Specialty Chile Peppers
For a spicy addition to your everyday cuisine, try cooking with these new and exclusive Caribbean Chiles from Heirloom Gardens.
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A Whole Lotta Peppers, a watercolor by College Station artist Marci Boone |
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Caribbean Sun™
The flavor of this chile rivals that of the Habanero. A bright yellow chile, the Caribbean Sun makes a tasty ceviche, or it will spice up your favorite salsa or marinade.
Bahamian Bird Chile
A narrow, thin-shaped pepper that is ideal for island cooking, use the Bahamian Bird in barbecue sauces, soups, or stews. Harvest the fruit when it is either yellow or red.
Chinese Longrum
Related to the cayenne, the Chinese Longrum has been used for generations of island cooking in the Caribbean and in parts of Asia. Fruits are harvested when red.
Scotch Bonnet
Jamaicans use the Scotch Bonnet exclusively in their Jerk sauce recipes. The Scotch Bonnet is distinctively flavored and very spicy. The fruit is rounded and harvested when green.
Diablo Morado™
A patented hybrid, this flavorful chile pepper is not only ideal for island cooking but colorful as well. This is a great pepper for holiday cooking and summer cookouts. The fruit can be harvested when either purple or red.
Chile De Tigre™
A Serrano relative, the De Tigre is the favorite pepper for hot sauces. It has fiery heat that blends well into salsas and taco sauces. Fruit grows from green to yellow to red and can be harvested any time.
Chile De Toro Habanero™
Coined as the words hottest chile, the De Toros fiery heat is a classic ingredient in Caribbean cooking. Fruit is rather rounded and orange in color.
Growing Chile Peppers
Peppers are best grown in the full sun in soil that drains well. Caribbean chile peppers are bred for their tolerance to humidity and heat, which makes them ideal for the Brazos Valley.
Container growing is perfect for Brazos Valley weather. Containers can be moved for protection from cold, and in the summer heat they can be relocated to a lightly shaded area, if necessary.
Potting soils, such as Heirloom Gardens Blooming Tropical Planting Mix, contain polymers which hold water and release it slowly during the hot weather. This reduces the need for watering and establishes a safety margin to prevent wilting and fruit dropping.
Watering
Water thoroughly at the first sign of wilting or every 2 to 3 days. NOTE: Summer heat and sun can cause rapid wilting and watering may be necessary every day!
Fertilizing
We recommend a balanced organic fertilizer, such as cow or sheep manure. Fish emulsions will also help to keep leaves green.
Pests
Use caution when applying any pesticide. READ ALL MANUFACTURER DIRECTIONS before using. Peppers are hosts for aphids, leaf miners, and other chewing and sucking insects. Consult an Heirloom Gardens Texas Certified Nursery Professional for current product recommendations.
Tasty Recipes
Caribbean Sun™ Diablo
1 Cup Caribbean Sun™ Chiles chopped (substitute Habaneros or Scotch Bonnets)
- 1 Medium onion chopped
- 3 Cloves garlic chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 2-3 Tomatoes chopped
- 1½ Cups cider or white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro minced
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- Juice of 2 limes
Saut the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Place all ingredients in blender (food processor) and blend until smooth. Place mixture in refrigerator and allow it to sit for 48 hours. Use as a sauce in Creole-type dishes with rice.
Jamaican Jerk Marinade
- 4-5 Habaneros or Scotch Bonnet peppers finely chopped (seeded)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1 Medium onion finely chopped
- 1½ Cups cider or white vinegar
Place ingredients in processor and blend. Store in refrigerator. This is an ideal marinade for beef, pork or chicken.
Smugglers Fire Sauce
- 6-8 Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets or Caribbean Sun™ chiles coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbsp Bahamian Bird chiles or Diablo Morados™ chopped and fresh
- 2 Cup red wine sherry
- 2 Cup raisins
- 1 Cup chopped onions
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 Tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 2 Medium tomatoes chopped
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ Cups vinegar
Saute onions and garlic in oil. Combine tomato, vinegar and ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Place mixture in blender and puree until smooth.
Sauce goes well with fish, poultry or pork. Tasty firepower for soups.
Bahamian Hot Sauce
- 12-15 Bahamian Bird chiles
- 5-6 Diablo Morado™ chiles
- 3 cup tomato paste
- 4 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1½ tsp dry hot mustard
- 1 Medium onion chopped
- 2 Cloves garlic chopped
- 1½ Cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1½ Tbsp fresh thyme chopped
Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Allow to sit at room temperature for about one hour then refrigerate.
Use as a marinade for chicken or pork. Marinate meat in mixture overnight in refrigerator. Grill chicken or pork. Baste frequently with marinade.
Rum Runners Hot Sauce
- 5-6 Habanero or Scotch Bonnet chiles, coarsely chopped
- 1 Medium onion chopped
- 1 Cup light rum
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh oregano chopped
Combine ingredients in food processor and puree until smooth. Place in refrigerator and allow to steep for a week.
This sauce is a great tasty addition to soups, stews or meat dishes.
Caribbean Ginger Pepper Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Chile de Tigres™ or Chinese
- 4 Longrums finely chopped
- ¼ Cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp oil (peanut preferred)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Medium onion finely chopped
- 2 Cup pineapple chunks
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 Cup pineapple juice
Place ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Pour ingredients in sauce pan and cook over medium heat until sauce simmers. Stir constantly, cool and refrigerate until ready to use.
Great sauce for fish or chicken breast. Baste chicken or fish with sauce while grilling or broiling. Serve on bed of rice and top with sauce.
