Thos wrote:
I'm in North Texas and have a lot of experience with habaneros. Yes,
they are very hot, but the heat is not a lingering heat but short
lived. They have a very distinctive taste and are a very important
flavor element in Caribbean and Jamaican style food. (jerk
chicken...etc) Habaneros do not dry well and are prone to rotting.
The best method I've found is to cut off the stem end and remove the
seeds and internal ribs with tweezers and smoke them very slowly.

At this point I was worried about the effects on your lungs.

I
have a Weber kettle grill. I made a small charcoal fire on one side
of the grill and put the peppers on the opposite side from the fire.
I have lots of mesquite on my property, but you can use any wood you
choose to smoke them. Low and slow is the key on heat. Once they
are dried they will be very dark and mahogany colored.

Ah! Very nice. I will have to try that.

Let them cool
and put in a jar. They will keep for years. I chop them into almost
a powder and put them in chili, stew...whatever. They add a deep
smoky flavor and certainly add heat. They are wonderful, but the
most important thing to remember when working with these
peppers.....either use latex or some sort of gloves when working with
them, or wash your hands a lot, because you WILL get them in your
eyes, nose or other tender body parts and they will get your
attention...
enjoy....


This advice is always appropriate.

David