Relatively new on the pepper trail, in the last 20 years or so,  is the Red Savina pepper.  It was cultivated off the habanero chili pepper and is known to be an extremely hot pepper registering up to approximately 570,000 on the Scoville scale in some tests although some tests have it coming in at the mid 200,000’s and up.  It was the reigning champ for many years as the hottest pepper, but has been knocked off the list in the past few years by other super-hot peppers like the Naga Jolokia.

The Red Savina pepper is the hottest of the … Continue Reading

In the summer when the peppers are ripening daily and you have a bevy of fresh produce; it is wonderful to be able to get the fabulous fresh flavors in your food easily.  When it is the dead of winter, it can be just as nice to taste that same fresh flavor by grabbing a container of prepared peppers out of your freezer.

According to Wikipedia, Blanching is a process where a vegetable or fruit is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval, and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions: Continue Reading

If you are pressed for time or experiencing a lot of bad weather, sometimes you are not able to grill when you want to.  The good news is that you can certainly roast your freshly picked peppers in a microwave oven. Here is some direction and tips on how to do that.

Always remember, when handling hot peppers you will need to wear a pair of rubber gloves to protect the skin on your hands. Don’t forget your eyes! You should purchase a cheap pair of plastic protective glasses or wear your own eyeglasses to protect your eyes from splattering pepper … Continue Reading

There are so many peppers that are native to different regions around the world. Many of these pepper varieties have been transplanted from cultures that immigrated to other lands hundreds of years ago.  The Italian Wax Pepper is one of those peppers.

This pepper is a native of Northern California and has been growing in the unique climate there since the gold rush era. The name is actually a misnomer.  The Italian Wax Pepper was originally brought to this region by Chilean immigrants.  They settled in a region of Northern California much like their home land with valleys and mountain range … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup blackberry preserves
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions: Continue Reading

Red Chiles are a popular plant to grow and harvest and a very popular pepper to eat too.  It is easy to enjoy all of the different varieties of red chili peppers such as the Thai Chiles, Cayenne Peppers, Habanero Red Savina’s and many more.  With all of these great peppers around, you will want to make sure that you can keep the fresh flavors all year long.

Grinding your red peppers is a great way to preserve them.  Here are some simple steps to prepare your peppers, then dry them and grind them into a great spice for the best … Continue Reading

We have talked a bit about using chocolate with peppers before.  Using Chocolate mixed with chipotle or cayenne in your favorite rub is an amazing addition that will make a big difference in the flavor enhancement of the meat.

People that have added some regular cocoa (not candy or hot cocoa mix as that has sugar in it) have been singing the praises because of the additional depth of flavor.  Ribs, both beef and pork, are coming off the grill with awesome flavor. Use it on your chicken and you will be loving it.  Many people are using it on roasts, … Continue Reading

Many cooks have a favorite fresh pepper soups that they enjoy when the harvest of peppers starts coming in.  There are abundant recipes for roasted or regular pepper soups.  Here are some prep tips for you to get your favorite peppers ready for soup creation.

Preparation for Roasted Pepper Soups:

Roasted Peppers are great to use in fall and early winter soups and stews and we recommend that you combine sweet peppers along with hot peppers to get the right pepper flavor. Typical ratio is approximately 3/4 sweet and 1/4 hot peppers.

You will want to use ripe peppers that have been picked … Continue Reading

There are so many recipes and different ways to use peppers to make them hot and spicy, so let’s talk about a sweet chili sauce that is popular in many cuisines.  It is available in bottles at many grocery and online stores but making it is super simple too.

The different types of sweet chili sauce are normally found in Thai or Malaysian cooking. There are also a few barbeque sauce companies that make a sweet pepper sauce too, such as Franks.  It is used for marinating chicken and pork mainly.  Some also use it as a condiment for dipping spring … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon horseradish sauce

Directions: Continue Reading

When it comes to Korean food, you better like hot and spicy.  Many of the Korean dishes are loaded with chili pepper and other hot peppers. A favorite dish of the younger Korean generation is called Bul-Dak meaning Hot and Spicy Chicken.

According to the Korean cuisine site,Tri-Food.com, bul means fire in Korean and dak is chicken. So you need your taste buds prepared.  Although it can be served in many different spiciness levels, most enjoy the chicken dish at its top level which contains several jalapenos and a lot of chili flakes.

The chicken is cut into small bite sized pieces, … Continue Reading

Pequin pepper is a hot chile pepper that is also known as “bird pepper”. This pepper is a very tiny fruit measuring 2mm or less but packs a punch when it is ripe. Like many of its other chile friends, this pepper starts out green and ripens to a bright red. The flavor is described as citrusy, smoky and nutty and very rich.  It comes in mid-range on the Soville scale around 40-50,000 unit.

The Pequin pepper is actually a delicate plant to grow and if it is handled too much the plant will not survive. It is also dependent on … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions: Continue Reading

Native to Latin America, Mexico and the Southern Parts of the US, the Serrano pepper is a medium hot to hot pepper that ranges between 7,000 to 25,000 on the Socville scale. This is a smaller pepper that is a meatier variety than some.  Because its structure has very thin skin, it is not a pepper that is used for drying.

Growing the Serrano is relatively easy. It starts out as green in color and as the fruit ripens you will see it change colors to red, orange and brown.  This pepper is one of the most used peppers in Mexico … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 cups light beer
• 1 can (6-ounce) tomato paste
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons bottled habanero hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• Salt to taste

Directions: Continue Reading

When I think of key limes, I think of key lime pie. I didn’t expect this deep reddish-brown sauce to taste like key lime pie. But the other thing I generally use lime juice for are margaritas. And lo and behold, there really is tequila in Key West Key Lime BBQ Sauce! Which is not to say it tastes like a margarita because it doesn’t. But that’s OK, because I don’t want a barbecue sauce that tastes like a margarita. I want a  barbecue sauce with a rich, robust flavor and that’s exactly what this sauce delivers.

The ingredients are fairly standard for the most part: tomatoes, brown sugar, sugar, corn syrup, soy sauce, tequila, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, New Mexico chiles (would love to know exactly what those are), garlic, onion, salt, spices, and natural mesquite flavor. Continue Reading

People often request us for BBQ Sauces with no corn syrup added. Here is a list of sauces with no high fructose corn syrup that we recommend.

Mad Dog BBQ Sauce
Mad Dog Ultra Hot BBQ Sauce
Mad Dog Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Mad Dog Ghost Ultra Hot BBQ Sauce
Bone Suckin’ BBQ Sauce
Bone Suckin’ Hot BBQ Sauce
Bootlegger’s BBQ and Tonic
Fork ‘N … Continue Reading