Red Fire Peppers

2022-07-26

I don't know enough (yet) about my plants (specifically pepper plants) to recognize when it's harvest time. I went online. There I found a picture very much like the one above. Some posters said I'm growing Thai Chilis. The original poster identified them as AeroGarden Red Fire Peppers, the same as mine. Most posters seemed to agree that they start cream or green and turn purple (as shown) and when ripe, they'll be red or orange and insanely hot.

The answer to my question is, "No, they are not ripe, but they look good." Meanwhile, I've been harvesting piri-piris, which are similar and insanely hot. I'm also harvesting Romaine lettuce and eating some great salads.

2022-08-01

I hope the change in color is discernable. Some of the peppers are no longer purple. They aren't red yet, either. Sort of a mustard shade, which may be the "orange" I've been told to expect. I'll wait a day or three to find out what "insanely hot" means.

I can eat a jalapeño raw. I can't eat a habanero without chopping it finely and mixing it in something else. These are supposed to be somewhere near habanero peppers on the Scoville scale. I'm making chili today - maybe I'll harvest one or two? What's the worst that can happen?

2022-08-02

First, let me observe that "insanely hot" is a subjective measurement. Next, it is a subjective measurement with which I concur. Them buggers is h-h-hot!

But that isn't why I'm adding this. I woke up in the wee hours (so called because my body woke me to go wee) and in the darkness on my way back to bed, I paused to admire the constellations of lights. I no longer employ night lights, other than one in the bathroom. Every farm unit has controls that are lit up, and on that wall there are seven units, a USB charging station, the Ai1 computer, the air conditioner, and my wall-mounted TV.

Then I noted, "one of these things is not like the others." Harvey was flashing a red "Low Water" alarm. I checked it. The water level was way too low, which, since Harvey is connected to Shirley the reservoir, should not have happened. No matter. I pumped the bulb between Harvey and Shirley a dozen times, which cleared any bubbles in the line, and listened to the gurgle-blurp of Shirley as the level in Harvey was returned to full. The alarm light returned to steady blue long before the gurgling and blurping ceased.

Now I am up and awake for the day. I cooked a breakfast sans peppers, just hash browned potatoes, green onions, and eggs with a cup of green tea (and peppermint stevia.) Yay.