End of October Garden #GardenCuizine

End of October - Fall Harvest

How can it be Halloween and the end of October already? I'm sad to see the garden season wrapping up. As always, the many varieties of coleus didn't disappoint and will continue growing in one of our raised beds and in pots all around until a killing frost. The striking plants are blooming tiny, blue blossoms, which are beautiful! I started a few flats of cuttings to grow for next year. Coleus is easy to root from cuttings.

We didn't get many dahlias this year, but then, we didn't plant many. I miss my cousin Bob who passed away years ago now. Bob was my go-to source for dahlia tubers. It hasn't been the same without him.

As always, we harvested lots of heirloom tomatoes and peppers. The jalapenos keep on coming! I plan to snip a few bunches of Rosemary to take in before a freeze.

We had a surprise Fall Monarch sighting on October 25th, just in time for Loretta's birthday!! I couldn't believe it. I've been obsessed with Monarch's this year. Did you know that Fall monarch's migrate to Mexico? I find that fascinating and look forward to trying to photograph and witness a roost of them next Monarch migration 2022 at Cape May Point.

Our South Jersey garden has some strange things growing too, such as Passion fruits. For years I tried to get Passion vines growing to no avail. Now, it is growing all over, like a pesky weed. The fruits are extremely seedy. We don't use them in the kitchen.

What is still growing in your garden?

You can view more of my photos (and Harry's too) on Fine Art America.

Best for a Happy & Healthy Halloween!

Photos and blog post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved

Photo of our last Dahlia (Show 'n Tell) and hot Peppers of 2020! #GardenCuizine

Hope you all had a healthy and Happy Thanksgiving! We had a quiet, but safe one. It felt great to spend time cooking and baking. Of course, we missed mom terribly. She was still with us this time last year. She loved the holiday season. She especially loved my homemade pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert!!

Just thought I'd share a photo of our last harvest of 2020 (see above). We're still savoring the peppers and tomatillos! I'm headed out to the garden today to pick some rosemary if it is still alive. What's still growing in your garden?

Photo Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Healthy Stuffed Peppers #recipe #GardenCuizine #eatright

Healthy Stuffed Peppers
High Vitamin C, Lean Quality Protein

The first time I made stuffed peppers was in culinary school at The Academy of Culinary Arts in Mays Landing, NJ. I remember Chef Matt really liked the way they turned out. We don't make them at home too often; I'm not sure why because they are easy to make. 

Bell peppers are most affordable if you grow your own or you buy them on sale at the market. Stuffed peppers make a very nutritious dinner entree. Bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A. Peppers also provide other important nutrients including dietary fiber.

I don't usually follow a recipe, but have one below that you can use as a guide. This is another GardenCuizine "freestyle recipe". What I mean by that is that you can add or subtract any of the ingredients to your liking and the recipe will still turn out. For example, if you didn't have any fresh tomatoes - don't worry about it - just don't put them in. Or, if you don't like hot peppers - simply don't add them.

The more you cook at home, the more comfortable you will feel to create your own signature recipes. These classic stuffed peppers could also be made using Boca burger crumbles for the protein; or a combination of beans and quinoa to make them vegetarian. 

Serves 4-5 
Ingredients 
1 cup Brown Basmati Rice
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
pinch salt and black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried hot pepper or red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil 

6 Bell Peppers any color (or only 4 peppers if they are long in shape)
1 lb. lean ground beef (or turkey or Boca burger crumbles - a small pkg. of ground beef may be .75 lbs or a little less than one lb. - close enough)
3/4 - 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 can 28oz (794g) Cento San Marzano peeled tomatoes with basil (or small jar pasta sauce; or 16 ounces homemade pasta sauce)
1/2 medium onion (1 cup) chopped
whatever amount (~1 cup) you have of pepper chopped from around the removed stems
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley (we've substituted seasoning celery that was still growing in our winter garden!)
1/2 cup or more reduced fat shredded cheese

Putting it all together 
First cook the rice: On stove top over medium heat saute minced garlic and hot pepper in olive oil. Stir in the rice. Add water, bay leaf and seasonings. Bring to boil; reduce heat to simmer cover and cook 45 minutes. Turn off heat. Set aside. Remove bay leaf. You will only need to use 1 cup of the cooked rice to mix with the ground meat. By cooking extra rice you can save time and use the leftovers for another meal.

Wash the peppers. Cut the tops off. Remove the membranes and seeds. Carefully cut around the pepper stem and pull off the stem with the seeds intact so seeds don't go all over the place. You may have some peppers that may not be the perfect size for stuffing. Longer bell peppers can be cut in half. Any usable pepper attached to the stems can be chopped and sauteed along with the onion. 

