Chillies are so versatile and can lift any dish to gourmet status! They are good for your health, speeding up your metabolism, clearing toxins from your body and lowering the risk of cancer and diabetes (according to the research published in the British Medical Journal.)
Harvesting
- Pick chillies whether big or small, red, green or black ripe or already dried. You can use them at any stage, which is perfect for a lazy gardener like myself!
- It is better to cut and not pull or twist them off as you would lemons.
Chillies for cooking
Chop very fine, including white seeds, and set aside. Add to your dish when the cooking process is complete and immediately before you serve.
Do not cook chillies. You will enjoy maximum flavour and you will receive the full therapeutic value of the active ingredients with no irritant factor. (maximum antiviral and antibacterial properties).
Chilli sauce recipe
Harvest your chillies, select only the firm, shiny chillies with no blemishes or scratch marks. Pop them in a blender.
Whizz till you get the consistency you require, with as much olive oil as is necessary. Put chilli blend in a sterilised jar. Cover with more olive oil and refrigerate.
Lasts 12 months in the fridge. When you use it, make sure you top up the olive oil to cover the rest of the chilli in the jar. If you don’t it will go mouldy and you will lose your crop.
Bon Appetite!
Correct storage
- Finely chop, place in glass jar, cover with olive oil and then add a tablespoon of tamari soy sauce. Store in a dark cupboard. Use every day with every meal.
- Store your whole chillies standing up like soldiers in a glass jar covered with olive oil. Wash and dry before bottling.
- String them together and hang them up to dry. Will last all year.
Growing conditions
- They like a well drained warm sunny spot.
- Easy to grow in pots.
- Can be harvested from early summer to last autumn.
- Water regularly to avoid blossom end rot.
- They are susceptible to root rot.
- Always practise crop rotation or repot every season.
- Companion planting with marigolds is helpful.
- In frost zones, prune after harvesting then dig out of the garden and pot. Keep under cover and replant after the last frost.
- Do not overfeed with high nitrogen fertilizer. You will end up with a green wimp with huge leaves and no fruit.
Some chilli facts:
- The chemical that makes them taste hot is capsaicin. It is a neurotoxin that stimulates the adrenal glands giving you an energy rush.
- The plants grow and produce fruit all year round in frost free areas.
Hot tip:
If you happen to take it a little too much and your mouth is on fire, drink milk and not water.
For more information on Organic gardening download your Low Budget Organic Gardening Guide PDF