Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[HoppyDaze]

I dry mine on a paper towel for a week then store in coin envelope

 

[corkybstewart]

So right now I have 30 pounds of diced and blanched yellow squash/zucchini in the freezer to use in soups and spaghetti sauce, and at least a pound more picked every day. I pick them small so I don't have to deal with baseball bats zukes. I also got my fall garden started. So far I have beets, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and carrots sprouted and well established. Over the next couple of weeks I'll start planting lettuces and spinach.
I got a late start because of my battle with the local packrats but my tomatoes and cukes are starting to produce, they should produce until well into October. My wife complained about how much I spent for absolutely nothing(while I fought the rats) but now my $300 expenditure on fencing has really paid off.

 

[Evilgrin]

What’s your process to store seeds? Anything special, or just toss em in a bag?

After they dry on a paper towel they go in tiny ziplock type bags. Then the little bags go in small bottles. I get the little ziplocks at Walgreens/Walmart pretty cheap. They are house brand pill bags. About $1.50-2.50/50 bags.

 

[Evilgrin]

Chilhuacle (Chee Wah Lee) negro from Oaxaca Mexico. VERY uncommon outside of a few places in Mexico. These got a nice amount of zip and dry very very well. Normally used for a Oaxacan mole sauce.

Now these are the odd balls. Puckerbutt sold seeds to a friend last year. A couple of his Reaper plants had brown pods. He sent me seeds to see how they grow out. Coming straight from the Carolina Reaper source Ed Currie i had to grow these out of curiosity.

2 might have crossed back to Lew's Reapers that were red?

 

[Abrayton]

Nice variety of mild to super hots considering I had decided not to grow any this year.

 

[corkybstewart]

Nice variety of mild to super hots considering I had decided not to grow any this year.View attachment 693753

Have you ever had any cross-pollination issues growing them that close together? The last time I grew peppers I planted my bell peppers to close too the jalapenos and ended up with fat jalapenos and bell peppers that were slightly skinny but very spicy.

 

[Abrayton]

Have you ever had any cross-pollination issues growing them that close together? The last time I grew peppers I planted my bell peppers to close too the jalapenos and ended up with fat jalapenos and bell peppers that were slightly skinny but very spicy.

A couple habanero plants may have this year

 

[Evilgrin]

Sure did last year. I grew a CARDI Scorpion next to a Naglah Brown.

Ended up with 1 plant giving me this demon child this year. They are nasty hot too.

 

[Evilgrin]

Remember annuum cross with annuum easily, Just like chinense to chinense but cross pollinating between species is less likely. It can happen though. Some are quite hard to cross like pubescens (rocotos) to other species.

 

[Evilgrin]

Picked a few today. Think im gunna make a Scorpion mash from these. It will just be peppers, salt and bottled water ferment. Then ground into a mash for later use. It would be insanely hot if used straight in a sauce. Ive got a commercial Scorpion pepper sauce and it flat out lights you up. So the mash will just be used to "enhance" other sauces that need a little boost.

This one is a new pepper for me. Chilhuacle Rojo (red). Another variety from southern Mexico. I will sample one later today. They are not supposed to be really spicy. Took forever to get ripe pods too.

 

[Deadalus]

Update on our gardens.

Got off to a late start in May due to the weather. So we started our own saved seeds for all but 4 plants. The first two pics are from 5/26.

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View attachment 692946


Here's where we are yesterday. The tall stakes are 8 footers. With the two 4'x8' raised beds and two patio tomatoes in pots, we've harvested over 31 lbs of tomatoes and aren't even close to done yet. Good thing we know how to can them . The onions were an experiment. We cut about 1" off the root end of scallions from the store, planted them, and they grow just fine. There's also swiss chard in between the rows of tomatoes which we really enjoy also. And yes those are my Versa-Nets, electric knee high fences, those raccoons don't touch my 'maters anymore .

View attachment 692947

View attachment 692948

What's the damage look like on the tomatoes when a racoon gets to the? I have a reoccurring varmint that likes to eat mostly the top half of the just ripened tomatoes, leaves kind of a bowl shape but usually still attached. Bought a game camera to figure out the culprit but just installed, no pics yet. Electric fence works good then? I've got two a 4x20 bed and then 1/2 of a 4x20 bed in tomatoes. Also had a critter come and eat all the green tomatoes and leaves on one plant, left the vine this was before any ripened. I figured that was a raccoon, plant was about 4 ft tall at the time. I have a 4 foot wire fence around the garden and a 6 ft fence around the yard. Almost never see deer anywhere in my neighborhood except once far down on the main road turnoff to my street.

