The 2022 Chilli Growing Season Has Ended

The 2022 chilli growing season officially ended for me on the 17th November when I took down the last of the remaining plants, which were Fatalii, Malawi Bird's Eye, Antillais Caribbean, Cumari Pollux, San Isidro Rocoto, Criolla Sella, Guampinha de Veado, Aji Lemon, Costa Rican Red Rocoto, Guatemalan Orange Rocoto and Aji Largo. Most of the chillies had ripened but there were still quite a few unripe ones, including most of the Guampinha de Veado chillies, all of which have now been pickled. I'm sure they'll be very nice on sandwiches, pizzas and nachos over the coming months. The plant didn't even start flowering until the end of August, and it was only in the last couple of weeks that some of the chillies had started ripening. They're okay, but it's not a variety I'd grow again.

Plant Pots to Be Emptied - 17th November 2021

I picked all of the remaining Rocoto peppers on the 20th October because they were being attacked by bugs, the main culprits being slugs, snails and earwigs I suspect. Rather than risk losing more of the fruit I decided to pick them all and allow the unripe ones to ripen up indoors. Most did eventually ripen, but it took about 10 days for them to do so. I think I know why the bugs attacked the fruit and next year I'll do things slightly differently. The good thing is that I was able to salvage most of the damaged ones. After giving them a good wash I cut away the damaged parts, sliced them in half and inspected the insides. There was only a couple that had to be thrown away, the rest were fine and ended up in the freezer.

Rocoto Harvest - 20th October 2022

Bug Damaged Costa Rican Red Rocoto Peppers - 20th October 2022

Bug Damaged Costa Rican Red Rocoto Peppers - 20th October 2022

Bug Damaged San Isidro Rocoto Peppers - 20th October 2022

Three weeks ago, I pickled some surplus Rocoto peppers and also threw in the remainder of the Peruvian White Habanero, Cappuccino Chiltepin and Tabasco chillies for good measure, some of which were ripe and some of which were not. I don't recall ever having tried pickled Rocotos before, so it will be interesting to see how they turn out.

Pickled Rocoto Peppers - 4th October 2022

I also made stuffed Rocoto peppers (Rocoto relleno) on the 20th October. It was at that point when I realised that the Guatemalan Orange Rocoto is significantly spicier than the Costa Rican Red Rocoto. After parboiling both varieties to soften the flesh and then stuffing and baking them in the oven for 30 minutes, I noticed that the former variety had retained a good amount of heat, but the latter variety had lost most of its heat. However, they were all still very nice, regardless of how spicy they were.

Stuffed Rocoto Peppers - 20th October 2022

This next photo shows the final chilli harvest of the season, AKA the end of season pickings. The varieties shown here are Fatalii, Guampinha de Veado, Aji Largo, Malawi Bird's Eye, Aji Lemon, Criolla Sella and Antillais Caribbean.

Chilli Harvest - 19th November 2022

All of the growing equipment has now been washed and stored away until next season. I just need to remove the batteries from the EC and pH meters and add a few fresh drops of KCl solution into the cap of the pH meter before storing it away. I also need to purchase some new pre-filters for the RO/DI unit and perhaps a new RO membrane too. They will be changed in the next few weeks in preparation for the 2023 chilli growing season. Some of the varieties I'll be growing next season require an early start, so the 2023 chilli growing season will probably start around the beginning of January.

Washed Plant Pots and Growing Equipment - 19th November 2022

It's been a fantastic growing season and the chilli freezer is now filled to maximum capacity. I couldn't squeeze any more chillies in there if I tried, and believe me I've tried. I also have six good-sized jarfuls of pickled chillies and a good amount of dried chillies, some of which I used recently to make a beef vindaloo. I think it's going to be a very spicy winter. I really need to think about making a few more batches of hot sauce in order to make a serious dent in this year's chilli harvest. I've also got lots of chilli seeds that need sorting out. Anyhow, I'll see you all in a few weeks. All hail the Chilli Gods, the only true Holy Family and the one of all things spicy! 😛