Soften the Seed Shell
One of the best things you can do for your seeds is to soak them before planting. This weakens the shell barrier so the seedlings don’t have to work so hard to come up. If you use a weak chamomile tea solution for the soaking, you also kill off any bacteria that may be present.
Make the Weak Tea Solution:
Brew a cup of chamomile and drink it. Use the same tea bag to make another cup of tea, and then use that batch to soak your seeds. Let your seeds soak for 24 to 48 hours before planting.
Use the Bag Method
You can create an effective germination environment for your chili seeds simply by using a paper towel, ziplock bag or coffee filter and water. This bag method is ideal for difficult varieties that have problems sprouting using the traditional seed-starting mix. Some peppers also germinate faster in the bag. Here’s how you do it:
- Fold a paper towel or coffee filter in quarters and then spray it with water until is damp.
- Place your pepper seeds in between the fold.
- Position your towel and chili seeds in the ziplock bag. Seal it up.
- Spray your towel and seeds each day with water to keep it damp.
- Check for sprouting seeds. When they germinate, bury them under a light layer of sterile potting soil.
If you use a paper towel, cut the portion of the towel that has the germinated seedling because if you pull the seedling, you can tear the root. You shouldn’t have to do this with the coffee filter.
Use the Cup Method
A lidded, 2.5 ounce gelatin cup creates another ideal setting for pepper germination. You can get these cups at a party supply or grocery store. Dampen a small piece of paper towel and stick it at the bottom of the cup. Place your seeds on top of the towel and put the lid on. Leave the cup on a warm spot and dampen the towel each day to keep the environment moist.
Try the Freezer Method
One of our fans on the Grow Hot Peppers Facebook page was kind of enough to share a technique that he uses with great success. We haven’t tried this ourselves, but we encourage you to test it out and let us know if works for you. Here goes:
- Place your pepper seeds in the freezer for two days. Yep, we said freezer.
- Remove the seeds and position them in a folded-up paper towel. Dampen the towel with water.
- Place the towel on a plate and cover it with a dark bowl. Situate it on top of a warm spot. Ideally, you want the temperature to be between 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Check your seeds each day and dampen the towel when needed.
We hope these pepper germination techniques help you raise all the chile varieties you want.
Why We Fertilize Peppers
Your pepper seeds have just enough energy to support the cotyledons, which are the embryonic leaves that first appear. After that, pepper plants need help to build a strong structure and eventually grow fruit. When fed well, peppers display green leaves (unless they are a variety like Black Pearl), thick stems, lots of flowers and vibrant pods.
How to Start Fertilizing
After the first set of true leaves appear, you can start using a diluted amount of fish emulsion or fish and seaweed fertilizer to help along seedling growth. Read the instructions on the container and then use 1/4 strength when you water your plants. For example, if a full serving is 1 tablespoon per gallon of water, add 1/4 teaspoon to a quart of water. Repeat this feeding schedule every other week.
JH Biotech 9907 Aqua Power Fish Emulsion
Foliar Feeding
After your plants have three or four sets of true leaves, you can apply magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) directly to the leaves and stem. Epsom salt keeps the plant foliage strong, and prevents light green to yellow leaves from developing. Make sure that the epsom salt you use does not have any additions such as scents or bath crystals.
Add a 1 teaspoon epsom salt to a gallon of water and shake it up well. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and then spritz the leaves and stems with the solution until thoroughly covered. Spray your plants every other week so that one week you water with fish emulsion, and the other week you give your plants the foliar feeding.
Feeding Outdoor Peppers
Continue with the fish emulsion / fish and seaweed fertilizer schedule, but this time increase the dosage to about half the amount described on the label. If your peppers are in the ground, you can use the full amount. Keep the foliar feeding with epsom salts the same.
Your outside chillies will also benefit from some additional nutrients to help them flower, fruit and maintain their health.
Add Compost to Pepper Plants
Not only does compost condition the soil, but it fertilizes your chillies and acts as a natural pesticide to insects. After your peppers are planted in containers, use a good-quality, organic compost and layer it on the top of the soil. You also have the option to mix the compost in with your potting mixture. If you’re planting chillies in the ground, drop a handful of compost in each planting hole before you place the pepper plant in it.
Intervale Organic Compost, 20 Qts.
Calcium and Phosphorous Requirements
As an added bonus, many growers use a calcium and phosphorous source such as Cal-Mag or bonemeal. These nutrients help build a stronger plant structure, keeps your chillies flowering and fruiting and prevent blossom-end rot (BER). If your chile plant ever displays crinkled or bubbly leaves (particularly Capsicum chinense varieties), or if the ends of pepper pods have dark, sunken lesions, you know your plant needs calcium and phosphorous.
