Gardens: Tomato Tip and Pepper Question

[Beth]

Thanks to SusanT for the tip about using rubber snakes in the garden. The birds got to my first 2 romas before we picked them, so I told DH about the snake idea. He laughed but thought it was worth a try. Finding them was harder than I expected, but 3 stores later I had several and spread themout in the garden the next day. I am happy to report that the birds are eating at my feeders and not on the tomatoes!

Now, does anyone know why some jalepenos grow so mildly and others pack so much heat? It's still early, but we've harvested a few jalepenos. I think DH used a couple earlier that were not unusual, but the one he used in a salsa we made tonight really packed some heat. He used half of one and had to add more tomato to the salsa.

[kwormann]

no answer for you, but can I come for dinner? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif (HOMEMADE salsa from your garden!!!!!)

Kim

[sneezles]

OK, so now you not only have tomatoes but your jalapeños are ready too?

[Vanessa]

Hi Beth
Wow I am very impressed you have tomatoes & jalapeños from your garden ALREADY?
We just started this Sunday. The plants were in our deck but it will be a while for tomatoes. Last yr we tried a 4th of July the earliest one gets around MD but it was not to DH's liking. This yr I am doing Roma, EArly Girl, yellow.
About your hot peppers. We grew several types but early in the season they were not as "hot". The jalapenos were consistent later in the season as they got bigger and some red. The habaneros were hot always.

[Beth]

Kim, we had plenty. Wish you had joined us.

I always thought the heat in the peppers had something to do with sun. I guess we were getting pretty warm, but not really hot yet, and these are the early ones. If it keeps up, our pepper jelly should be really good this year! Last year it was so mild I added dried pepper.

I should add one commenton the snakes. My second stop was Toy R Us, and the only thing they had was a 6 ft long Discovery CHannel snake. I called DH and he said go ahead. I found a couple of smaller ones at Walmart, and we put all of them out along with some little party favor snakes (not glow in the dark though, darn it!).

DH was watering this past weekend and said he nearly jumped when he saw that big fellow looking back at him. He was so impressed with that and the fact that the birds were staying away that when we took the boys to the museum of natural science, he bought himself a present -- a rubber coral snake.

[Leanne]

I feel like I've heard that the heat in a jalepeno depends on how long it grows on the plant. Not sure though. (The longer, the hotter.)

[SandyM]

I'm starting to get concerned about my plants - the plants haven't grown much since I put them in the ground three weeks ago (we midwesterners have had too much rain, after all) but there are flowers on my tomato plants, and I actually saw real live peppers sprouting on my jalapeno plants. I'm wondering how this will all turn out - now that I've conquered the deer problem with coyote urine........ http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[SusanT]

Beth, glad the "snakes" worked out for you! I need to find some for mine which hopefully will soon be ripening.

As to your pepper question, it's one of nature's mysteries why some peppers are hotter than others. Most of the heat in the peppers comes from the membrane (the white stuff that holds the seeds in place). Are you perhaps sometimes using the membrane and sometimes not? I generally cut all of this away since the heat usually disagrees with me.

I'm happy to report that two of my tomato plants have more than 20 tomatoes between the two of them and I have some eggplants forming! I also have bell peppers and cucumbers that are setting fruit as well.

[Beth]

Well, good thing we got some early tomatoes, because they may all be washed away soon. We are getting so much rain that I'm sure anything on the vine will split, rot or be swept away. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif Hope the snakes don't wash away, just in case!

Do we have a smiley with an umbrella?