Growing the World’s Hottest Chillies
There is absolutely no doubt that growing peppers and chillies is easy, so why not try and grow the world’s hottest chillies?
If you are seriously into hot chillies, and you don’t know about the Naga chilli, there’s a treat in store for you. This little number has been described by some as a killer, with YouTube footage showing lesser mortals gasping and screaming (some even claiming it is lethal!).
Nagas, the hottest chillies in the world.
So why on earth would you grow Naga chillies? Why indeed.
Why People Grow Naga Chillies
First of all it is as easy to grow ordinary run-of-the-mill chillies as it is to grow the world’s hottest chillies. That’s the first reason.
There is also the fact that lots of gardeners like to do things that other people don’t choose to do.
Or maybe you want to make your own pepper spray.
Or perhaps you just want to do it to see what you can produce using these earth-shattering hotties.
Right now not many people grow these heat bogglers. So if you are tempted, get yourself some seed and do it now.
How to Grow Naga Chillies
First off you need to get the seed. This will probably involve an Internet search because the Naga is not something your local nursery or garden centre is likely to stock. It also won’t come with instructions in terms of soil and so on; but peppers and chillies aren’t too fussy.
To grow Nagas successfully, you need a relatively well drained soil; dig in some manure and/or compost to improve it. Then you sow the seed directly into the prepared beds, to a depth of about 10-15 mm. Firm the soil and water until the seeds germinate and emerge.
Generally you will get too many successful plants emerging, so choose the best – kill the rest. And if there isn’t space in the bed, move the rest of the seedlings somewhere else.
Harvesting and Using Nagas
Having successfully grown the world’s hottest chillies, you MIGHT feel a bit intimidated in terms of using them. A common approach is to slice off the tip of a ripe chilli and eat it raw. It’s not a bad idea, but unless you really are a heat-freak you will probably gasp …
If you aren’t gasping yet – go for it… if not, don’t stop here.
Nagas can be used in a variety of ways, not least of which is to make “Tabasco”. Alternatively you could try chopping bits of the chilli up and adding them to vodka and similar spirits.
If the chilli-pepper (Tabasco look-alike) idea appeals to you, here what to do:
Naga Tabasco Sauce
Take a bunch of peppers (about 40) and chop them up. Peel and chop up a head of garlic and pop into a cup of water with the chillies. Bring to the boil and simmer until tender. Drain a press through a sieve.
Then add a tablespoon of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, and at least a teaspoon of grated horseradish to a cup of hot vinegar. Bring to the boil and simmer until blended. Add a tablespoon or more of ground paprika to add colour to the sauce.
Pour into hot glass jars and seal. When cool store in the fridge.
If it is too thick, or too hot, then thin with either vinegar or salad oil before using.
ENJOY!
Annette Welsford has a partial degree in Horticulture and a Post Graduate Certificate in marketing. Having lived in the cold, temperate and hot parts of Australia and the UK, she has gained experience over the years with gardening in a variety of climates. Annette also worked for a fertilizer company where she was responsible for developing, editing and publishing a range of technical manuals on nutrition and fungal diseases for a wide range of horticultural crops including tomatoes. Annette is Managing Director of Commonsense Marketing Pty Ltd, a publishing and marketing company, responsible for the editing, design and worldwide marketing of the How to Grow books, and other products. Commonsense Marketing also provides expert offline and online marketing consulting and design services to a variety of small to medium sized businesses.
Tags: Naga chilli, Naga chillies, pepper spray, Tabasco sauce, World’s Hottest Chillies
