flavor is awesome! heat is great!

I have 12 regular Tabasco plantsthis year and 4 possible hybrids!

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Then I read up on them, everything I read made them sound insanely dangerous (referring to the juice that builds up inside the pepper skin).
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Do you think MacIlhenny would still be in business if this were true? Think Tabasco Sauce.......

willard3...I realize it is the same pepper but what I read said that picking them and processing them is the dangerous part. I guess that these are one of the only peppers that build up a juice inside them and I guess they contain alot of capsaicin and the burn last much longer than the burn of a Habenero. Anyhow, I guess picking them was dangerous because if the pepper was squeezed the juice would squirt out and at times hitting people in the eyes, causing a period of blindness (a few hours, up to a few days). A book I have says to cut them from the plant and wear 2 pairs of rubber gloves. I was just wondering if they were hyping it up...

So... web of hair....you love the flavor ( I can only imagine, I can't wait, tabasco sauce is like candy..). Does the heat seem to last long? How do you eat them? I guess the juice is awesome to add to salsa. Is there a ton of juice in each pepper? I just can't wait...lol.

Oh, one more question... another thing I read was that these plants can grow to 4-5 feet tall. How big did yours get? I wonder if that is in a climate with a much longer, warmer growing period.

Ok, thanks for indulging me in all of my questions.

Jennie

cojen,

If you are worried about burning your fingers when picking, wear vinyl food service gloves, and certainly wear them and eye protection when processing/pureeing any hot chili. I have had several tabasco plants in the past, and have not found the peppers to be full of juice by any means, however they do seem to have a high moisture content. If you like tabasco brand sauce, you will love them, but beware as they are quite hot and the burn is long lasting. I usually pick them for two distinctly different reasons: first, when green to pickle in some white vinegar, water, sugar and salt (like the bottle at one of my favorite diners- Steak and Shake, TAKHOMASAK!) and second when very ripe. The very orange, almost red very ripe ones by in large fall out of the cap, and will do so if you shake the plant, this was undoubtably selectively bred for by the largest commercial grower of this pepper- MacIlhenny. I have used the ripe ones to make sauce immediately, or dry them on strings hanging in my kitchen, but my favorite is to simply mash them with a pestle in a jar and add a small splash of vinegar to speed up the process of breaking them down. I don't refridgerate it, I simply keep it in a cool dark place and add peppers to it as they ripen. I currently have two large peanut butter jars full, one with one-year old pepper mash and another with two-year old. Both are outstanding, and i can tell you that it only improves with age. Good luck, and hot chilis.

Well I did a few different things last year. Only 2 out of 6 Tabascos survived last year for me. Grubs got to aboot 20 of my pepper plants last year :( ....... (this year 2 late frosts killed 23 plants)

I made a Tabasco sauce of my own, made from fresh Garlic, Tabascos and Wine Vinigar. I didn't age it at all and still tasted better than any Tabasco sauce I ever purchased! I used aboot 40-50 Tabasco peppers and 1/2 a whole Garlic, a cup of Wine Vinigar & a small amount of purified water. Was enuff to fill an old pepper sauce bottle, lasted a month b4 it was all gone....

I also made a seasoning out of some of them. Dried them out and mashed up. Makes a great replacement for crushed red pepper on Pizza!

The heat stayed for a long time when eaten fresh and is extremely hot fresh! The heat dried is quick but sometimes painful in the end (if ya know what I mean ;) )

Mine last year got to be aboot 3 - 3 1/2 feet tall, and some peppers didn't even rippen b4 the winter hit :(

This year I am gonna make a sauce using some Sake-Vinigar stuff and Garlic....

I am so excited though aboot my possible hybrids, Tabasco/Habanero hybrid (Tabascanero as I am calling it) I will share seeds if they are hybrids.....

I also have Thai Hots growing and I am going to do similar stuff to those!

yes, it is true they can squirt juice onto you, I have been making Tabasco Sauce for 17 years. The heat is great, the flavor is awesome......my website will be up and running next month, chibchahotsauce.com or call me at 615-462-1190 Pedro is the name