Q: Dave:When making sauces with chiles, do fresh chiles add more heat than pickled peppers? Also, does alcohol enhance the heat of chiles?Thanx, Bill A: Hello Bill:Fresh vs. pickled, it depends entirely upon the variety. Vinegar does not affect the heat level. Alcohol has no effect on the heat of the sauce.–Dave
4-Chile Sauce
Q: Hey Dave! I have 4 different chilli varieties in my garden (jalapeño, tabasco, cherry, andHungarian yellow wax) all of which are fruiting so fast I can’t use them all! It’s a devil of a problem… I was wondering if you have a recipe for a nice dipping sauce that would combine the different chillis? Keep up the great work, …
Perennial Chile Plants
Q: Dave,Do habanero plants need to be removed and new ones planted every year or are they perennial?Thanks, Rod A: Hello Rod:All chile plants are perennial in climates that don’t get frost.–Dave
Naga Jolokia
Q: Hi Dave.I have been searching all over the net for seeds for Naga Jolokia…the reputed 800,000 SHU peppers. I have not yet found any source that can actually supply these seeds. Are they real? Can they be found anywhere? Regards, John A: Hello John:I believe that the so-called ’Naga Jolokia’ is a form of Red Caribbean Habanero, imported into India …
Chiltepin Sauce Too Hot
Q: Dave,I live in rural South Texas, where I have access to many wild chiltepin plants for harvesting. This summer I began tinkering with making a Tabasco-style sauce, but with chiltepins. The recipe is from your website, and is basically 2 cups vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 lb of peppers. My first batch of this stuff was wickedly hot. …