Good morning, and here is the news. The chilli crisis has now reached epidemic proportions. They have taken over the fridge, the freezer, the kitchen, the larder and the conservatory. In an attempt to control numbers, many have been dried and imprisoned in jars, but the jars have now crowded most of the cupboard space. And they are still breeding in the garden. In a desperate last-ditch manoeuvre, I tried the neutralising tactic of adding them to a caramelised red onion chutney, but to no avail (ingredients: red onions, bay leaves, olive oil, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar — and chillies). Pickling was also suggested, but it didn't restrain them for long (pickling liquid: white vinegar, water, peppercorns, fennel seeds, salt, caster sugar, bay leaves). Watch out: they may soon be wriggling down a road near you. I shall not be in hot pursuit.
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| Pickled chillies. |
Some think it incredibly silly
To eat a bowl full of raw chilli
When tradition agrees
It's best roasted with cheese —
Rocamadour, Reblechon or Caerphilly.
12 comments:
Why not put a notice at the gate - Hot chillies, free to good homes.
In similar crisis situations (courgettes, damsons, lettuce etc.) we usually put the stuff in a large basket or box(es) outside the garden gate with a sign "Help yourself". Works wonders.
I like the suggestions to put them out for the community. And with your handsome handwriting you could write out your sweet poem with an added "see for yourself" at the end. :)
Yes, we must do this, there are lots of baskets at village gates urging one to take free apples, pears etc. But it's the free poems idea that attracts me the most! I think Ruth is right. You need to put the fruit with the poem as a sweetener...
You could put the chillies in a large basket with multi poems accompanying them and still they would sit there, because I would not take even one, one chili, one poem, one piece of cash. There are some things that are best left, and chillies are definitely those.
Stella
? No cash at stake here, Jo.
What can I say? I think the basket at the gate with the please take sign is your best bet, - and next year you might consider planting fewer chilli plants.
Send some to Korea. They just can't get enough of 'em. I think they slice 'em onto their breakfast cereal.
In the end, there's always the compost heap.
Hildred, I only planted two!
Goat, they seem to have enough of them over there, I think I'll take up Sabine's suggestion and make the hot box even hotter...
Dear Solitary walker,
It is such a pitty you cannot ship some of them to Buenos Aires, just last Sunday I paid half a pound for only 2 extra small chillies...
You can try one last recipe... chilli chutney... and then in addition to the basket with free fruits, you can put some jars with your preserves experiments!
Good luck!
Warm hugs,
Cris
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/8322/evil-chilli-chutney.aspx
Hi Cris! That chilli chutney sounds wicked. Thanks for dropping by; it's always nice to hear from you!
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