Growing Habaneros
 

I've been growing a numerous variety of peppers for years. The most
versitial is my cayanee that I either dry or can in vinigar. My
question is about the habanero. I know that if I let a cayanee on the
vine long enough it will turn red yet I haverst most of them green and
then process.

When do you harvest your habaneros? Do you pick them green or wait
till they turn orange? I've grown habaneros for years and always
waited untill they turned color. The hottest of course was the Red
Savinia. Over wintered that guy for three years :)

Anyways, just curious if you folks pick 'em commonly in their green
state.

Thanks,

Craig

Growing Habaneros
 

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 17:41:21 GMT,
(Craig Watts) wrote:
....
When do you harvest your habaneros? Do you pick them green or wait
till they turn orange? I've grown habaneros for years and always
waited untill they turned color.

I harvest cayennes when they're red, habaneros when they're orange,
some jalapenos when they're red and some when they're green,
same for serranos. I harvest thai/thai dragon when they're red.
Some of the peppers (all varieties) I eat when I harvest, some I
dry, some I dry and grind to make powder. I've dried roasting,
peeling and freezing once on some peppers which seemed okay
for larger peppers

I like cayenne and thai best for storing dried. I usually wind
up grinding up all the habaneros. They seem a bit more susceptible
to mold/fungus when drying & stored.

The hottest of course was the Red
Savinia. Over wintered that guy for three years :)

Wow! That is with respect to the overwintering for three years.
I've done it for two years once.

Gary

Anyways, just curious if you folks pick 'em commonly in their green
state.

Thanks,

Craig

Growing Habaneros
 

The hottest of course was the Red
Savinia. Over wintered that guy for three years :)

Wow! That is with respect to the overwintering for three years.

Thanks for the feedback Gary,

Have you ever done the needle and fishing line dry thing in the
kitchen for cayanee? Pick 'em green, needle and thread them and let
them dry to a red. Works great for me.

Craig

Growing Habaneros
 

I always try and harvest my habaneros when the turn orange, and yes they are
difficult to dry and will almost always rot. I solved that problem and got
some stunning peppers in the end. First, as you undoubtedly know these
things are F****ing HOT and the residual oils on your hands can be more than
a little problem to your eyes not to mention other more uh...."sensitive"
body parts.
SO... either wear gloves or be very careful. I use a very sharp knife and
slice across the top just below the stem. I use the tip of the knife to
slice the seed pod away from the inside wall of the pepper and remove the
seedpod with some kitchen tweezers. I set up my outdoor grill with a few
briquettes and put them off to one side of the grill, then on the grate away
from the direct fire place the peppers and dry them slowly. Too much heat
they will shrivel. I usually add some soaked mesquite ships. They make a
fantastic smoked dried pepper. It's great to go into the kitchen in
February and open a ziplock bag of smoked habs. Great in lot's of things.
Use your imagination. All of those seeds you cut out? Dry them in the sun
and bag 'em up for next year's crop.
Good luck!
Tom
"Craig Watts" wrote in message
...
I've been growing a numerous variety of peppers for years. The most
versitial is my cayanee that I either dry or can in vinigar. My
question is about the habanero. I know that if I let a cayanee on the
vine long enough it will turn red yet I haverst most of them green and
then process.

When do you harvest your habaneros? Do you pick them green or wait
till they turn orange? I've grown habaneros for years and always
waited untill they turned color. The hottest of course was the Red
Savinia. Over wintered that guy for three years :)

Anyways, just curious if you folks pick 'em commonly in their green
state.

Thanks,

Craig

Growing Habaneros
 

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 17:41:21 GMT,
(Craig Watts) wrote:

I've been growing a numerous variety of peppers for years. The most
versitial is my cayanee that I either dry or can in vinigar. My
question is about the habanero. I know that if I let a cayanee on the
vine long enough it will turn red yet I haverst most of them green and
then process.

When do you harvest your habaneros? Do you pick them green or wait
till they turn orange? I've grown habaneros for years and always
waited untill they turned color. The hottest of course was the Red
Savinia. Over wintered that guy for three years :)

Anyways, just curious if you folks pick 'em commonly in their green
state.

Thanks,

Craig

My perception is that habaneros do not develop their "fruity" flavor
overtones until they are ripe (orange, red, or chocolate brown). So I
leave them on the plants until ripe.

I pick serranos both red and green, depending on what I will be using
them for. I do not grow jalapenos as I don't care for the grassy,
vegetal taste. I grow two Thai peppers, fogo and dragon. The fogo I
leave until fully ripe (a very bright yellow/orange), the dragon I use
either green or red depending on the recipe. The red ones are the
pepper that I most often dry. We have an antique gas stove, meaning
it still has a pilot light, where I can leave Thai dragons for about 4
days at the end of which they are dry and can be frozen. The local,
wild, chile piquins are mostly harvested red, when I can get to them
before the damned mocking birds. They are dried or frozen for later
use.

Growing Habaneros
 

The hottest of course was the Red
Savinia. Over wintered that guy for three years :)

Wow! That is with respect to the overwintering for three years.

Thanks for the feedback Gary,

Have you ever done the needle and fishing line dry thing in the
kitchen for cayanee? Pick 'em green, needle and thread them and let
them dry to a red. Works great for me.

Craig

Growing Habaneros
 

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 19:05:54 -0500, "Thomas"
wrote:

I always try and harvest my habaneros when the turn orange, and yes they are
difficult to dry and will almost always rot. I solved that problem and got
some stunning peppers in the end. First, as you undoubtedly know these
things are F****ing HOT and the residual oils on your hands can be more than
a little problem to your eyes not to mention other more uh...."sensitive"
body parts.
SO... either wear gloves or be very careful.

Follow this advice!! The first time I did not and then I took a
shower. Not a good idea.

Next time I wore gloves.

Gary

Growing Habaneros
 

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 01:37:17 GMT,
(Craig Watts) wrote:

Have you ever done the needle and fishing line dry thing in the
kitchen for cayanee? Pick 'em green, needle and thread them and let
them dry to a red. Works great for me.

No but I'll give it a try this year.

Gary

Growing Habaneros
 

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 19:05:54 -0500, "Thomas"
wrote:

I always try and harvest my habaneros when the turn orange, and yes they are
difficult to dry and will almost always rot. I solved that problem and got
some stunning peppers in the end. First, as you undoubtedly know these
things are F****ing HOT and the residual oils on your hands can be more than
a little problem to your eyes not to mention other more uh...."sensitive"
body parts.
SO... either wear gloves or be very careful.

Follow this advice!! The first time I did not and then I took a
shower. Not a good idea.

Next time I wore gloves.

Gary