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I TURNED, most
gratefully, from chilly to chillies at the weekend, swapping
the freezing job of chainsawing an elm that fell on my
garage to an altogether warmer one.
I went from the chill of the outside to thinking of central
heating from the chilli pepper.
I was prompted that way by the recent charity Pickle Wars,
at Gurnard, where chillies are favoured ingredients, and by
Darren Cool.
Despite being Cool by name, Darren, from Robin Hill, likes
it hot too.
He loves chillies. The hotter the better.
So, for him, I’ve tracked down some fairly rare seed,
imported directly from its native Bangladesh.
Naga is not the world’s hottest but it’s close to the top
and, because seed is expensive, it will need careful
germination.
It came in a plain envelope, feeling naughty. Rather like
some exotic Dutch import.
Because plants need starting early in the year, when it’s
much too chilly for chillies, I shall have to invest in a
heated propagator — one that has enough space to accommodate
the growing plant until we get a bit of natural warmth.
There are many out there on the market and the conventional
wisdom is not to plump for the cheapest because its small
wattage means it will be unable to cope with chill nights in
an unheated greenhouse or conservatory.
I’ve gone for the very cheapest I could find.
Planting time is during February. Compost should be warmed
before planting. Some gardeners recommend soaking the seeds
for an hour in a tepid water solution of hormone rooting
powder.
Leave the seeds to dry naturally for 20 minutes on kitchen
paper before planting.
Once they have sprouted to a size that can be handled, they
can be transplanted to 75 mm pots containing multi-purpose
compost mixed with
vermiculite or grit to aid drainage.
The compost should be as moist as a wrung-out sponge and
again kept in a warm place before planting to avoid shock to
the delicate seedlings.
Water to settle them in with a spray bottle and keep them
moist with mist.
When you can see roots coming through the bottom of the pot
you can pot-on. The standard progression is 75, 150 and then
the final 200 mm. First, fill the new containers with
moistened compost, make a hole of the right depth for your
seedling to sit in.
Lift the tiny plants carefully with the help of a pencil
pushed from the underside of the pot through the drainage
hole. The less the roots are disturbed, the better.
Lower each plant into the hole you’ve made and plant it in
its new home. Peppers (unlike many other plants) will make
new roots along their buried stems, so if your seedlings are
leggy, you can transplant them so their stems are covered by
the soil up to the base of the bottom cluster of leaves.
Gently firm the soil around the transplants and water
carefully.
Once plants set fruit, start feeding once or twice a week
with a good all-purpose liquid fertiliser such as Miracle-Gro,
a general tomato feed diluted half-strength or worm-compost
liquor.
As long as foliage is dark green, then feeding is adequate.
Most hot peppers, and some sweet, require insect pollination
to form fruit.
In a greenhouse or conservatory you have to be the insect
substitute.
Pollen is produced on the stamens and usually ripens between
noon and 3pm every day.
Take a moistened fine paintbrush and pick up some pollen,
transferring it to the other flower centres.
You can get close to 100 per cent fruit set with hand
pollination.
Flowers do not form or will drop off and fruit will not set
if the temperature is much below 17C.
The Jolokia family of seeds can be tricky to germinate and
does benefit from a germination temperature of between 24C
to 28C and hand pollination.
This year I’ve gone for a blend of the sweet and the spicy.
The Sweet variety I’m growing can be sliced
and added straight to dishes like stir-fry and, unlike their
pungent cousins, can be savoured and need not be put to one
side by those wishing to avoid fire eating and worse that
follows.
Contrast that with Naga Morich — the snake, or serpent,
chilli — not without good reason one of the world's most
respected chillies.
But, the world’s current hottest chilli is Bhut Jolokia,
originating in Assam, in North East India.
Trinidad scorpion, capsicum chinense, is very high yielder
and has plenty of heat to flavour and savour but needs to be
used in moderation too.
The Seven Pod (sometimes called Seven Pot, as in one pod
will spice seven pots of stew) is a Chinense variety from
Trinidad.
This variety is matched for heat by just a small number of
other chinense varieties, namely the Bhut Jolokia, Bih
Jolokia, the Naga Morich and the scorpion.
More chillies for the hotshot
enthusiast
-
Demon Red (heat
level ten)
Demon Red has been bred especially for the windowsill
and pots. It is great for cooking and used fresh. Fruits
are elongated and bright green to vivid red at maturity.
Upright compact plant habit, perfect for containers.
Upright fruits, concentrated in clusters.
-
Chupetinho (Chilli
heat nine out of ten)
From Brazil, very unusual typical nipple shape; from
pale yellow, to orange and red, a good-looking plant.
-
Border (capsicum
annuum) (medium hot)
Chilli fruit goes from green to red. For borders and
medium pots. Lovely as a house plant, pluck a fruit as
you need one. Variety bred by Mario Dadomo, Parma,
Italy.
-
Spagna (moderately
hot)
This is a fantastic plant to have. Grows to about 18in.
As it matures, fruit turns from yellow to red, like
Spanish flag colours. Great to eat as well as look at.
(capsicum annuum). My choice for next year.
-
Pinocchio’s Nose
Extra long, thin fruits with a good hot flavour perfect
for use around the kitchen, excellent for hot sauces or
for drying to make powders. Fruits ripen dark green to
red. High yield.
-
Black Pearl
A unique black-leaved chilli pepper, greenish when
young, changing to glossy black on maturity under sunny
conditions. Bushy, well branched plants 45cm (18in) high
with a 30cm (12in) spread. Produces hot, shiny, black
fruits, turning dark red.
-
Limo Blanco
(capsicum chinense)
Small plants are very productive —creamy white pods are
very pungent. Hails from Peru.
-
Gambia Red
(capsicum chinense)
Very large Habanero pods set up on large plants — super
hot and excellent flavour. Out of Africa.
Whatever is the chilli of choice, it will make a grand dried
display, keeping both colour and taste in a sealed jar.
By Richard Wright
10 Minute Burn
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