West Dean Chilli Fiesta 2011

@westdeanejf annual chilli fiestia at West Dean Gardens in Sussex  is fast approaching us. I have been going to this event for over 6 years now and each year it just gets better and better! The event has become so popular that for the first time year West Dean Gardens are given over to chilli madness for three days. Taking place on Friday 5, Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 August.  Opening hours: 10.30 – 5pm (last entry 4.30pm).



Chilli Room

There will be over 150 chili related stalls this year! The west Dean website also reveals that the Cambridge Chilli Farm will be launching their ‘Lucky 7 Sauce’ at The Chilli Fiesta. It is the first to be made in the UK using ‘Yellow 7 Pot’ chillies. Alongside all of the stalls and tasters you can also attend a number of talks and events taking place throughout the grounds you can take a look at these on the official programme by clicking here. If you get hungary too there will be plenty of stalls on hand to satisty your need. I have made the mistake every single year of being too excited about the chilli stalls that by the time I make it to the hog roast they have closed. This year I will not be making the same mistake!!

If you plan to attend then you can pick up advanced tickets that go straight to your email by clicking here 

When there make sure you wonder throughout the whole garden and grounds you will find magnificently restored Victorian Glasshouses where you can admire a vast array of over 200 chilli peppers grown in pots in theand displayed in pristine rows in every shape and size ranging from serene green through to red hot. How many chillis will you discover this year? take a look at a few photos I took from the chilli green house at last years show here.



Veg Patch in the walled garden



@CaJohnFieryFood Holy Jolokia Sauce:

Support @chilepepperinst by buying a bottle of Holy Jolokia Hot Sauce and the Chile Pepper Institute in Mexico will receive a portion of the bottle sales helps to fund research and education at the Institute into the wonderful chilli pepper that we all love.

The Chile Pepper Institute is an international nonprofit organization devoted to education, research, and archiving information related to Capsicum. Since its inception in 1992, it has been a recognized research institute in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University 

Holy Jolokia Hot Sauce is very special indeed! A 2010 Golden Chile Winner from a great hot sauce producer CaJohns who continues to  go from strength to strength with his ever expanding range of unique and quality sauces. The hot sauce contains the Bhut Jolokia chili, measured at over a million Scoville Heat Units. This chili is also sometimes referred to as the ghost chilli or ghost pepper holding a Guinness World Record in 2007 for the hottest chilli in the world.



Bhut Jolokia



Not only will you be doing good by buying this sauce helping the research and development of the chilli pepper, you wont be disappointed by the fresh flavour and heat the sauce gives you in return. A notable interesting ingredient is 'lemon extract' which lifts and compliments the heat of the Bhut Jolokia surprisingly well. In fact the bottle claims:

"Caution: Your taste buds may cry out, "Holy Jolokia"

I found that I really couldn't put this sauce down and it felt great at the same time (maybe from the chilli buzz) that I was supporting the institute too. Pick up a bottle of Holy Jolokia from Scorchio by clicking here and see if you will cry out 'Holy Jolokia'. Tell your friends about this blog post so that they can add their support too.

Please publish this blog post on Twitter with the buttons below and +1 with the google button too. Lets grow all the support we can to help continue the great research.

Thank you and enjoy!

Chilli Cook Off Reading August 6th

I have just come across this great looking chilli cook off competition on Saturday 6th of August 2011, if you local  and cant get down to the west deane chilli fiesta then go check this event out instead and get some chilli ideas

At the first 1st Annual Reading Chilli Cook 20 teams will do battle in the beautiful gardens of the College Arms public house where they will have just 4 hours to cook a world class chilli from scratch.
Judging will take place at 4pm after which the public will be able to sample each team's effort. There will be live music, BBQ, a special "Challenge" burger for hardcore chilli-heads, face painting for the kids.