Apply the Cal-Mag or bonemeal package by following the instructions on the label. Typically, you mix a designated amount of powder into the top layer of soil and then water your plant. A monthly feeding of calcium and phosphorous is usually sufficient for peppers.
Water Your Peppers with Compost Tea
You can give your chili plants a huge advantage by watering them with compost tea. This tea is a concentrated liquid of compost that has beneficial microbes that benefit both the plant and soil.
Follow the instructions on your compost tea container to “brew” up a batch of liquid. Pour the tea in a sprayer and drench the stems as well as both the tops and undersides of leaves so that the excess drips onto the soil. Do this once or twice a month to fight off foliar disease and promote growth. Make sure to use the tea within four hours (or whatever time frame is specified on the label) so that it’s most effective.
FloraBlend Vegan Compost Tea Gallon: J
What to Watch For
It’s very easy to give your chillies too much fertilizer. This is very harmful to your plant and it can even cause its death. Never give them more than what is instructed on the label.
After a feeding, especially if you are doing it for the first time, inspect the leaves for browning edges. This occurrence is known as “fertilizer burn,” and it lets you know you should cut down on the feeding. If your pots are outdoors in containers and you detect fertilizer burn, run water over the soil to help flush the excess nutrients out.
Great balls of fire!
Oh how we loved red hots. And atomic fire balls. They sure were hot! Well, Dr. Timmy has been at it in his lab again. He was mixing some candy and some peppers and some electromagical radiation when his lab exploded! At the bottom of the wreckage were a few red candy balls. Dr. Timmy popped one in his mouth and realized he had discovered something amazing: the hottest balls he’d ever had in his monkey mouth. He called them: Timmy’s Great Balls of Fire; but we call them Ghost Pepper Super Hot Candy Balls.
Ghost Pepper Super Hot Candy Balls are exactly what their name implies. They are candy balls that have Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) powder inside and coating them. The result is over 1 million SHU of heat! Why? Because we know you like hot balls, and because we wanted to make sure you had the hottest balls available. Ghost Pepper Super Hot Candy Balls will blow your mind and kick your mouth’s butt. “It was like my tongue was punched in the face with a fistful of atom bomb,” says young Zack, our photo-victim-du-jour. So trust Dr. Timmy, and get some of these Ghost Pepper Super Hot Candy Balls for yourself, your friends, and your enemies. If you dare!
For nutrition information, click here.
Ghost Pepper Super Hot Candy Balls
- The hottest candy balls you’ll ever eat – made with (and dusted with even more) Ghost Pepper Chili Powder!
- So hot. Oh so hot.
- Warning: Wash your hands after touching these balls. Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) powder can cause skin and eye irritation. Seriously, be careful.
- Heat Rating: over 1 million SHU.
- Contains approx 30 balls per box.
- Net Wt.: 4 oz Box
- Dimensions: approx 2.75″ x 2.75″ x 1.375″
Salsa Canning Options
Once you have your hot salsa canning recipe ready to store, you have a couple of options for how you actually preserve your homemade sauce. First, you can use a pressure canner device that guards against botulism and safely preserves the salsa. Second, you may use a homemade water-bath canning process, which uses a deep metal container, your stove and boiling water. The water-bath canning procedure is safe to use only for salsas because the sauce has high-acid liquids and vegetables; however, if you also plan to use the canning process for preserving your chillies, a pressure canner must be used to be absolutely safe.
Pressure Canning Your Salsa
Before you begin the salsa canning process with a pressure canning machine, be sure you have the manufacturer’s instructions at your disposal. The process that follows is a basic how-to guide, but the instructions for your specific pressure canner are to be followed exactly as specified to ensure this procedure is properly done.
First, pour your fresh salsa into freshly washed, glass jars and leave at least an 1 inch of space at the top. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt per pint, and pour in boiling water until it reaches the top of the jar.
Next, screw the jar lids on tightly and follow your instructions for putting the jars in the pressure canner. This process will make the steam escape from the jars. After 10 minutes of steaming, shut the petcock and allow the canning process to run for 30 minutes for half pints and 35 minutes for pints.
Finally, remove your jars from the canner’s heat source until the pressure reading reaches zero (this typically takes 30 minutes). At this point, open the petcock and after a few minutes, release the canner to take the jars out. Store the salsa jars in a location that has no drafts to allow the jars to effectively come down to room temperature.
Once finished, wait a day or two to check that your jars seals are tight and then place them in a dry, cool area that doesn’t get too much sun.
