Peppers are easy, fun and prolific. They grow well in the garden or in containers on the patio. That’s what I’m told anyway.

The last three years I have tried to grow easy, fun and prolific peppers without much success.

On the face of it, growing peppers should be a fairly straightforward proposition. No other plant gives me so much trouble.

I start the little seedlings 8 weeks before the last frost. I harden them off over a two-week period before planting out. I give them plenty of space in the garden. Try as I might, they just don’t bear much fruit. Oh, they start. I get the flowers, the cute little buds of fruit, and that’s where most of them stay. It can be discouraging.

Not being one to quit, I am again growing little pepper seedlings.

“365 Days of Gardening” by Christine Allison, a book I highly recommend, says a helping of Epsom salts just after budding does the trick.  She also says not to fertilize until the fruits actually form and the fertilizer, if you use it, should be low in nitrogen, and high in phosphorus.

I’m pretty sure that’s what I’ve been doing wrong. Over fertilizing.  So this year, I am going to take Christine’s advice.  I’ll let you know how it turns out.

What are some of the success secrets you use to grow prolific peppers? Please share.

 

One of the peppers I am always trying to grow in abundance is Jalapeno. We like to make poppers with them. The recipe is kind of time-consuming and a bit labor intensive, but everyone raves about them.  So when we make them, we try to make a big batch of them at a time.

Here’s the recipe. If you try it, I’d love to know what you think of it.  I’m pretty sure you’re going to love ’em.

Make the stuffing first, then prepare the peppers.

Picadillo stuffing:
Makes 4 servings
brown in pan crumbling fine:
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup sausage out of its casing. Drain and return to the pan.
Add: 1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
cook until the aroma of the onions is released. About 5 minutes.
Add: 1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
a pinch of sugar
a pinch of ground cloves
1 bay leaf
Simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped black olives
Cook uncovered 10-15 minutes.

Stuffed jalapeno
( this recipe will use about 1/2 of the picadillo)
Make a T-shaped slit in the side of 18 jalapeno peppers. The top of the T should be about 1/2 long and run just below and parallel with the top of the pepper. The long part of the T should run from the stem to the tip.
Fill a large pan with 3-4 inches water. Add 1/4 cup dark brown sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the jalapenos.
Simmer gently over medium-low heat 5 minutes. Remove the peppers from the pot.

(For this next part, you will want to wear latex gloves.  Trust me.) With a small spoon, carefully scrape the seeds out of the peppers. Tightly stuff the peppers with the picadillo. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Heat in a heavy deep skillet or a deep fryer, vegetable oil.

While the oil is heating,   put 1/4 cup flour in a bowl.
Separate 3 large eggs. keeping the whites in a medium size mixing bowl, and saving the yolks aside in a small bowl.

Add to the egg whites: 1/4 tsp salt. Beat on medium speed until the whites hold stiff peaks. With the mixer running, add in 1 tbsp flour. Then add in the yolks, one at a time, letting each be fully incorporated before adding the next.
Working quickly ( the yolks will want to deflate) dredge an jalapeno in flour, then dip into the egg batter coating evenly. Gently set the pepper into the hot oil for 3-4 minutes. Turn after 1-2  minutes. remove and let sit on paper towels.  Serve.