MAY, 2008

Well, folks, we're back. I know this page as sat here languishing idly for quite some time, but we're back in the saddle and will be updating regularly this season.

Looks like I've got a good jump to the year. I didn't start from seed this year like I usually do. I just got a shipment of seedlings this week from chileplants.com, and I'm growing a whole bunch of stuff I've never seen before: Aci Sivri, Island Hellfires, Tam Vera Cruza, and (drumroll please...) the newest entry in the Guiness Book of Records as the hottest chile on the planet, measuring in at a tongue melting ONE MILLION SCOVILLE UNITS: the Bhut Jolokia. They’ve got an amazing amount of different exotic chiles up on that site, its very cool. Additional, I'm growing some favorite staples from years past: Red Savina Habaneros, Firecracker Pequins, and White Habaneros.

As I said, I received the package from chileplants.com this week and was very pleasantly surprised. The box showed up at work, and the first thing I saw was that the side had been kicked in at some point in transit, immediately dashing my hopes that anything inside was still intact or growable. Much to my surprise the internal packing materials were completely solid. Everything was alive and well. The seedlings, if you want to call them that, were all richly green and healthy, measuring four to six inches high. “Seedlings”? More like small plants to me, I’m happy to say. Hell, some of them were flowering already! All in all, chileplants.com totally exceeded my expectations, and I would highly recommend checking them out. And no, I don't make a dime for saying that... just trying to share a good experience.

Work has been crazy lately, so I wasn't able to pot the seedlings for two days. And the weather in Chicago has been too weird so far this year to be able to put these plants outside yet. Lately it can get as high at 80 during the day and as low as the upper 30's at night. So I'm keeping my plants inside for now. I ran Home Depot yesterday and bought a 75 watt GE plant light bulb and a desk lamp, all for about twenty bucks. That should keep the boys healthy indoors for a week or two until those night time temperatures get a little higher.

I'm most excited about these Bhut Jolokias. As hot as they are, though, I'm thinking that about all I'll be able to do with them is make some hot sauce. Outside. With a gas mask. HA! If you've got any other ideas about how to cook with a chile this hot please drop me a line.

That's all for now. I've got some new recipes I'll be posting this week and some news on some chile related events and cook-offs coming up this summer.

Cheers,

Scott

scott@urbanchiles.com

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