A couple of years ago on a whim I bought a potted habanero pepper plant from a local nursery. I’ve kept it alive thru the winters by bringing it indoors and it’s gotten to the point where it’s producing more peppers than I know what to do with. I’ve been dehydrating the orange flesh and grinding it into pepper powder, but I don’t need any more of that and I’ve got 14 or 15 full sized peppers on the plant that are in the process of changing from green to orange right now. Any recommendations for uses? These things are hot! Just breathing the fumes from grinding causes sneezing, coughing and watery eyes and you do NOT want to skip the gloves when cutting them into pieces for the dehydrator if you have to take a leak later. Do not ask how I know!

You could pickle them to keep for a long time. You could make hot sauce. Maybe add to a bottle of tequila to make diablo margaritas.

You could offer a karma

Whole Habaneros freeze well, although they can become mushy when thawed, they are still useful for cooking, and even in salsas, etc. Just toss them in a plastic bag and store them in the freezer. I have used peppers four or five years old with little loss of flavor.

My favorite use for green Habaneros is in chili. For this, I use Poblanos (both fresh and dried), Serranos, and Jalapenos in addition to both green and ripe Habaneros. The green Habs don't have as much "heat," and a somewhat different flavor profile than do the ripe.

Removing the seeds and placenta before chopping reduces the heat level considerably without much loss of flavor. This effect seems to fade as the picked peppers age, perhaps the capsaicin in the guts migrates to the flesh as they dehydrate.

I grow Tabasco peppers. Good flavor, more heat than the sauce is known for.

I pickle the peppers and snack on them.

I also make a simple hot sauce: vinegar, crushed garlic, and whole peppers in a bottle. I use apple cider vinegar. Just top it up with vinegar as you use it, eventually the peppers turn white, change them out.

I'd also recommend making pepper vodka, or tequilla.

Too zippy for me, and I prefer the flavor of jalapeño. But they sure are pretty – maybe you could make Fall decorations with them.

I like Habanero chunks in with my dill pickles.
Adds a nice flavor and heat.

Perhaps find someone who makes hot sauces?
One of my favorite hot sauces is called Mark's Artisianal Pepper Sauce "Conflagration". He uses peppers sent to him.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
I grow Tabasco peppers. Good flavor, more heat than the sauce is known for.

I pickle the peppers and snack on them.

I also make a simple hot sauce: vinegar, crushed garlic, and whole peppers in a bottle. I use apple cider vinegar. Just top it up with vinegar as you use it, eventually the peppers turn white, change them out.

I'd also recommend making pepper vodka, or tequilla.

I'd love to have both recipes/techniques, if you'd care to share!

Make your own pepper spray.

There are a few recipes for chile/habanero finishing salt online. Some are as simple as adding dried chile peppers to salt.

Yup, bottle your own hot sauces.

I got a bunch last year and made hot sauce. Pretty easy, some water, vinegar, lime juice, garlic and blend it real good.

The wife grew a bunch of these a few years back. I made a hot sauce using a recipe Marzy had sent me, and added these little red bottled peppers sold in the Spanish food section. The stuff was real hot, so I cut it with some Frank's extra hot sauce to tone it down a little. Delicious!

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:

I pickle the peppers.

Would that be a peck of pickled peppers?

When I was a kid, we grew peppers and always ended up with tons of habaneros.

We generally made something we called "habanero chow chow" and handed it out as Christmas gifts to friends and family (although it doesn't have much in common with anything else I've seen called "chow chow").

Mix equal volumes minced habanero and minced white or yellow onion. Fill jars about 2/3 full with mixture. Fill jars to just below top with white vinegar. Add a pinch of salt.

Kept in the fridge it lasts basically forever.

I have all kinds of peppers growing every year......I am a true "pepper belly". Some of them I throw on the grill when I am grilling other things. Some I clean and stuff with bacon and Mex 4-cheese and then bake them in the oven(yum!). I am going to try that habanero chow-chow, as I love chow-chow!! Thanx for the recipe!!

If you decide to run them through a food dehydrator... do it outdoors.

quote:

Originally posted by Outnumbered:

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
I grow Tabasco peppers. Good flavor, more heat than the sauce is known for.

I pickle the peppers and snack on them.

I also make a simple hot sauce: vinegar, crushed garlic, and whole peppers in a bottle. I use apple cider vinegar. Just top it up with vinegar as you use it, eventually the peppers turn white, change them out.

I'd also recommend making pepper vodka, or tequilla.

I'd love to have both recipes/techniques, if you'd care to share!

It's all very easy, but varies according to your taste and the peppers and seasoning you use.

With the pepper sauce and vodka/tequila or other liquor, the heat level is up to you, and peppers being natural can vary even in the same type.

I like a good heat but not insane, tabasco peppers by themselves average 40,000ish. It doesn't take many to make what most would consider propper fire water. Tabasco Sauce the brand is about 9,000.

With the pickling, you can go hot or cold, and either season and can them, or just do what I do and reuse Vlasic Polish Dill juice. I put them in with the original pickles...

The hot pepper vodka makes an amazing dirty martini, and goes in hot chocolate like it belongs there.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
I'd also recommend making pepper vodka, or tequilla.

There's an interesting Mexican liquor called Ancho Reyes which is basically white rum that's had ancho peppers steeped in it for six months.

It has that sweet, raisiny flavor of ancho peppers and a little heat. It makes a hell of a margarita.

There's also a green version now (Ancho Reyes Verde), made from a combination of fresh and fire-roasted poblano peppers. I haven't tried it.

Pass them out as treats on Halloween?