Peppers with a Purpose

By Chuck Richards

In late November, I finally committed to the bittersweet task of cleaning up what was the backyard edible garden. Being the Northern Hemisphere’s time to weather the Earth’s 23 degree tilt away from our energy source, my tomato stakes came down, and the remaining plant material went to compost. In the midst of this annual exercise of mind and body, I once again found humor in the absurd amount of hot peppers that I produce annually. By the time I was finished the chore, I had a more than fifty final hot peppers for 2016.

If my wife, our two toddler girls, and I solely ate hot peppers, I would never again have to wait behind that guy at the Giant who uses self-checkout with an overflowing shopping cart when the rest of us behind him have a few things in a small basket. But outside of me, no one in this house eats hot peppers. One can only push so many hot peppers on friends, family, and colleagues before people begin to talk. So, each year, I am committed to finding creative ways to utilize all those hot peppers and, lately, equally committed to being pleasant in the self-checkout line at the grocery store.

After I have made as many salsas as I can dream up, or tried every sandwich or variation of grilled chicken or burger with roasted hot peppers, or even spiced up a tomato sauce; eventually, there are still too many peppers and not enough time. Since they don’t keep forever, I have a few favorite ways to utilize them throughout the winter and all the way into the next growing season.

Crushed Red Pepper

I use my bright red cayenne peppers to make homemade crushed red pepper.  It’s very easy to do and pays long-term dividends with the spice and flavor it can add to many winter meals.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Remove stems, and cut the peppers in half;

2. Spread the peppers across a cookie sheet. Feel free to include some seed too;

3. Bake at 200° F (or less if your oven settings and time allow) for several hours. Use a fan or crack the oven door when you can, as air circulation is important for the process;

4. Crush! When the peppers are fully dried, place in food processor or take a rolling pin or knife to them;

5. Place crushed pepper in a shaker (I just clean out a used shaker and make my own label).

That’s it. It’s that easy. Just make sure they are fully dry, or they are more difficult to crush/dice.

Diced Peppers for Freezing

I use freezer sphere molds…banana, jalapeno, cayenne, serrano, habanero, etc. They are such a simple “add” to any dish throughout the winter when all you have to do is open up one of these molds and stir them in as you begin cooking or thaw and utilize uncooked in many different meals.

Save the Seeds

You can use these seeds for next year’s plants. I’ve been planting for years without buying any seed. Simply separate all the seeds and set on a surface to dry for a few days. Then, put them in a small paper bag, label it, and put it in a plastic storage in the back of the fridge until it is time to plant in the spring!

IMPORTANT SAFETY TIPS!

I think the most important tip is to be careful throughout these processes. I’m often too stubborn to use gloves, but it is a good idea to use some sort of protection from the capsaicin, which is the oily chemical responsible for the "hot" in peppers (genus capsicum)

Capsaicin is difficult to wash/scrub off as it is hydrophobic, and even after you think you are in the clear, you’ll rub your eyes and be instantly and very uncomfortably reminded why you should have been less stubborn.

If you are using the oven to assist your drying process, be sure to either have a window cracked for good circulation, and consider evacuating loved ones and pets prior to oven drying. That capsaicin can begin permeating your living space to the point of irritability. 

Resources:

Search “OC Spray” on YouTube for a few examples of what a military/law enforcement dose of a capsaicin-based spray does to these poor individuals. Sure, these are extreme examples, but maybe they’ll help you remember these safety tips.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsicum#Capsaicin_in_Capsicum

http://www.gandgpeppers.com/faqs

Hopefully this helps you enjoy these healthy and delicious hot peppers year-round!

Starting Seeds with Repurposed Recycling

By:  Jessica S. Herwick

With March in full swing, and April just around the corner, the time has come to prepare for this year’s garden!  Hooray!  This means starting the seeds you have spent the last few months collecting, drying, researching, and/or purchasing… if you haven’t done so already.  This also means that you will begin to see all sorts of fancy seed starting kits in your local nurseries and hardware stores.  Many big-name companies sell a variety of pricey, pre-packaged seed starting materials that claim to get the best results from your seed packages, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to spend that money!  

Budget the cash you would set aside for starter kits and buy more seeds. Instead, repurpose your recycling!  Discarded toilet paper and paper towel rolls, egg cartons, newspaper, yogurt cups, milk cartons, soda bottles and even your old newspapers can be used as fabulous seed starting containers!  You will be amazed with how many containers you throw away every week that simulate the very same properties as big-name growing kits on the market.  I encourage everyone out there to tilt your heads slightly to the left, and examine your recycling in a different way.  Look at the containers you already have available and think creatively about how to use them.  Included below are a few "how-to" ideas to get you started. Each week, a new set of instructions will be posted below to provide you with a new method you can experiment with every week throughout April. A new link will appear below on the days marked in blue. Note the dates, and stay tuned! 

March 30 ---- Paper Towel Rolls  One Step Planting!  

Great for starting beans, peas, nasturtiums and potatoes (from quartered starters).
LINK -> Paper Towel Roll "Peat" Pots - HOW TO

April 6  ------  Seed Tape   One Step Planting!

Most effective when used to prepare carrots, leafy lettuces, spinach, radishes and onions.  Many annual flower seeds are tiny and work well using seed tape as well.  The tiny seeds of most herbs also thrive when planted using this method.  

LINK-> Super Easy, Super Thrifty Seed Tape - HOW TO

April 13 ----- Gallon Milk Containers and Soda Bottles 

I prefer using these for tomatoes, since the tops can be laid back onto the container to create a greenhouse effect.

If you are concerned about cleaning your plastics, see Why Sanitize for quick tips on how to soak and sanitize plastic properly.  Click on the link below.
http://philadelphiacountymastergardeners.blogspot.com/2012/02/why-sanitize-spring-cleaning-your.html?spref=fb

April 13 ---- Egg Cartons

Perfect for starting herbs.  This is the only way I plant my herbs.  Lettuce also likes to germinate in egg cartons, from my experience.   You do have to thin the seedlings when using this method, but the number of plants it produces make it well worth the effort.

April 20 ---- Newspaper   One Step Planting!

Great for potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and other squash/melons.  You can fold the edges high and fill with a low soil line to support the vines as the plant grows.  Another benefit to the newspaper method is the easy transplanting.  If you dampen the newspaper, and loosely rip the bottom, you can plant the whole thing in the garden.  No need to remove from the starter pot!