 

[501irishred]

What's the damage look like on the tomatoes when a racoon gets to the? I have a reoccurring varmint that likes to eat mostly the top half of the just ripened tomatoes, leaves kind of a bowl shape but usually still attached. Bought a game camera to figure out the culprit but just installed, no pics yet. Electric fence works good then? I've got two a 4x20 bed and then 1/2 of a 4x20 bed in tomatoes. Also had a critter come and eat all the green tomatoes and leaves on one plant, left the vine this was before any ripened. I figured that was a raccoon, plant was about 4 ft tall at the time. I have a 4 foot wire fence around the garden and a 6 ft fence around the yard. Almost never see deer anywhere in my neighborhood except once far down on the main road turnoff to my street.

Sounds like my nemesis has found you! Turned out to be a pair of mocking birds here.
It was tough to believe they ate that much, but I finally caught them in the act. Since convincing them to relocate, I’ve finally got to eat some vine ripened tomatoes.

 

[Abrayton]

Grew a lot of new to me peppers this year, including these three dangerous and delicious ones, 7 Pot Slimer, C3PO and Devils Brain. Slimer by far best flavor of the three.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

My wife and I maintain a veggie garden, and usually grow around 10 types of hot pepper, 2-3 plants of each type. Always do ghost, scopions, and reapers. This year I did a few 7-pot varieties as well. Had a slow start to the season, so just starting to get the super hots ripe now.
I've made one milder hot sauce so far (cayenne, jalapeno, hot banana) this year. We try to use all our own produce in the hot sauces (tomatoes, carrots, onions, etc). I often mix in some homemade wine into them as well. We grow hops and grapes (muscat), in addition to all the veggies. We also have some fruit trees and berries.
Some photos attached. One is the hot pepper bed, then an early season photo, and one more recent.

 

[bleme]

Have any of you seen the recipes for grilling/roasting immature sunflowers?
They describe the unopened buds to taste a lot like artichoke hearts while the open but immature heads (before the shells harden) are similar to a nutty corn on the cob.

 

[Evilgrin]

Added a few more to that plate this morning and some others too. Death Spirals from Baker Creek seeds are flat out solid producers here.

Another "Idahoian Reaper". I hear they growem funny up in them parts

More stupid hot NuMex Orange, brown spicy bells and FAT Early Flame jalas.

 

[Abrayton]

Couple jars of fresh made salsa from my pepper garden. Right to left:
Jalapeño
Pineapple Habanero
X-Hot (Black Panther)

 

[Abrayton]

good day

 

[Evilgrin]

Mixed pepper SALSA!!!
2 Early Flame (1 almost totally ripe)
3 Spicy Slice (greeners)
2 Flaming hot ripe Numex Orange Spice....and yes i sampled it first after the other 2.....Easily 5 times as hot.
1 Ripe Rojo
2-3 TBS finely minced red onion
1/8 Cup cider vinegar
1/8 Cup fresh lime juice
1/8 Cup water
1 TBS Champagne vinegar. Topped off the jar so brine reached the top.
1/4 TSP sea salt
1/2 TSP sugar

Makes about 12oz of ZESTY SALSA!!!

 

[bleme]

I harvested and roasted 10 Padron peppers last night. I've never grown or seen these in stores before, so I wasn't sure when they were mature and was waiting to see one start to yellow so I'd have an idea of what full-size even is. The descriptions I found online said that it was a very mild pepper, similar to a pepperoncini, with an occasional pepper 1/5th the SHU of a jalapeno. Well... either this plant isn't really a Padron or they are usually harvested much younger because all of these peppers were mid-jalapeno heat.

They were insanely tasty with a great smokiness. I'm not sure how much of that was due to my roasting method. I tossed them in a little EVO and salt, then roasted in a cast iron dutch oven on a high burner. I let one side blacken, gave a stir, put the lid back on, turned off the heat about 30 seconds later and just let the residual heat finish them while I finished putting dinner together. I ate 4 of them with the tacos but my wife could only handle 1/2 of one. More for me I guess...