If you feel your chilli is worthy of such an event For more information go to http://www.chilligonebarmy.com/

Rookie Goblin Grim Reaper Foods

@GrimReaperFoods, who made their debut with a the awesome  The Evil One Hot Sauce' winning the 

Fiery Foods Festival in 2010 have now released a new hot sauce using jalapeno peppers Rookie Goblin Hot Sauce. Grim Reaper foods range is rapidly expanding and this jalapeno sauce adds a tasty entry level step to the growing selection.

When I first wrote this review the initial batch of Rookie Goblin Hot Sauce sold out very quickly. It took me a while visiting the local shows to get my hands on some to taste. Based on the last sauce I tried from this producer I knew that this one was likely to be tasty and I was right.

The ingredients or oranges and limes bring a great citrus note to the taste of this sauce. An interesting ingredient of note is the coriander. I would use this sauce in a number of Mexican dishes like fresh fish Tacos or a layer in each enchilada before you wrap and bake them. With the winning combination of coriander, jalapenos and spring onions I would also add The Goblin to a salsa verde if you can get hold of some green tomatillos

The label looks very cool and sinister though it does remind me a little of the monster from the movie The Forbidden Planet... perhaps the sauce has a secret forbidden ingredient?

In summary this is a tasty entry level sauce that everyone should love, a great additive to almost any Mexican dish and yet another sign of more good things to come from this new company

                       

Upton Cheyney Chilli Sunshine Sauce review:

@Chilli_Farmer have again delighted me with Sunshine sauce the third hot sauce I have tried from the good people at the Upton Cheyney Chilli Company.

As with all their hot sauces the label has their trademark homely design to it welcoming you in and how can you resist a a very funky looking sun holding a couple of chilli peppers!

The bottle says "A hot sauce with flavours of summer including pineapple, honey and lime. Drizzle over salad for a taste of sunshine"

The ingredients are truly summery ingredients including pineapple which gives that sunshine feel. The addition of honey provides the sweetness and habanero lets you feel the heat of the sun. This hot sauce does not focus on the heat of the habanero and will not blow your head off. Instead the other ingredients compliment the natural fruity flavour of the habanero and this is a good thing. The overall sauce is a great for livening up all manner of salads or as a dip. I found sunshine sauce went well with pizza and a rather interesting prawn stir fry.

Why should you buy this sauce....The passion the Upton Cheyney Chilli Company have for their farm and their products is clear, and this is evident in the quality of the sauces they produce. Their chilis are organic and home grown and their ever expanding range of sauces are ones you should check out. If habanero heat is not for don't worry they have a full range of tasty stuff worth giving a go, including my favourite 'oak smoked chipotle sauce'


Check out their online farm shop here and pick up a bottle of sunshine from them direct and support this UK company. I certainly look forward to working my way through the rest of their sauces.

@CPPete New Brighton Shop Opens Saturday 23rd.

Check out the sneak peak picture here of Chilli Pepper Petes new chilli shop below which opens Saturday 23rd in Brighton on 73 Trafalgar street in the North Lanes. I have been following the developments since the first news of the possible move from the Brighton Marina.

The shop is currently being packed full of sauces from all over the UK and USA as well as Chilli Pepper Pete's own range of fantastic sauces like Chillipepper Pete's Dragon's Blood

If you local or know need a chilli fix and willing to make a very worth while journey head on over to Brighton this weekend to check out the shop. Rumours are that Pete has also made a special sauce to celebrate the opening. Will you get your hands on some?

Print of this map below if you need it to help you find the shop. See you there!

How to Protect your Chilli Plants

If you are placing your chilli plants outside to grow it is worth placing them in a sunny sheltered spot to get the warmth the need and also importantly avoid being blown about by the wind to much or drowned by the endless British rain. If you don't have access to or space for a greenhouse I have found a cold frame very useful to protect my plants while they are still growing. These can be picked up very cheaply and don't take up too much space. 

If you would like extra protection then I can also highly recommend a guard cat to watch over your plants

Jekyll or Hyde Hot Sauce Review:

@GrimReaperFoods have produced something special and unique. The Reaper has kindly provided me with a sneak peak of something that will both tempt and intrigue you from his hot sauce range. Jekyll or Hyde … you decide.

