From left to right. Serrano, chacoense, dedo de moça. Yum!
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Soon
Hello little friends! Soon you are in my stomach :-)
From left to right. Serrano, chacoense, dedo de moça. Yum!
From left to right. Serrano, chacoense, dedo de moça. Yum!
Friday, 9 July 2010
Finally some ripe chiles
After the strong winds this spring, when most of the plants looked half dead, I could not expect to see ripe pods in early July. It's amazing to see how fast the plants recover.
Dedo de moça
My dedo de moça is from last year, so it has thick woody stems, and is probably 1,75 meter tall. I keep it in a big pot, so it's not easy to move it. Therefore I had to take this picture through the kitchen window.
Serrano
And my first serrano has turned red. We will probably make nachos tomorrow, and I can't wait tasting this one.
Capsicum chacoense (CAP 1153 / 96)
Also a plant from last year. I really love these tasty hot tiny chiles.
Rocoto manzano grande (red)
This is an interesting plant. It does not grow tall, but it grows sideways. So it occupies more than a meter on the balcony. The flowers are the biggest flowers I've seen on a Capsicum.
Tabasco
Another one from last year. Last year it produced only a couple of pods. But this year it looks more promising.
Rocopica
My rocopica is fantastic! Last year it produced hundreds of pods. And this year looks like it's going to be the same. Superhot small fruits!
Dedo de moça
My dedo de moça is from last year, so it has thick woody stems, and is probably 1,75 meter tall. I keep it in a big pot, so it's not easy to move it. Therefore I had to take this picture through the kitchen window.
Serrano
And my first serrano has turned red. We will probably make nachos tomorrow, and I can't wait tasting this one.
Capsicum chacoense (CAP 1153 / 96)
Also a plant from last year. I really love these tasty hot tiny chiles.
Rocoto manzano grande (red)
This is an interesting plant. It does not grow tall, but it grows sideways. So it occupies more than a meter on the balcony. The flowers are the biggest flowers I've seen on a Capsicum.
Tabasco
Another one from last year. Last year it produced only a couple of pods. But this year it looks more promising.
Rocopica
My rocopica is fantastic! Last year it produced hundreds of pods. And this year looks like it's going to be the same. Superhot small fruits!
Thursday, 8 July 2010
My herb garden
Lately I have become more and more interested in ayurveda, and the herbs used in herbal medicine. So this year, I am not only growing chile peppers. I'm also growing some herbs.
Tulsi green (holy basil)
A common herb in ayurveda. I grow this one so I can make tea and use it in my cooking.
Basil Genovese
A must when making pesto :-)
Salvia officinalis
We like fresh salvia on fish and chicken. It's a nice plant to grow.
Fenugreek
I use fenugreek for sprouting. The sprouts have a fresh "curry" like taste, and we like them a lot. Of course I also had to put the seeds in soil, and this is how the plant looks.
Turmeric
Turmeric is another spice I use on a regular basis. Mostly in its dried format, but lately I have been using the fresh root. It has a very strong taste, is quite "oily" and has a strong yellow colour. I put some of the roots in soil, and after a couple off weeks this "thing" came up :-)
Ajwain
According to ayurveda, Ajwain is a strong digestive stimulant. I use the seeds in some of my cooking, and decided to try to grow it. And here is the result. It's an interesting looking plant. Don't you agree?
Tulsi green (holy basil)
A common herb in ayurveda. I grow this one so I can make tea and use it in my cooking.
Basil Genovese
A must when making pesto :-)
Salvia officinalis
We like fresh salvia on fish and chicken. It's a nice plant to grow.
Fenugreek
I use fenugreek for sprouting. The sprouts have a fresh "curry" like taste, and we like them a lot. Of course I also had to put the seeds in soil, and this is how the plant looks.
Turmeric
Turmeric is another spice I use on a regular basis. Mostly in its dried format, but lately I have been using the fresh root. It has a very strong taste, is quite "oily" and has a strong yellow colour. I put some of the roots in soil, and after a couple off weeks this "thing" came up :-)
Ajwain
According to ayurveda, Ajwain is a strong digestive stimulant. I use the seeds in some of my cooking, and decided to try to grow it. And here is the result. It's an interesting looking plant. Don't you agree?
Monday, 21 June 2010
Summer solstice
Capsicum cardenasii
I have tried to grow this species from different seed sources during the years, but I have never really managed to get it to enjoy it on my balcony. Hoping for the best this year.
The flowers don't look like other cardenasii that I have grown, but I think they are beautiful anyway!
