Hot Enough For You? A Guide to Growing an Abundant Supply of Chilies

Chilies are easy plants to grow and if you’re a chili lover, having an abundance and variety of these hot little peppers will be incredibly rewarding. You may want to start with one or two of your favourites, or if you’re feeling brave and creative, design and plant a mini chili garden in a sunny section of your veggie patch.

The cultivation of chilies stretches back as far as 9,000 years ago, to Mexico, where the Aztecs first discovered, cultivated and used them. To this day chili is synonymous with Mexican food. The little flavour bombs found their way to Asia, where they quickly became a favourite ingredient of Southeast Asian and Indian curries. They were introduced to other parts of South America, Spain and Portugal and by the mid-15th century, were popular throughout Africa, Indonesia, China, Japan, the Middle East and Latin America. Today, they’re an integral part of many a culture’s cuisine.

For centuries, humans have also used chilies for medicinal purposes. The white fibrous membranes inside the chili contain capsaicin, which is what gives it its ‘heat, but also does so much more than that - it’s known to help clear the lungs, improve circulation and act as a painkiller and anti-inflammatory. Fresh chilies are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B2, calcium and antioxidants, and the capsaicin stimulates the brain to release endorphins into the bloodstream, creating a natural endorphin “high”.

In the kitchen, it can be preserved in many ways, adds flavour and heat to any dish and can be made into jams and relishes, hot sauces and much more.

GROW GUIDE

To grow your own supply of fresh chilies, pick the perfect spot in your garden, plan your design, prepare your soil and get planting. Choose a few favourites with varying degrees of heat intensity so that you have all the chilies you need for the different uses, for instance jalapenos for poppers or pickling, cayenne or bird’s eye for drying, habanero and tabasco for hot sauces and milder anaheim for salads and dressings. Chilies are highly economical; a healthy bush bears a lot of fruit, so you only need a couple of each variety to keep you stocked.

Planting

Chilies are easy to grow. They like plenty of sunlight and shelter from the wind (so that the flowers don’t blow off), but are not frost-resistant, so consider this when planning.

Seeds can be sown directly in prepared beds or in seed trays. If sowing in seed trays, use germinating mix, consisting of one third coarse river sand, a third vermiculite and a third sifted compost. Seedlings can be transplanted when they’re established with true leaves and about 15+ cm tall.

Alternatively, buy seedlings and plant directly into the ground. The soil should be well-drained, moist, light and enriched with compost. Avoid using manure – it can cause the fruit to drop too early. Once planted, add good quality mulch to help reduce evaporation and control weeds and stake tall varieties for earlier and more abundant harvest. You can also plant your chilies in pots or hanging pots, or train them up trellises for a bright wall or canopy of colour.

Watering

Chilies like plenty of watering – if they get too dry, they’ll drop their flowers and you will have little-to-no fruit. You want to avoid water-logging, but well-drained soil will prevent that. Rather water in the morning than at night, as this can cause mildew.

Feeding

If in pots, feed monthly with any pot plant food or fertiliser, but avoid nitrogen-rich fertiliser during the growing phase or you’ll end up with lush, leafy plants, but very little fruit. Your soil should be rich in phosphorus, potassium and calcium. You can supplement with compost tea or liquid fertiliser or potassium-rich fertiliser (3:1:5) when the fruit starts to form.

Pests and Diseases

Chilies are susceptible to fungal diseases and red spider mites could also become a problem if they make themselves comfortable in your garden. Other critters that might be a problem include slugs and snails, aphids, whitefly and nematodes. To control them, regular inspection and swift treatment is key.

Harvesting

Regular picking encourages the bush to keep producing flowers and fruit, so don’t let them sit too long before harvesting. The heat intensity increases as the chili ripens, so if you want less heat, pick them when they’re green or as the colour is changing.

IN THE KITCHEN

This is where the chili really shines! To test heat, cut the tip off and taste cautiously; the tip is its mildest point. Reduce the burn by removing the seeds and membrane and just use the chopped flesh. Another option is to add a whole chili during cooking and then remove it when you’re ready to serve.

Chili and tomato jam

This sweet and spicy jam can be used in a number of ways with sweet or savoury dishes, including sandwiches, roast meat, cheese platters and much more.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg ripe tomatoes, washed
• 10 red chilies
•  4 garlic cloves
• 100g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 30ml fish sauce
• 500g white sugar
• 200ml red wine vinegar

Method

Cut half the tomatoes into quarters and put aside. Place the other half into a blender or processor with the chillies, garlic, ginger and fish sauce and blend to a puree. Pour the puree, sugar and vinegar into a deep pot and slowly bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a slow-rolling simmer and add the chopped tomatoes. Skim off any foam and cook gently for about an hour, stirring every few minutes to loosen and move the solids that settle on the bottom and the sides of the pot.

Sterilise and warm your glass jars and when the jam is done, pour it into the jars, and allow to cool completely before sealing and storing. Once opened, refrigerate.

Chili heat is rated according to the Scoville Scale. The higher the Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the hotter the chilli.

• Bell Pepper – 0 SHU
• Pepperoncini – 100 – 500 SHU
• Anaheim – 500 – 2,500 SHU
• Poblano – 1,000 – 2,000 SHU
• Hungarian Wax – 1,000 – 15,000 SHU
• Jalapeno – 2,500 – 8,000 SHU
• Serrano – 10,000 – 23,000 SHU
• Cayenne – 30,000 – 50,000 SHU
• Thai – 50,000 – 100,000 SHU
• Datil Peppers – 100,000 – 300,000 SHU
• Habanero – 100,000 – 350,000 SHU
• Scotch Bonnet – 100,000 – 350,000 SHU
• Ghost – 1 million SHU
• Carolina Reaper – 2.2 million SHU

EXTRAS:

Good Companions: tomatoes, basil, chives, garlic and onion, marjoram and oregano, leeks and carrots

Bad Companions: fennel, kohlrabi

Despite being called chili peppers, chilies are not actually peppers. They belong to the capsicum branch of the plant family, which includes the potato, aubergine and tomato.