On the bottle you find: "Alone in the laboratory the doctors experiment was complete. Dare she try the potion… why not? What harm could it do?"

I love the building story that comes with this line of sauces from Grim Reaper Foods, it give an overall feeling of the dark arts at work in an underground kitchen.

Jekyll or Hyde begins with Chipotle chilli sauce in the larger bottle. This sauce is gorgeously sticky and thick and will work well as the bottle suggests with dishes like pulled pork and ribs adding a lovely warmth to your food and depth of flavour with the golden syrup. This sauce on its own is very tasty and worthy of production by itself. However the fiery foods award winning Reaper (Russell Williams) likes to do things a little different and always goes that extra mile to bring us a not just a good sauce but a truly great sauce!

Jekyll's Potion: Now this where it gets interesting, Jekyll's potion is added drop by drop to the sauce and this serious stuff, basically pure chili "do not ingest in pure form."

The joy from the true experimentation Jekyll’s potion allows you have, makes this more than just another hot chili sauce. You can have the basic sauce which tastes great on its own or become "Hyde", pimping your sauce with some powerful heat from the potion to you personal taste. This makes the sauce very versatile as you can pour out different pots of it and individually mix. Why not create your own laboratory with different pots or event test tubes and create your own selections of sauces.. evil laugh optional.

I played around with different mixes using a couple of teaspoons of sauce and adding increasing drops of potion you can actually see the stuff working and with each taste you find yourself returning for more and adding 'just a little more potion... after all what harm can a little more do' Beware this stuff is extremely moreish and can also become very hot very quickly and I love it!

If you are a chilli or hot sauce fan then this sauce is a must in your collection. You just have to experience the pleasure, pain and sheer fun to be had with such a combination. Jekyll or Hyde - You Decide! is now available from Scorchio by Clicking here or the picture above.


PS: I do worry what fellow insane hot sauce reviewer Darth Naga will do with the potion, i'm sure something will pop up on you-tube or maybe the national news.....

Home Grown 2011: Growing Update

Hopefully @Marksvegplot and @WeGrowOurOwn would be proud of my efforts this year. Chilli Plants and Hot sauce is the focus over here but there is also veg to be seen too. Though I admit that I do have support in the veg department from my partner who takes great pride in her work. 

For friendly and informative advice on vegetable growing you should visit http://marksvegplot.blogspot.com/ where he will guide you through is wonderful never ending supply of veg and beautiful photographs from his small domestic urban kitchen garden. He does also admire the chili plant and so far is having more success than me this year with my wobbly start and melted propagator!

Below is a couple of snapshots of my efforts this year. I do have another update from the chilli grow experiment for you soon too and some new purchased editions to my plant family from the Gardner's world show where I met Alan Titchmarsh.

Chilli Plants

 Above we have the survivors of the melted propagator incident, four plants are now going strong outside sheltered from the wind and excess rain in this mini greenhouse. We have two padron plants, a Cayenne pepper and chocolate habanero.

Chilli Nasu Pepper Plant

This has been growing in a strange way but still producing lots of lovely chilli fruit. The Chilli Nasu plant produces small round chillis that ripen from green to red. the heat level is not too high on these peppers and often add them sliced to salads. Last year the plant was next to a Jalapeno plant and some interesting cross pollination took place producing small round Jalapenos

CaJohn Magma Sauce Review

@CajohnFieryFood has produced one of the most creative sauces I have seen for a while CaJohn's Magma Hot Sauce. I have had this one on my shelf for a while admiring it and saving it.

Finally I have opened this intriguing bottle from the USA to see what it is all about. The first reason you should buy this sauce for your collection is that it looks very very cool and you will have nothing like it already.

The slogan says "shake to wake the sauce."At first glance you could mistake it for water, but tilt, then shake the bottle and Magma comes to life. A full 1 million Scoville units floats on top of the vinegar. It hides under the shrink sleeve until you turn it over. Shake it up and it changes color, set it down and the capsaicin settles back to its hiding place.