 

[Kent88]

Pizza sauce:

 

[GreenEnvy22]

I made some hot sauce yesterday, a mix of reaper, ghost, scorpion, cayenne, Thai, and jalapeno peppers.
With tomatoes, onions, garlic, from the garden, salt, sugar, vinegar.

I also boiled some fresh Chinook hops with it that I had just picked in a brew bag, thought it would be interesting. So I named it the fiery frog because it's hopped

 

[Evilgrin]

Habanada are coming in now. Nice sized pods with no heat but tasted quite a bit like a sweet habanero.

 

[HoppyDaze]

Have you ever had any cross-pollination issues growing them that close together? The last time I grew peppers I planted my bell peppers to close too the jalapenos and ended up with fat jalapenos and bell peppers that were slightly skinny but very spicy.

It's very common. Pepper plants cross like crazy. So much, that you have to take extensive measures to keep a pure strain.

 

[bleme]

Have you ever had any cross-pollination issues growing them that close together?

This is only an issue the next year if you grow seeds from a plant that had been cross-pollinated. The fruit of the plant only contains the female genes. Only the seeds inside the fruit contain the genes from the pollen.

 

[Hanglow]

Tigerella tomatoes - not particularly impressed with flavour with the ones that have allready ripened

some of my peppers- Aleppo, Aci Sivri, Jals. Need the Aleppos at least to ripen

 

[501irishred]

Tigerella tomatoes - not particularly impressed with flavour with the ones that have allready ripened

What they may lack in quality, they appear to make up for in quantity, and they look damn cool too! A classic 2 outa 3 ain’t bad scenario........

 

[bleme]

My tomatoes appear to have given up. I got 6 whole tomatoes off them this year, they they suddenly stopped - not even a blossom. I've tried fertilizer and Epsom salt. I even spent $18 on Mycostop because it looked like fusarium wilt and still nothing. I think I'm just gunna whack 'em down and hope for better next year.

 

[Hanglow]

What they may lack in quality, they appear to make up for in quantity, and they look damn cool too! A classic 2 outa 3 ain’t bad scenario........

Those are the ones in my greenhouse and are doing fine, I've got three plants outside and have a grand total of two tomatoes on them! Next year I'll try some outside that are more suited to the climate here

 

[Evilgrin]

Be afraid...BE VERY AFRAID. Yes, they are scorching hot evil little buggers.

Chopped some peppers (all very mild but 1 jalapeno) and 3 red shallots for a sofrito. Making more or less a chilli with beans today. 2 green Antep Aci Dolma, 2 Rojo, 1 Early Flame jala, about 5-6 Habanada. Nearly heatless mix.

 

[HoppyDaze]

Those look mean!

Evilgrin:

could you post a procedural tutorial on your exact process for fermenting vegetables? It would be a great reminder for me and I'm sure beneficial for other members as well.

 

[Evilgrin]

Those look mean!

Evilgrin:

could you post a procedural tutorial on your exact process for fermenting vegetables? It would be a great reminder for me and I'm sure beneficial for other members as well.

The problem with that is all veggies are different. Cabbage ferments easily and seldom fails even at a 2% salt by cabbage weight. A pepper ferment at just 2% has a much higher chance of failure. Jump upto a 4% brine and the chance plummets. Add a culture starter like Caldwells and the chance is even less.

The basics are
Least amount of air space needed in the container. Lacto B needs no oxygen at all.
Sterilize everything just like wine making.
Keep your veggies submerged. I use glass weights when using Mason/Ball jars. A cabbage leaf under the weights stops anything getting past them. Anything that floats increases the chance of mold.
Start with low pH bottled water when possible. I use Niagara brand because it has the lowest pH of any i can find and its cheap.
Use good salt with no iodine added. High mineral content is nice if using distilled/purified bottled water.

One of the best thing you can do if using Masons are the vacuum lids. They have a pump to remove air and they vent as CO2 builds up. Guys have great success with these.
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Fermenter-Wide-Mouth-Weights/dp/B0789QYV52

 

[Redeemer]

The problem with that is all veggies are different. Cabbage ferments easily and seldom fails even at a 2% salt by cabbage weight. A pepper ferment at just 2% has a much higher chance of failure. Jump upto a 4% brine and the chance plummets. Add a culture starter like Caldwells and the chance is even less.