Water-Bath Canning Salsa
Water-bath canning does not require a special device and is ideal for your salsa because the accompanying vegetables and liquids have a high-acid content, which keeps your sauce safe. It’s important to note that during this process, you must monitor the pH level of your sauce to ensure the safety of this preservation method. A level of 6 or lower, for example, is a safe reading for water-bath canning, but a level of 7 or higher requires the use of a pressure canner (see above) or a freezing process. You have the option to add lime juice, vinegar or lemon juice (or just equal parts of the lemon and lime juice) to acquire the ideal pH reading if needed.
Begin by placing a rack at the bottom of a large metal pot. Place your washed jars on top of this rack to keep them off of the bottom of the container during the boiling process. This pot needs to be deep enough to allow for 2 inches of boiling water over the tops of your glass jars.
Next, use a separate pot to boil your homemade salsa and then let it simmer for a few minutes. Once finished, pour all of the sauce (including the accompanying liquid) into your open jars and screw on the lids. Pour in the water, which needs to be 2 inches above the lids, and allow it to boil for a half hour. If necessary, add more water to ensure the jars are covered at all times.
Lastly, take out the jars after the boiling process and place them in a draft-free room to enable them to cool down. Once the temperature has gone down, ensure the lids are tight and store them in a cool, dry location until consumption.
No matter the process you use, it is best to eat your preserved sauce within a year of the salsa canning. It’s a good idea to write the date on the jar’s label to keep track of this. When your ready to eat it, make sure you don’t see any bulging lids, leaking or strange appearances in your salsa, and if it smells or has mold when you open it, just throw the affected jars away.
More importantly, have fun enjoying and sharing your own fresh, homegrown salsa! Oh yeah, and prepare for the onslaught of requests for your delicious concoction. =)
Click Here for Salsa Recipes from the Winners of Seven Scovie Awards!
Salsa Canning Ingredients
- Tomatoes: peeled, cored, chopped (10 cups)
- Chili peppers: mixture of mild, such as bell pepper, and hot such as jalapeno or habanero chillies (6 cups)
- Onions chopped (4 cups)
- Vinegar (1 cup)
- Salt (3 teaspoons)
- Pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
Place all of the ingredients in a large saucepan and heat it to a boil. Allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes. Continue on to the salsa canning process page for information on safely preserving your sauce in jars.
(Chile Salsa/Hot Tomato-Pepper Sauce recipe from Washington State University Extension; Val Hillers and Richard Dougherty)
If you prefer not use vinegar in this recipe, you have the option to use equal parts of lemon and lime juice. Also, spices may be adjusted according to your preference. Do not modify the amount of vegetables to acid and tomatoes because it may raise the pH to a level that is unsafe for preservation. See the salsa canning process for further information.
Your homemade hot salsa generally has a shelf life of a year. Enjoy your creation throughout the months, or gift it to family and friends.
Between 2006 to 2010, the ghost pepper was given the world’s hottest pepper title by Guinness World Records. This distinct chile is also known as “Bhut Jolokia” and “Naga Morich,” which all refer to the pepper that is over 1 million Scoville units hot and three times hotter than the habanero. If you’ve ever enjoyed the delicious pain of the ghost chili, you have the option to grow it indoors or in your garden. The bhut jolokia, being one of the hottest peppers on the planet, is really hard to find in grocery stores. Understand how to grow this hot pepper so you can really add some heat to food.
First, select a well draining seed-starting soil mix to sow the naga seeds under a shallow layer of dirt. The key here is to keep the soil warmed between 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a heating mat to consistently keep this rating. Ghost chilies typically become seedlings in 30 days.
Next, water your soil so that it is constantly damp, but not drenched. These peppers are sensitive to too much hydration just like other hot peppers, so use a moisture meter to check the level, or use a bottom-watering technique for a safer way to water your peppers.
Keep your young peppers underneath an indoor growing light at least 10 hours a day and make sure the lamp is no more than 4 inches away from the top of the plants.
Once your ghost peppers have at least four leaves, transfer them to a larger pot. Watch the growth of your chillie seedlings and continue to move them to bigger containers when needed. Bhut jolokia are generally transferred two or three times before they go outside.
Fully ripe ghost chillies usually develop in 160 days. You can expect orange to red peppers that are 1 inch to 2 inches wide and 2 inches to 3 inches high. The pepper plants themselves grow up to 4 feet high and do well when they are at least 36 inches apart from each other in the ground.
When you touch these dented, cone-shaped peppers, wear gloves to protect yourself from the burn. And when you’re ready to eat them, keep that milk nearby to soothe the heat in your throat. Most of all, get ready to brag to your friends that you grow one of the world’s hottest peppers.