I like hot sauces with warning and this one is no exception "WARNING! An eruption of disastrous proportions. EXTREMELY HOT!"

The Ingredients are very basic Vinegar, water, salt and oleoresin of capsicum and let you know that it really is basically Magma inside. When you try it you wont be disappointed and will see why there is a warning. CaJohn's Magma Hot Sauce is great for a party piece and for adding to cocktails particularly the bloody Mary. It can also be added to dishes to give a very warm flavour, enhancing stews and soups. Where will you use it?

 Pick up some CaJohn's Magma Hot Sauce from Scorchio by clicking I want some Magma in my collection

Chilli Cocktail Ideas

Have you ever thought of making a chilli cocktail? Here are a few twists on some classic favourites that are worth a try and gaurenteed to spice up an evening of drinks. People have learnt not to steal my drinks at parties anymore at least!

Bloody Mary

Tomato Juice ( I use V8 Vegetable juice)

A Good Brand Vodka

Celery

Worcestershire sauce

3-4 drops of CaJohn's Frostbite Hot Sauce or
a good dollop of Frank's RedHot Chile 'n' Lime Hot Sauce

Flatliner Shooter
Pour the Tequila to nearly half way of the shooter glass

Slowly pour in sambuca against the side of the glas so it creates two levels.

Finally add the  Frank's RedHot Chile 'n' Lime Hot Sauce drop by drop to taste

Knock back the shooter and enjoy

Hot Margarita

3 parts any good aged tequila (Ocho if you can get it)

3 parts Lime Juice

1 part Triple Sec

3-4 drops of CaJohn's Frostbite Hot Sauce

Classic Frostbitini

A shots. Vodka

a dash of Vermouth

3-4 drops of CaJohn's Frostbite Hot Sauce

Caipirnha / Caprina

50ml Cachaca
1/2 Fresh lime
2 Brown sugar cubes
3-4 drops of CaJohn's Frostbite Hot Sauce
Cut the lime into eighths placing into a glass with the sugar cubes and muddle
Fill the glass with crushed ice and top with Cachaca
Stir and serve with a straw

Smokin Devil Sauce

@CPPete are my local masters of hot sauce production as as you know I am very fond of the sauces they have produced over the years. This  Smokin Devil Hot Sauce is usually among my regular stock cupboard of hot chili sauces. For those of you who follow Chilli Pepper Pete this sauce has also been known as the 'Smokin Dragon' hot sauce. Unlike other chipotle sauce is different as it also contains tamarind and other fruits ingredients such as pineapples and grape juice. As a result this sauce is good not just on its own where ever you would choose to dollop it. Its versatility and real strength is seen when use use it in your cooking by adding to dishes like a curry or chili con carne.

The sauce itself is a mild one as you might expect and is quite thick in texture. The unique flavours balance well with the rich smokiness of the chipotle. In our house I have to fight my partner for this sauce as she often claims its hers and 'needs it' for her cheese on toast in the evening.

If you would like to pick some up then click here to purchase from scorchio.

Upton Cheyney Mango, Lime and Habanero Hot Sauce Review

@chilli_farmer in Upton Cheyney kindly provided me with a bottle of their Mango, Lime and Habanero Hot Sauce to try. The bottle has their trademark appealing homely look to it, giving the sauce a real organic feel before you even try it. Checking out the ingredients the ones that caught my eye were cider vinegar, red and orange habanero and interestingly English mustard which I believe adds a stroke of genius to the flavour.
The bottle says: An exotic hot sauce, based on mango and lime for a bitter sweet taste with red habanero's for a fiery finish. Be aware - it's is a very HOT sauce!

Upton Cheyney Chilli Company - Mango, Lime & Habanero Sauce

I tried this hot sauce over a fillet of salmon with a nice crunchy salad. The red habaneros indeed give this sauce its kick tempered only by the cool well matched mango and sharpened just enough by the lime. I would definitely buy this sauce again and will be investigating where I can use it in my next dish tonight. Im thinking a spiced yoghurt dip to go with a curry...