If you want to compare with my other cardenasii pictures, you find them here:
http://petterssononline.com/habanero/peppers.php?action=varietiesinspecies&genus=Capsicum&species=cardenasii
Another name for Capsicum cardenasii is ulupica, and it is believed to be the 'mother' of all Capsicum. That leads me to show a flower picture of one of my other varieties that I grow this year.
Rocopica
Rocopica is a cross between a rocoto (Capsicum pubescens) and cardenasii. Also with purple flowers.
This plant is from seeds that I started in 2008, so I have kept it for some years. It seems to enjoy the Stockholm climate a lot, because last year it produced lots and lots of fruits. And it seems to like it even this year. So that's nice :-) Here is a picture from last year. The fruits are very hot, with an intense heat.
More rocopica pictures here: http://petterssononline.com/habanero/peppers.php?action=variety&id=1197
Wishing you all a nice summer solstice!
Mats
I have tried to grow this species from different seed sources during the years, but I have never really managed to get it to enjoy it on my balcony. Hoping for the best this year.
The flowers don't look like other cardenasii that I have grown, but I think they are beautiful anyway!
If you want to compare with my other cardenasii pictures, you find them here:
http://petterssononline.com/habanero/peppers.php?action=varietiesinspecies&genus=Capsicum&species=cardenasii
Another name for Capsicum cardenasii is ulupica, and it is believed to be the 'mother' of all Capsicum. That leads me to show a flower picture of one of my other varieties that I grow this year.
Rocopica
Rocopica is a cross between a rocoto (Capsicum pubescens) and cardenasii. Also with purple flowers.
This plant is from seeds that I started in 2008, so I have kept it for some years. It seems to enjoy the Stockholm climate a lot, because last year it produced lots and lots of fruits. And it seems to like it even this year. So that's nice :-) Here is a picture from last year. The fruits are very hot, with an intense heat.
More rocopica pictures here: http://petterssononline.com/habanero/peppers.php?action=variety&id=1197
Wishing you all a nice summer solstice!
Mats
Sunday, 13 June 2010
After the storm
Yesterday we had very strong winds all day and all through the evening.
In other words - that was not a good day for chile plants on a balcony in Stockholm. Chile plants are not fond of strong winds.
Examining the plants this morning was not fun. My cheiro from Recife has lost all the leaves. The leaves on the cardenasii is dry and lifeless. Branches are broken, and fruits have dropped.
I will let the plants be until tonight, but I will need to dust off my barber skills, and start cutting them. Hoping that they after all are OK.
In other words - that was not a good day for chile plants on a balcony in Stockholm. Chile plants are not fond of strong winds.
Examining the plants this morning was not fun. My cheiro from Recife has lost all the leaves. The leaves on the cardenasii is dry and lifeless. Branches are broken, and fruits have dropped.
I will let the plants be until tonight, but I will need to dust off my barber skills, and start cutting them. Hoping that they after all are OK.
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Making powder in June
Always the question - what to do with all the chiles?
When we were in Goa, India a year ago, I bought some dried chiles from a woman in a grocery tent. I'm growing this variety this year, and it is slowly gaining size. But still no flowers. Anyway, I decided to make a powder from the remaining pods. A good, moderate heat. In other words - a powder that can be used in everyday cooking.
Another favorite of mine is pimenta cumari. A quite common variety in Brazil. I've grown cumari in different species - both C. baccatum and C. praetermissum, so there is not only "one" cumari variety. This is how they look dried. Tepin-sized pods.
And here is a picture with immature pods. Very nice plant.
Some more examples can be found here:
http://petterssononline.com/habanero/peppers.php?action=variety&id=49
and here
http://petterssononline.com/habanero/peppers.php?action=variety&id=222
When we were in Goa, India a year ago, I bought some dried chiles from a woman in a grocery tent. I'm growing this variety this year, and it is slowly gaining size. But still no flowers. Anyway, I decided to make a powder from the remaining pods. A good, moderate heat. In other words - a powder that can be used in everyday cooking.
Another favorite of mine is pimenta cumari. A quite common variety in Brazil. I've grown cumari in different species - both C. baccatum and C. praetermissum, so there is not only "one" cumari variety. This is how they look dried. Tepin-sized pods.
And here is a picture with immature pods. Very nice plant.
Some more examples can be found here:
http://petterssononline.com/habanero/peppers.php?action=variety&id=49
and here
http://petterssononline.com/habanero/peppers.php?action=variety&id=222
More help from my friends
Ladybugs are my favorites when it comes to visitors in my chile pepper garden.
So, it makes me even happier when I see that they enjoy themselves on the plants :-)
Actually I didn't know that they did it this way.
So, it makes me even happier when I see that they enjoy themselves on the plants :-)
Actually I didn't know that they did it this way.
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