It's with great sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the end of the 2026
chilli growing season. The porch plants were taken down on 2nd November, and the remaining greenhouse plants were taken down the following day. Each
variety has performed exceptionally well again this year, and I'm super impressed by the number of chillies I've had. I hate seeing the chilli plants go because it can only mean one thing — winter is on its way! Anyone who knows me will be able to tell you that I'm a big fan of the sun. ☀️
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| End of Season Pickings from the Porch Plants - 2nd November 2026 |
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| End of Season Pickings from the Greenhouse Plants - 3rd November 2026 |
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| Carolina Reaper - 3rd November 2026 |
Since posting the last update, I've been busy in the kitchen making
spicy concoctions. Thus far, I've made four batches of
Rocoto ketchup, two batches of
Habanero sauce, one batch of
C. baccatum sauce, and 2.4-litres of
superhot chilli base sauce, which has used up most of the
Carolina Reapers, a healthy amount of the
Moruga Scorpions, and the remainder of last year's
Big Black Mama chillies. The superhot sauces are not intended to be eaten as condiments because they're just too stupidly hot. Instead, they are to be used as base sauces for spicing up curries and other fiery delights. Believe me, you really don't need much!
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| Spicemad's Rocoto Ketchup - 11th November 2026 |
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| Spicemad's Rocoto Ketchup - 11th November 2026 |
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| Spicemad's Habanero Hot Sauce - 11th November 2026 |
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| Spicemad's Capsicum Baccatum Hot Sauce - 11th November 2026 |
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| Spicemad's Superhot Chilli Base Sauce - 13th November 2026 |
It's just as well I've been busy making sauces, because otherwise there would have been no space in the freezer for the remainder of this year's chillies. The
chilli freezer was already rammed full to the brim, to the point where I wasn't even able to squeeze a frozen pizza in. However, now that I've used up the remainder of last year's chillies and made a good start on this year's, space is no longer an issue. I've even managed to squeeze a loaf of bread in. Tonight, I'm planning to make another batch of
C. baccatum hot sauce if I get the chance, and doing so will get all of the
Aji Lemons used up, except for a few green ones.
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| The Chilli Freezer - 6th November 2026 |
Anyway, my beloved spicy acolytes, it's that time of year again. We must now batten down the hatches and prepare for the dark times of winter. As I sit and look out of the window, the sun has not long set. To the north it is dark and grey, and to the west I can see pink hues and the last remnants of evening light quickly fading away. The transition between winter and spring, and autumn and winter, always invokes familiar emotions. The year would be boring without them. Winter is but a brief blip on the merry-go-round of existence for the chilli grower. It's like
flying over the North Pole on a Finnair flight en route to sunnier climes, and during the flight people shop online for new chilli seeds. Starry, moonlit winter skies and clear, crisp winter mornings are far more favourable than dark, grey, rainy ones.
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| Plant Pots to Be Emptied - 3rd November 2026 |
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| All Done and Dusted - 3rd November 2026 |
Provided we haven't all been nuked by the elite or taken out by a bioweapon, if the gods will it, then I'll hopefully see you all again in January. If not, it was nice knowing you. All hail the Chilli Gods.
Spicemad
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