Why should you but this sauce....The passion the Upton Cheyney chilli Company have for their farm and their products is clear, and this is evident in the quality of the sauces they produce. Their chilis are organic and home grown and their ever expanding range of sauces are ones you should check out. If habanero heat is not for don't worry they have a full range of tasty stuff worth giving a go.

Check out their online farm shop here and pick up a bottle from them direct or from Scorchio by clicking here and look forward to a bottle of joy from these easy going people.

The Upton Cheyney Chilli Farm

@chilli_farmer run the wonderful Upton Cheyney Chilli Company. They even a have a farm you can visit too. The farm is open throughout the growing season from March to November. They are a friendly bunch there eager to share their chilli expertise and enthusiasm with you offering tours through the chili tunnels. Currently there are 2 poly large tunnels. One (a 15ft x 20ft tunnel) is used for germination and propagation, whilst the other (a 20ft x 60ft tunnel) has been used this year for the main growing crop. 

Throughout the tour and at any part during your visit useful the staff are on hand to provide you with great advice on growing your own chilli plants and to cap it off a great range of taste samples at the end! Click the picture below to go straight to the farm shop and treat yourself.

Whats different from other chilli sauce producers and Upton Cheyney is all products manufactured by them use their own organically grown chillies and home grown supply of garlic and onion. The chilli sauces and chilli jams are lovingly made in small batches in the kitchen of our farm shop too. These people put real love and passion into their sauce making so if you get the chance give then some support and visit them at Manor Farm, Upton Cheyney, Bristol, BS30 6NQ. If your around at the right time check out their very own chilli festival on September 10th.

Their website has sooo much more information so check them out on the farm by clicking here

Upton Cheyney Chilli Company: Oak Smoked Chipotle Sauce

@Chilli_Farmer Upton Cheney Chilli Company were recent discovery to me and I was very keen to try out their range of homely looking chili hot sauces. First up is their Oak Smoked Chipotle Sauce. The bottle is understated and raises your curiosity of the contents. The word Chipotle always gets my attention but I first noted the words above 'oak smoked' had me reaching to open the bottle as soon as I received it.

The sauce smells gorgeous, thick and sweet from the molasses and crucially smokey! if you check out their website you will find that their fresh red ripe Jalapeno's are oak smoked for 18 hours!!!! Before being ground up to create a chipotle spice. Now that's dedication to good sauce making.

I have tasted many chipotle sauces that rely too much on the flavour of the chipotle alone to carry the sauce through. This is not the case for the Upton Cheyney Chilli Company creation. This medium heat sauce will have you salivating and reaching for more instantly with its addictive sweet heat. I highly recommend checking out this sauce. You won't be disappointed. Click here to pick some Oak Smoked Chipotle Sauce from Scorchio

This sauce even has the seal of approval from my partner who is a chipotle sauce lover "I wholly approve of the smokey taste of this sauce it is one of the nicest chipotle sauces I have ever tasted" 

After writing this review I couldn't stop myself, and made a plate of nachos covered in the sauce then decided to pick up a pack of chicken wings and marinate ready for a BBQ in the evening. The bottle didn't last me the whole weekend and is already on my wish list.....

To investigate other sauces the Upton Cheyney Chilli Company have Take a look at the farm here

Pictures of Chilli Plants I have Grown

Here are some pictures of chili plants I have grown throughout the 2010 and 2011 season. Hopefully they will inspire you to grow some yourself

Red Jalapeno Chilli Plant

Twilight Chilli Pepper Plant

Big Jim Chilli Pepper Plant

Scotch Bonnet Chilli Plant

White Fire Chilli Pepper Plant

Lucha Future

A Brief slice of mexicana for you my chilli friends. Alongside chilli I find you cant beat a bit if tequila and mexicana! I will tonight be attending LUCHA FUTURE to watch Mexican wrestling, drink Mexican beer and eat chilli covered nachos! If you want to find out more click on the link above or picture below to get some mexican in your life and do something different.