Why do you grow Chillies?

[Caro]

I don't grow them so I can slice up a whole one to add to a bowl of butternut squash soup just to perk it up as a suppertime snack

Caro

[HotStuff]

I hate to confess I grew them because they were free and now I haven't a clue what to do with them! I have taken some into work but never dared to do anything with them in the kitchen. Any ideas what would be a good beginner thing to break me in with please?

Webby, I really think we need to seduce you to the dark side, how about chopping up a couple and throwing them into a Chilli con Carne? Do you know what type you've grown?

[Florence Fennel]

Forget the sugar, just take as many as you can bear of your favourite chilli, prick some holes in them with a pin and put them into a cheap bottle of Vodka and leave for a few weeks. Best straight from the freezer

I've only done it with Apaches so far and 6 of them to a half litre worked well. I'm planing to try another bottle using one Naga soon.

Do you really mean "straight from the freezer"? I'd like to try this for my daughter and son in law as a stocking filler for Christmas.

[FionaH]

I started to grow them this year as Mr H and eldest son love hot food. They do the whole I can eat hotter stuff than you can routine

Since I saw MrH sweat with one of the chillis I grew this year, and number 1 son ran screaming for milk, well it just adds a whole other dimension!

[Mac]

Hey Olle Martin, bottle of v.cheap vodka (or one left over from a byob party!!), as many chilli's as you want to (we put 3 orange cheyennes in a half bottle -toastie!), put in freezer for a couple of months. Shot glass - slurp - yum.... You actually get a really nice flavour of the chilli as well as the heat. Good game with pals....

[Rabidbun]

I grow them for cooking here - didn't know that there were other varieties till a few years back when I was given some plants (Aji Limo), and been hooked on the different heats and flavours ever since. Can't take the hot ones though alas, so been looking for some of the milder and seasoning chillies for next year, as apparently they have flavour but not much heat.

Webby - could try adding them to all sorts of things, but I use them a lot in mexican type salsas that go great with griddled meat in wraps (chillies chopped fine and raw) and pasta sauces.

Pasta sauce: Chorizo, a couple of hot lemon chillies and lots of garlic with a tin of tomatoes bunged in works a treat - just make sure that you bubble the tomato sauce for ten minutes or so to get the flavour from the chillies!

Salsas: Tomato, lime juice and red onion with various chillies and fresh coriander leaves; sweet potato (cubed and cooked), spring onion, orange juice, chillies, coriander leaves; mashed avocado, lime juice, chilli, ground cumin and ground coriander. Smoked chillies are especially nice in these imo.

[Keith2202]

Do you really mean "straight from the freezer"? I'd like to try this for my daughter and son in law as a stocking filler for Christmas.

The freezer has got nowt to do with the chillis.
Any vodka to drink neat is best straight from the freezer, it makes it slightly thicker and slides down the throat easier/pleasanter. However, that is just if you want to drink it neat and are bothered and have enough freezer space. Just drink on the rocks, with lemonade, however preferred.
A stocking filler would be great, I'd have thought, personally I'd use a decent vodka, not the local shop's cheap throat burner stuff.

I think chillis are fun to grow, look cool, taste much better when used in foods fresh, are a talking piece (doesn't everyone love seeing chillis growing?).
Also given I was successful last year when just whacking in 3 jalapenos, I thought they were simple to grow! I haven't been so successful this year mind!

[sarraceniac]

The freezer has got nowt to do with the chillis.
Any vodka to drink neat is best straight from the freezer, it makes it slightly thicker and slides down the throat easier/pleasanter. However, that is just if you want to drink it neat and are bothered and have enough freezer space. Just drink on the rocks, with lemonade, however preferred.
A stocking filler would be great, I'd have thought, personally I'd use a decent vodka, not the local shop's cheap throat burner stuff.

I think chillis are fun to grow, look cool, taste much better when used in foods fresh, are a talking piece (doesn't everyone love seeing chillis growing?).
Also given I was successful last year when just whacking in 3 jalapenos, I thought they were simple to grow! I haven't been so successful this year mind!

Agree about the quality of the vodka Keith. It's like any spirit drunk neat. If you drink the good stuff like malt whisky or decent Cognac or armagnac (which of course are not for the freezer) you are a conoisseur. If you drink the cheap stuff neat then you are an alky. The other one straight from the freezer is genuine Holland gin. First tried it in ... yup.. Holland. Superb. Tried London gin when I got back to the UK. Nope. Stick to tonic and a slice.

[Mac]

[QUOTE=sarraceniac;539946]Agree about the quality of the vodka Keith. It's like any spirit drunk neat. If you drink the good stuff like malt whisky or decent Cognac or armagnac (which of course are not for the freezer) you are a conoisseur. If you drink the cheap stuff neat then you are an alky.

The chilli is the mixer!

[Two_Sheds]

I... never dared to do anything with them in the kitchen. Any ideas what would be a good beginner thing to break me in with please?

Just add a little to any dish you like (soup is a good one to try). It gives it a bit of bite, a bit of interest. I add chilli to most things, including bread.
You can always add more chilli if you like it, but you can't take it out.

[OllieMartin]

I bought my mum a bottle of Bison Grass vodka for her birthday, it's the first vodka I tried that I could quite happily drink neat, especially from the freezer and with cracked black pepper on the top

[Mrs Jackson]

I bought my mum a bottle of Bison Grass vodka for her birthday, it's the first vodka I tried that I could quite happily drink neat, especially from the freezer and with cracked black pepper on the top

A friend used to bring this back from Poland with him, absolutely love it with apple juice - yum!

Mrs J

[Two_Sheds]

I bought my mum a bottle of Bison Grass vodka

ak ak ... it's disgusting, it tastes fetid, like pond water

[ginger ninger]

I grow chilles because I love the way they look (sexy), I add them to just about everything I eat, one of my fav's at the moment is a good quality ice cream, melted bitter dark chocolete with finely chopped chilli in it (put chilli in before you melt the chocolete), then poor all over the ice cream...yummmy
Chilli & Bitter Dark Chocolete (70%) I think were made for each other.

[sarraceniac]

Apple Vodka. 2 to 3 lbs of apples of your favourite variety. about 4 oz sugar and a bottle of vodka. Cut up the apples into about 1" cubes after washing. No need to remove cores. Put in large screw top jar. Add sugar. Add vodka. Stir or shake every day for a week then every week for about a month. Strain off. Can be used immediately but improves after another month. Serve very cold.

Why put this on this thread? Because a booful change is to put a couple of chilis to your taste in at the same time as the apples. Chillies also make a fantastic addition to crab apple jelly for use with savouries.