Amy in the Garden

I spent yesterday with 2 of the four varieties of peppers that I grew this season. (Not quite “The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew,” by Margaret Sidney, but close.) I will start with how I ended: with “Andy F1,” the hot drying “ristras” pepper.

I planted 9 seedlings of this plant in the spring (seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, in Winslow, Maine), and 8 survived. Each plant is now heavily laden with long, light green peppers that turn brilliant red, it seems, in the course of one summer night. I have been harvesting them with nothing more technical than my fingers. I hold the fruit’s stem where it joins the branch, snap upwards gently, and an 8″ long pepper drops into my hand. As easy as that.

I have been collecting them and laying them out on dish towels, until I amassed a goodly amount. My plan is to dry them, and to have them contribute to my decor as they do so. I remembered a charming photo of a lavender “curtain,” from the book “Herbs,” by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead. Someone had tied bundles of lavender together to dry, and strung them up and around a window. The book claims that as the breeze comes through the window, it carries the scent of lavender with it. (Maybe. That hasn’t been my experience.) But I reasoned that sight is more dependable than scent, and isn’t dependent on the window being open. My goal is to frame my two dining room windows with the knock-out color of red from this gorgeous peppers.

Will I ever eat them? Who cares! I’m getting a full-measure of pleasure just from looking at them.

Photos from the day:

The first appearance is lovely, a vibrant light green, and a long slender shape.

The basket couldn't hold any more, so clearly it was time to start stringing them up.

I tried to tie the peppers within 1/4 inch of each other. The twine was nimble enough to allow me to do this. The jazzy blue background? My faded jeans! I'm working on my lap.

I tied each stem as tightly as I could, without the twine severing it. I'm guessing that as the pepper dries, the stem will shrink, and I don't want to hear the unwelcome sound of half-dried peppers slipping their bonds and dropping onto the floor.

A close look at how they are hanging vertically.

The product of one night's effort: the left side of Window #1!

I spent yesterday morning with the jalapeno peppers, and I will share those events and those photos soon.

But in keeping with the theme today, let me share an out-of-context-completely quote from the Red Hot Chili Peppers: “The more I see, the less I know, the more I’d like to let it go.”

My take on that sentiment? “The more I see, the more I realize how little I know, and the more I’d like to read to find out.”

WORDS FROM OTHERS

“The seeds are NOT the hottest part of peppers. It is at the point where the seed is attached to the white membrane inside the pepper that the highest concentration of capsaicin (the compound giving peppers their pungent flavor) is found.”

— http://www.FoodReference.com

ri·stra [ree-struh]
–noun
a string of dried chilies, garlic, or other foodstuffs.

— Dictionary.com

“Kick it up a notch!….BAM!”
–Emeril Lagasse