The chillies

In this house, the hotter the better. We are always on the look out for the hottest sauces, the spiciest curries and new and exciting products to try (like Habanero kettle chips and Jalapeno and Cheddar flavour, Chipotle Tabasco sauce and Jamaican jerk sauce).

Elliot also likes to eat chillies. Yes, whole, hot chillies. There is always a glass of milk on hand and that is reached for once the eyes water and in some cases, hiccups start. I like a slither or two but have a feeling I will be trying a whole lot more once our many plants start giving us fruit. We have great progress, with a ton of Wild Fires and Cayennes ready to eat (Elliot has pickled some so we can use them down the track), lots of Thai chillies on the way and loads of Jalapenos.

Pickled cayennes and wild fires 

We are also growing Bhut Jolokias (330,000–1,000,000 on the Scoville Scale which measures the heat of chillies - and once deemed the hottest chilli in the world), Fataliis, Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets and Jamaican Red Hots. We also have some sweet pepper varieties in the form of Purple Beauties, Marconis and California Wonders.

Thai chillies

Jalapeno

Bhut Jolokia

California Wonder

Crazy hot chilli seeds are hard to source in New Zealand but there are a couple of good places to check out:
Kings Seeds do a good range and we got a lot from them - www.kingsseeds.co.nz
Garden Stuff - Mams got some awesome seeds for Elliot for Christmas from here (some of which he has just germinated so will keep you posted on those) - www.gstuff.co.nz 

Elliot bought the Fatalii seeds off a guy in a bar at a chilli eating competition, but that's a whole nother story...

Some of the more hard to find seeds will have to be bought from overseas and the next lot are likely to come from The Hippy Seed Company in Australia http://www.thehippyseedcompany.com/

You can get Jalapenos and Habaneros at plant shops which is where we got our first few, but have grown from seed this year. Elliot will save some of the seeds from the really good chillies we get this year for future use.

The new varieties of seeds on the go which are germinating in the propagator at the mo are New Mex Big Jims, Lemon Habaneros, Jamaican Hot Chocolate Habaneros and Poblanos. Exciting times...