Chile pequin

Got the seed planted today, yeah, I am a little late. I planted quite a few because of the seed being old. Sure hope to get at least a few plants.
 Using good seed starter mix got the heating pad on to keep the soil and seed warm. Got the whole thing in the greenhouse. Watching for new plants, might take couple weeks or longer. Bill

Time to start Chile Seeds

It is time in my area to start my Chile seeds. East Texas has been warm but I am sure it will get much colder befour planting time. So I have made me a small green house. Just need to get some lights for it. The house is little over 100 sq. feet. It will grow all the seedlings I need I am sure. Not farming big time any more just growing a few Chile plants and tomatoes.
 I like to plant outside in the soil around mid April, most years the soil is warming at this time.
Haven't pawed through the seed books yet, always on the look out for something new and different.
Course I like to grow my old stand by Chile the most.
 Some time ago a friend of mine gave me a Chile plant that was developed by Dr. Jerry Parsons. Dr. parsons was with Texas A & M. This Chile is a Pequin type Just a little larger than the wild ones. Comes in both yellow and red.  Anyway I lost the seed and it is no longer available from A & M. I saved seed and could not find the for a long time. But digging around my seed box there they were. Seed is old, saved from 2009 I am hoping some will grow. They have been keep cool and in the dark all this time. I have no photos of this chile but sure hope to this coming season. If by chance anyone might of grown this Chile and has seed please email at chilefarmer@gmail.com Thanks and good growing to you. Bill

I am sure spring is coming soon?

Time to start thinking Garden.
 Garlic planted in November, its looking good. No photos yet maybe later. Chile plants and a few tomato plants started. As usual got some strange chiles started. I intend to grow more Chile Pequin chiles this year. I have really come to like them quite a lot. Yes they have heat and plenty of it, they also have a nice flavor. The heat is not a long lingering heat.
 My one strange chile is Mira Sol. Not really strange I just haven't grown it in a long while. When dried it is called the  Guajillo chile pronounced “wha – hee – oh”. Mirasol means looking at the sun, because that is the way these chiles grow (straight up). Fire roast one and roll it in a fresh flour tortilla, good eats.

Mirasol Chile: Please note photo from chileplants.com


















Chile Pequin:

Very small and very hot.

I didn't realize.

Not doing any real farming any more leaves me with not much to talk about. I really wish I felt like growing more. I did grow a small garden. Tomatoes and chiles. Made a good chile crop, tomatoes not so much. what I did grow.
Chiles:
Serrano
Jalapeno
Aleppo
Padron
Criolla de Cocina
 Most of these chiles were dried, and made into chile flakes, for family and friends.
I did smoke the Jalapenos with hickory smoke. I would like to make a good adobo sauce to can them in. Haven't found a recipe I like yet. If you have one please send to billbradshaw at hughes dot net I would be happy to try it. Thanks Bill

Its Winter Time "inspired"

It winter time in Texas. So as you might expect there is nothing growing in the garden just yet. So I have been doing other things to keep me busy. I just finished making Chile Sauce. Have never made my own before. But I do cook almost every day. And when making "Enchiladas" I have always used the canned sauce. I am sure I have tried most of the store bought sauces. (not good). So to the net I went looking for the just right recipe and found one that sounded so good. I was Inspired to make my own  after visiting this site. http://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/ If you love Mexican food as well as I do you need to check out this site. You gonna like it.
 I didn't have the dried Chiles so had to buy them at our local Mexican market. I really enjoy going to there store. Bought 1 1/2 pounds of dried Chile's. And Its the only store we have with a real meat market. If you have a local Mexican store go there, you will be pleased you did. Bill Chilefarmer

Chile Sauce, 11 Pints of the good stuff: