Re: [CH] Need Pepper plant info
Brent Thompson (brent@hplbct.hpl.hp.com)
Thu, 04 Jun 1998 13:25:31 -0700
> and found out that the few pepper
> varieties I planted just aren't going to cover my needs.
It's only a matter of taste preference after all, so even one variety could
be used interechangably and satisfy all your needs, if you so choose. So
don't worry about needing some one particular chile variety for any given
recipe.
Though, having said that, I must say there are at least two major types
that representative chiles of one type cannot necessarily just crossover
and meet the requirements of another type.
[Note: this is not intended to start some flame war over which chile is
best for what purpose, "I never use variety X for purpose N", etc. -- this
is simply an attempt to organize our group knowledge for the benefit of
persons unfamiliar with the different types and uses of chiles, including
new growers of chiles.]
So, the two main types of chiles could be: 1) the large fleshy type,
exemplefied by poblano, New Mexican varieties, and when used fresh, anyway,
paprika varieties; and 2) the hot type. I suppose you could subdivide type
1 into A) tasty ones (the varieties I already listed, and B) bland boring
fruits with no heat at all (bell pepper).
And the "hot type" is perhaps best divided into subtypes like: A) fleshy
types for out-of-hand use (e.g. serrano and Dedo de Moca [Moça]); B)
fragrant ones (e.g. scotch bonnet, habanero, Aji Amarillo); C) extremely
hot ones (e.g. scotch bonnet, habanero, aji yuquitania); hot ones for
general cooking (e.g. cayenne, "Thai", pequin, etc.).
> Does anyone know a mail order source where I might, at this late date, get
> a poblano plant and an arbol plant?
Try Cross Country Nursery <http://www.magcon.com/ccn/> and/or our
chile-head Chilewoman [Susan Byers <chilewmn@bluemarble.net>].
> will these two types of chile survive
> the excessive humidity of my summer here in northwest Missouri?
Maybe/probably -- but you have to try to know for sure how they do for you
in your conditions, no matter what anybody reports to you about their own
experiences.
> Jim, hope you have lots of help or some kind of mechanical picking
> equipment for the harvest on those 12,000(!) plants in the field! 300 at
> home?? -- I'm afraid I'll have trouble keeping up with my paltry dozen. I'm
> in absolute awe.
Eventually you'll get addicted like the rest of us and then anyway have
pleny of different varieties growing, if not huge numbers of plants in
total.
--- Brent