Why are my Chilli's so mild this year?

A question asked to me by @Marksvegplot I have looked around for a few answers on this one and there is a slight varied opinion. Despite Chilli plants being easy to grow. Growing them well is quite hard. Everything must be as perfect as possible. Enough sun, the right amount of water, the correct feed at the correct time, not too much heat for the roots, just enough heat for the plant......

You may have watered the plant too much, which can result in a large, leafy plant with mildly flavoured peppers. Chilli plants like to be watered but they don't like wet feet. Over watering may result in the fruit being watery too and relatively tasteless. Others also indicate that the quality and length of the sunshine will influence the heat of the pepper. This can ofter be a problem with the wonderful British summer! Chilis grown in a greenhouse or windowsill may have more light and become hotter. I have recently grown a number of my plants out doors in my south facing garden so the plants get a fair amount of sunlight but as a result am I depriving myself of some heat?

This year I have also used the chilligrow from greenhouse sensation which has produced some great plants with large crops but i have selected mild chili plats to test so have not noticed a drop in their heat. This system claims to deliver the right amount of water. Perhaps next year I will experiment with some hotter plants

If you are lucky when you grow you own your chilli will show its appreciation and love you back. One of my jalapeno plants this year has produced an almost heart shaped chilli

Jalapeno chili plant

Chiligrow by Greenhouse Sensation

Tears of the Sun Hot Sauce Review by Chris Caffery

Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Savatage guitarist Chris Caffery has teamed up with High River Sauces to release a gourmet hot sauce called Tears of The Sun.

"Ever since my first world tour in 1987 I have been on a global hunt for great hot sauces. About six years ago I began making my own. Trial and error led me to a sauce that had something very unique. My fellow band and crew members loved it so much I would actually make batches in catering on my recent tours. I am truly excited to finally be able to share Tears of The Sun with fellow chili heads" states Caffery about his inspiration behind his newest craft"

The Tears of The Sun Hot Sauce will be released on September 12th and can be pre ordered on the High River Sauces website here . Each bottled pre ordered will be personally signed by Chris Caffery.

The description you find on the High River website sounds like it will be a tasty and powerful sauce ready to bring lasting warmth as the summer begins to end. click in the picture to find out more!

Tears of the sun is a deliciously dangerous blend of habanero peppers and tropical fruit. Your taste buds are greeted by the sweetness, then rising like the sun on a hot summer day the heat settles in to make this unique sauce. Chicken, pork, fish, vegetables, hot dogs, tortilla chips, even a bagel with cream cheese…if your food is crying for help…it’s crying for some Tears of the Sun

@Chilli_Farmer Upton Cheyney Chilli Festival 10th Sept

The annual Chilli Festival will taking place on September 10th 2011 will be their third festival and its shaping up to be the best yet! Sadly I wont be able to make this one but have already pencilled it in for next year! 

This mini festival looks a delight and different from others focusing on families and the whole day experience not just endless chilli stores but more about the farm and the chilli itself. Instead you get some carefully selected chili stalls listed below.

There will be a chile growers competition, demonstrations on sauce making and smoking using a Bradley Smoker as well as larger scale smoking using our soon to be constructed smoke house!

Food and drink will will be available all day with a chilli themed BBQ running. The farm shop opening its doors for chilli related cuisine in the evening, and a cider influenced bar being open from midday through till close.

Back by popular demand too is the bouncy castles slides, and the Kangaroo boxing suits alongside traditional farmyard fun and games. Pony rides and tractor rides will be taking place and of course everyone is encouraged to walk around the farm taking in the amazing scenery and far-reaching views.

The daytime event - which starts at midday - will have a small entrance fee, whilst the evening event is tickets only and this has been sold out due to popular demand! The evening will be slightly less chilli related, although our bands will keep the crowds hot hot hot with their funky sounds!

chilli heads confirmed to attend include: 

• Hot Headz - Chilli Sauces, crisps, nuts and sundries
• The Upton Cheyney Chilli Co -
• Lilys Chillies - lovely hand crafted pottery
• Bath Pig - delicious chorizo from UK farmed pork.
• Davids Chilli Oil - a unique chilli oil that surpasses any other oil
• Stoke Gifford Spices - mixing spices
• Bart Spices - Bristols very own spice importer who now also grow chillies
• The Bath Doorstop - Bath's very own specialist door stop manufacturer, supplying a limited edition range of chilli themed door stops!
• Simpson Seeds - a huge range of chilli seeds including the super hot 1.5m SHU
• Carolines Jewellery - some of the most lovely chilli themed gems
• Seaspring Seeds - Seeds and plants from the developers of the one time hottest chilli in the world - The Dorset Naga.
• The Scrump Project - a community project involved in pressing fruits from ancient and redundant orchards. Watch out for their one-off chilli apple juice!
• The Wood Bodger - traditional wood turner, crafting wooden chillies in front of your eyes

 If you cant make it to the festival, at least pick yourself up some of their sauces.The

Upton Cheyney Chilli Company - Fruity Chilli Sauce pictured on the right tastes great with a pasty. you can pick some up from Scorchio by clicking here or go direct to the farm shop too.

Meet @SinfulSauces They look good and taste great!

At West Dean chilli fiesta 2011 I had the pleasure of meeting with Kelly and Paul the husband and wife team who run Sinful Sauces. I have watched this company with great interest since hearing about them. They both undoubtedly love chillis. Before I met them and tried any of their products i did wonder will fantastic visuals, marketing and websites be backed up by the same amount of passion and flavour in their products? I am very happy to say that i wasn't left disappointed. Sinful Sauces have brought a very special range to the chilli world for us all to enjoy with products for everyone in the very clever Seven Deadly Sins range.

What may have started out as a small, fleeting idea in the summer of 2010 has quickly evolved into the great Sinful Sauces we see today in a very short time! Their product range is split into sauces, spreads and pickles made from hand-picked ingredients and designed to tempt even the most novice of chilli enthusiasts through to the hardened chili head.

Many companies have hot sauces on the market and there is strong competition. How many company's do you know with a chilli peanut butter? I know two including Sinful sauces and the other isn't worth mentioning. Your a chilli head.... you have the same dull toast each morning.. you like peanut butter occasionally...Hmmmm I wonder if... yes chilli peanut butter was born and not only that but cashew and choc hazlenut too. these are not to be missed. I have tasted one of them with a review to follow but unfortunately for me and great for them all sauces and tasters had sold out before I reached the store at West Dean. they were even considering driving home making more overnight and coming back the next morning just to ensure the chilli heads weren't disappointed. That's commitment,  that's passion, that's just one of the many reasons I have come to love Sinful Sauces.

Please go and check these guys out somewhere and give your taste buds what they are after. Which is your favourite sin? Perhaps Passion with pineapple and habanero or Wrath with smoked garlic and Naga. I hope to have the opportunity to try and review every sin for you once I get my hands on them all.

To meet up with the good people in Sinful Sauces click here to be taken to a page showing you which festivals they will be attending. If you cant get to a festival then below is a list of the stockists. click here for an update of this list

Hot Headz - Wholesaler of Sinful Sauces. Playing with fire since 1994!

Chilli Pepper Pete - Brightons premiere Chilli store and sauce producer

Selfridges - Voted best department store in the world!

The Devil's Garden - It's always hot in the Devils Garden!

St. Giles Cheese - Incredible boutique cheese store (with a whole lot more too!)

Nicholson's Butchers - Multiple award winning, Lancashire based butchers

Jack The Rooster - The hottest restaurant in Finland!

Burleydam Garden Centre - Voted 5th best garden centre in the UK!