I absolutely LOVE chillies! I love them in arrabiata pasta sauce, sliced onto homemade pizza, quesadillas, well, just about in any dish I make! Despite their somewhat exotic appearance they are surprisingly easy to grow. They can either be started from seed, early in the new year, or small plants can be purchased in the spring. I normally grow them from seed, starting them off in my little heated propagator on the kitchen window sill, but this year I was a bit late in getting around to this so I bought some tiny plants and potted them on.
The most important thing to remember is they need warmth; chilli plants positively hate the cold. I usually keep them on a sunny window sill inside until all danger of frost and cold nights has passed, and then move them to the greenhouse. This year I forgot to move them (can you see a pattern here???) and they grew quite tall and unwieldy on my sewing room window sill, so I have left them. This has turned out to be a happy accident, as they are thriving! I've also picked my earliest ever chillies. In addition to this they make a lovely bit of screening from the afternoon sun. I have decided to do this every year now!
Chillies also need to be grown quite 'hard', that is by restricting their roots by not using too large a pot, and not overwatering them, (but not allowing them to dry out either). Watering frequently but sparingly is the key. If you want a bushier plant, pinch out the growing tip once it starts to produce flowers. I may have forgotten to do this too this year, (yep - definitely a pattern!) but I still have a decent harvest, so not too much of a disaster.
Once the chilli plants start to produce fruit you can feed them from time to time with a feed suitable for tomatoes.
This year I have six plants - a Cherry Belle, which is very, very mild, an Apache, which is very, very hot (!) and four Hungarian Hot Wax, which were an absolute bargain from Aldi! These are somewhere in the middle, heat wise.
I like my chillies red, so I pick them as soon as they are an even colour, nice and glossy.
My plants produce more than I can use straight away so I either make chilli chutney (great in sauces too!) or I freeze them. They freeze very successfully and can be removed as needed, thawed slightly for literally a few minutes and then sliced up and tossed into recipes.
In order to not have one solid lump of chillies I freeze them first by spreading them out on a baking tray and carefully placing this on top of a freezer drawer. Here they are, nicely frozen, with their little frosty overcoats on.
Once they are firm I transfer them to a freezer box and they stay separated and easy to use.
If you've never grown chillies, I would certainly suggest having a go. It really is worthwhile!
Donna x
PS: Thank you for the lovely comments on my last post and through Instagram. I am very touched and humbled by your supportive words. Things continue to look very much brighter and I look forward to even sunnier days to come xxx
