about preservation. I know the pH level needs to be low, but how low? I also need to know where I can find a good pH meter. My sauce as …