Chilli Plant Update - 6th September 2018

The Jehovah's Witnesses knocked at the front door last Saturday morning all dressed up to the nines. It didn't take them very long to realise that nobody answers the front door at this time of year, and for obvious reasons. Naturally they did what most other people would do and tried coming around the back, except they couldn't get in because the gate is firmly bolted. Eventually, they were both stood in the front garden staring at the house like a couple of perplexed squirrels trying to get at the nuts.

Taking individual photos of the Red Mayan Habanero plants and Chocolate Habanero plants would mean having to move them, and I don't want to do that unless it's absolutely necessary, hence the reason for just one photo showing all the porch plants together. Unless they get hit with aphids and need to be treated, then they're best left where they are.

Chilli Plants in the Porch - 2nd September 2018

I haven't included a photo of the Aji Charapita plants in this update because putting them back on the windowsill can be a real pain in the neck. They aren't as prolific as last year's plants, and this I believe is due to the larger pot size. As a result they've grown a little leggy. Perhaps I won't be going on that all-inclusive holiday to the Caribbean after all.

According to some articles in circulation on the internet, Aji Charapita is the most expensive chilli in the world and a kilogram of ripe pods can sell for a whopping $25,000. There are people out there who actually believe this rubbish. One Romanian news site published an article on how you can get out of poverty by growing this chilli, and furthermore they even stole a photo from this website for their article.

I weighed my Aji Charapita chillies last night and have just less than 50 grams. Assuming my calculations are correct, I have approximately $1,250 sitting in the freezer inside a small plastic box. If we convert that into British Sterling at the current exchange rate it works out at £965.49. Do you know anyone stupid enough to pay this for 50 grams of wild chillies? If so then please let me know because by the end of the season I could easily have 80 grams of these little gems.

Aji Charapita - 26th August 2018

I have a hunch that the Chocolate Habanero plants are going to be later than normal this year. Several of the chillies are now starting to ripen but the rest are still in the process of growing. It could be late October or early to mid-November before the plants have finished doing their thing.

Chocolate Habanero - 4th September 2018

There are some good-sized Dorset Naga chillies on the plant in the greenhouse, but its counterpart outside in a 5-litre pot isn't doing very well, which comes as no big surprise. It has only produced five small chillies all season. A couple of years ago I grew a Peach Habanero plant in the same spot and it did really well.

Dorset Naga - 5th September 2018

Dorset Naga - 5th September 2018

Inca Berry has now become a new favourite Capsicum baccatum variety for me, and is up there alongside Aji Lemon, Aji Crystal and Aji Rainforest. I'll be growing this one again for sure. Fresh Inca Berry chillies have made their way onto lots of sandwiches this summer. The plants decide when it's time to eat the pods because most just fall off when fully ripe. Perhaps the Chilli Gods are trying to lure me into a trap.

Inca Berry - 26th August 2018

Inca Berry - 5th September 2018

I'm surprised by how well the surplus chilli plants are growing outside in the vegetable patch, considering they're just in bog-standard garden soil. I also picked the first ripe Jalapeño M the other day. There's still no sign of any Aji Lemon ripening just yet, but one person who I gave a couple of plants to earlier in the season gave me some of her ripe ones a few days ago.

Inca Red Drop - 4th September 2018

Inca Red Drop - 5th September 2018

Jalapeño M - 27th August 2018

Aji Lemon - 30th August 2018

All three Malawi Bird's Eye plants have been like mini pod factories and I currently have 333 grams of frozen chillies from them. I pick what I need from the plants this time of year and haven't needed to delve into the frozen ones just yet. Whilst chopping some up a couple of weeks ago a piece of seed shot into my eye, and what a memorable experience that was!

Malawi Bird's Eye - 23rd August 2018

Malawi Bird's Eye - 26th August 2018

The Mini Rocoto Brown plant is still setting fruit and seems a little happier now that the weather has cooled down slightly. I've harvested quite a few peppers from this plant since the last update, and I tried the first ripe one last week. Would you be really surprised if I told you they had the unmistakable Rocoto flavour and are of medium heat? This variety is a definite keeper for me.

At first glance they appear almost black in colour, and when checking to see whether they're fully ripe I have to sometimes shine a torch on them. Due to their size I'd need to use about five or six of these in a pot of chili con carne in order to get the heat and flavour into the dish, and at that rate they'd soon get used up. We can't have that, so what I intend to do is make a sauce from them instead.

Mini Rocoto Brown - 26th August 2018

Mini Rocoto Brown - 5th September 2018

Mini Rocoto Brown - 22nd August 2018

There are some good-sized chillies on this year's Red Mayan Habanero plants and I picked the first ripe ones yesterday evening. The plants are still setting fruit and long may they continue to do so. One can never have too many of these delicious tropical fruits! I'd take a punnet of these beauties over strawberries any day of the week.

Red Mayan Habanero - 4th September 2018

Red Mayan Habanero - 4th September 2018

Red Mayan Habanero - 5th September 2018

Looking at some of the ripe Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero chillies I noticed that very occasionally one or two of them appear to have creamy white patches on, although I've still yet to pick one that is uniformly white. I currently have 360 grams of frozen pods from both plants and I'll be making a sauce with some of them in the coming weeks.

Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 26th August 2018

Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero - 5th September 2018

Here's a photo showing yesterday's chilli harvest of Red Mayan Habanero, Inca Berry, Malawi Bird's Eye, Inca Red Drop, Yellow Jelly Bean Habanero, Aji Charapita, Mini Rocoto Brown and Dorset Naga.

Chilli Harvest - 5th September 2018

I may end up having to over-winter the Mini Rocoto Brown plant because it's still producing flowers and setting fruit. It wouldn't be the first time that I've over-wintered a Rocoto plant. Back in 2012 I grew a Red Rocoto plant that was very late to set fruit, and as a result needed to be brought indoors over winter in order for the peppers to ripen up. It spent the winter in an unheated porch and seemed completely unfazed. Being able to pick ripe Rocotos through the winter was like a gift from the Chilli Gods that had been bestowed upon a loyal acolyte. The final peppers eventually ripened in early February 2013.