Monday, August 13, 2012

When hot pepper god Allen Boatman and I became friends several years ago he by default influenced me into preferring hot pepper sauces that aren't vinegary. A couple of weeks ago I made maybe 1/2 gallon of a new sauce from approx. 1 lb. habanero peppers, a LOT of garlic, 1 whole fresh pineapple, some frozen strawberries, sea salt, kombucha tea, cider vinegar and some grape seed oil. This was all pureed, simmered, allowed to sit overnight, simmered again, cooled then bottled. The relatively high pH means it must be refrigerated. I gave a bottle Saturday to my neighborhood friend Joe at the grouper fry potluck as he too grows hot peppers, makes non-vinegary hot sauces, and can enjoy those with a sweet base. Yesterday I gave a jar to Ryan Iacovacci as he and his room mates also like hot food. I double-wrapped it with a frozen gel pack inside two used grocery bags to insure it stay cool until he got home. Joe tasted it at the potluck and loved it.....I look forward to hearing from Ryan and crew their verdict. Joe gave me seeds of Ghost and other hot peppers I look forward to growing, and gave him a potted plant of the perennial "Filipino Mexican Tree Pepper" I got seeds of in 2002 from my Filipino neighbor Joe. Allen's first visit here he went mental when he saw it when he INSTANTLY identified it as a form of Capsicum frutescens. It makes a woody trunk, gets about 6' X 6' , loves a hard spring cut back and feeding to regrow. Mine thrived for eight years until it succumbed to a hard freeze. Back then south Tampa was much better and it grew in the ground...my two new ones thrive in above ground 18 gallon Water Wise Container Gardens.

2 comments:

  1. I want one of those pepper trees like CRAZY!

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  2. I'll bring some pods to your event for you. Easy from seeds.

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