Wedesday Lagniappe*: A Heck of a Peck of Peppers

Every garden season is different and different plants do well each season.  Last year was "eggplant palooza" and I harvested tons of eggplant.  This year, my peppers are going crazy, and I usually have only fair to middlin' luck with them.  I planted and potted anchos, bells and pimentos and am being reward with lots of them!  I find the easiest thing to do with peppers to preserve them is to wash, de-seed, slice and freeze them on a cookie sheet.  I put them in a one-gallon, resealable plastic bag.  Over the winter, I simply pull out what I need to pop the rest back into the freezer.  This is good for fleshy, thick-walled sweet peppers. I intend to treat my anchos differently, to roast them whole and freeze them.  When I grow other chilies, I string them together in a ristra (bundle) and hang them to dry in a dark closet.

Happy gardening!

* "Lagniappe:"  Cajun for something extra

Potted Pepper Success

After lack of success with peppers planted in the ground, I began to pot then up and have had success. A few words of advice: the bigger the pot the better- use at least a 5 gallon pot for full sized bell peppers, though chili peppers can use a smaller pot. Plastic pots, with drain holes, drain well but do not dry out as fast as terra cotta. Use regular potting soil, adding organic fertilizer according to package directions, plus one tablespoon Epsom salts for the magnesium. Above are photos of my loaded red bell pepper and my orange pimento plants. So, if you have trouble with in-ground peppers, try potting them up!
Happy gardening!