The basics are
Least amount of air space needed in the container. Lacto B needs no oxygen at all.
Sterilize everything just like wine making.
Keep your veggies submerged. I use glass weights when using Mason/Ball jars. A cabbage leaf under the weights stops anything getting past them. Anything that floats increases the chance of mold.
Start with low pH bottled water when possible. I use Niagara brand because it has the lowest pH of any i can find and its cheap.
Use good salt with no iodine added. High mineral content is nice if using distilled/purified bottled water.

One of the best thing you can do if using Masons are the vacuum lids. They have a pump to remove air and they vent as CO2 builds up. Guys have great success with these.
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Fermenter-Wide-Mouth-Weights/dp/B0789QYV52

This is all true and good information. I ferment my peppers with a 5% brine made from distilled water and korean sea salt. In addition (Because I am making hot sauce) I blend them up in a ninja until liquefied, and I add based on my recipe, onions or sugary fruit like pineapple and mango. (Adding sugar gives the bacteria a better food source and thus, a potential for lower PH, provided you have a healthy colony, and can speed lag time to avoid spoilage organisms. I believe this might be one of the reasons some Kimchi recipes call for the addition of sugar upfront) I ferment them in 3 or 5 gallon carboys. I haven't had a batch go bad but because of trying to keep headspace minimal I have had many bubble overs. I find the way to deal with this is to give more than adequate headspace in the beginning week or 2, then top off with pure brine and put the airlock back. Most of the gasses have been released by this point and you can move onto aging. At this point, you can pretty much let it ride because PH is low (around 3.5) and salt content is high; all you need to worry about it kahm or kalm yeast. The stuff is harmless but can impart off flavors and should be avoided. You can reduce its chances by minimizing O2 exposure, so when I add the final brine I take it right up to the neck. I have a batch of pumpkin habanero going now that is nearly a year old without a trace of contamination or kahm yeast.

 

[Evilgrin]

That Korean sun dried sea salt is well worth the $10/kilo on Amazon and high mineral salts are a wise choice when using distilled water.
https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Premium-Salt-Kimchi-Brining/dp/B00KNGFG2I
Another rather cool item for fermenting is called E-jen fermenters. They have a inner lid to hold down all the veggies. You can get them in a large variety of sizes and shapes. Ive used mine numerous times for kraut and kimchi. Not a single failure.

These are made in South Korean. Quality is pretty good.
https://www.amazon.com/jen-Kimchi-Container-Probiotic-Fermentation/dp/B00SWBJJQ0https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Sauerkraut-Container-Probiotic-Fermentation/dp/B07DYGN78Y

 

[Evilgrin]

Pain Train rolled in yesterday

 

[Abrayton]

Pain Train rolled in yesterday

Curious what you’ve got there? Some look very similar to a few varieties I’m growing this year.
-blue fawn
-devils brain
-black panther
-death spiral (not bad in the mouth but about killed my gut yesterday)
-C3PO
-7 pot slimer
-habanero (red and orange)
-torpedo (red and yellow)
-jalapeño

 

[Evilgrin]

Death Spiral (Baker Creek seeds)
Mystery peppers from Puckerbutt, sold as Reapers to a friend last year. 1 plant had brown pods
CARDI Scorpions from my Scorpion pepper seeds last year

 

[Evilgrin]

I had to order one on the Easy Fermenter kits without weights. I got glass weights. I should have it no later than the 5th.

Got another handful of long cayenne. Thought it would be nice to show how long they are this year. This is an average pod. Ive had a few in the 15" range and very few less than 10".

 

[HoppyDaze]

cool, how far do the seed go down the pod?

 

[Evilgrin]

There are seeds in probably 2/3rds of the pod. They dont seem to be as seedy this year vs last but they are still fairly seedy. That last one i saved just for seeds. Its sort of a pain to make a nice cut in them for a good pic.

Next year im going to try at least 1 plant in a grow bag with fresh media. Production however is great just in a hard pot. I just want to see if i can improve plant size a little. They have been very heavy producers 2 years in a row.

This was last years plant

And this is the Thunder Mountain that was less than 3ft away

This years plants look like they might be a cross