For larger, long bell peppers - cut the stem out of the top and use the pepper to fill too (don't worry about it having a hole in the "bottom". To clarify: for example, we had 4 bell peppers, two red, one orange, and one yellow. You can see in the photo that the two red peppers were huge and long. So, I cut them in half, which gave us two top halves plus the 4 bottoms - now we had 6 peppers to stuff. Also, some peppers may need a small slice cut off their bottom so they stand in the baking dish without falling over.

Saute the onion and any pepper pieces until the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic and seasonings (note that no added salt is needed in the meat filling). Stir in the ground meat and cook until almost done. Stir in one cup cooked rice, the fresh tomatoes and chopped parsley. Turn off heat.

Open the can of San Marzano tomatoes and squeeze the tomatoes - crush with your clean hands as you add the tomatoes and most of the sauce to your baking dish. If you have any leftover add it to the ground meat mixture. Or, use 8 ounces of homemade sauce in the bottom of your baking dish and 8 more ounces of sauce mixed in with the ground meat.

Fill the peppers with the ground meat mixture. Cover with foil and bake 40-45 minutes.

Remove foil and sprinkle tops with shredded reduced fat cheese. Return to oven uncovered and continue baking until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling. About another 20-30 minutes.

Serve with a side garden salad and homemade corn bread.

Buon Appetito!
GardenCuizine Stuffed Peppers Nutrition Data coming soon...
Blog post reicpe and photos Copyright (C)2015 Wind. All rights reserved.

Extra Garden Hot Peppers? Make Hot Pepper Jelly︱Adds gourmet touch to muffins and entrees #GardenCuizine

Homemade Jalapeño
 Hot Pepper Jelly

Growing peppers will always provide you a bountiful harvest. Insects seem to stay away from pepper plants and peppers will keep on coming right up until a killing frost. The photo above shows yet another batch of organically grown peppers (and heirloom tomatoes) fresh picked during October in our backyard garden. And, here it is November already, and peppers are still growing!

Even with just a few plants, extra hot peppers can pile up quickly. Hot peppers can only be utilized in recipes so fast. Ways of preserving the harvest are good to know, such as hot sauce, salsas or drying and grinding hot peppers for Homemade Ground Pepper Spices. This year we've already made a few batches of hot pepper jelly. 

Unlike what you may think, pepper jelly is not just for hot pepper lovers, even mom - who coughs at the thought of eating spicy foods - says, "this tastes pretty good." Especially when served as a condiment or glaze with pork, chicken, tofu or fish. Try a dab of pepper jelly over your favorite creamy cheese on whole grain crackers, or as a spread on fresh baked cornbread or muffins. Creative culinary ideas are endless - the flavor is memorable. 

Watch for the recipe 

to be published tomorrow, November 2, 2013

on Dave's Garden

Jalapeño Nutrition

• Good source Vitamin C

GardenCuizine Nutrition data: 1 Hot Jalapeño pepper (14g): 4 calories; dietary Fiber (2% DV); 112 IU Vitamin A (2% DV); 6 mg Vitamin C (10% DV)

Related Links: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
Capsaicin - used medically
More about Capsicum - American Cancer Society
Blog post and photos Copyright (C)2013 Wind. All rights reserved.

Energizing breakfast or brunch: Peppers and Eggs #GardenCuizine

 
Add Nutrition to your scrambled

egg breakfast with

Sweet Banana Frying Peppers

Low sodium, low fat, Sweet Banana Frying Peppers in scrambled eggs adds great flavor and an excellent source of dietary Fiber and Vitamins B6, C, and K to your recipes. Sweet Banana Peppers also provide a good source of potassium and vitamin A. Enjoy this tasty, easy way to add veggies to your breakfast.

GardenCuizine Peppers and Eggs freestyle recipe: meaning that you do not need to measure ingredients. Use as many eggs or Egg Beaters that you wish to use to serve the number of guests coming for breakfast or brunch. Figure on at least one sweet banana pepper per person.

Ingredients: 
Eggs* (we prefer free range organic or Egg Beaters. *You can use tofu for a vegan option)
Sweet Banana Frying Peppers (nothing beats organic home grown)
Olive oil
fresh herbs as desired  (add turmeric in scrambled tofu)
ground black pepper at the table; no need for added salt

• Wash peppers first
• Cut in half and remove seeds
• Place in microwave safe container with a little water and steam for 1-2 minutes on high
• In a skillet with a generous amount of olive oil, saute, continuously stirring so peppers don't blacken
• Remove and set aside cooked peppers, drain excess oil
• Add Egg Beaters or scrambled eggs to skillet
• At the very end of cooking the eggs, stir in cooked peppers
• Serve hot and enjoy!

GardenCuizine Sweet Banana Peppers Nutrition data: 4 medium (4 ½-inch long) sweet banana frying peppers: 48 calories; 0.8g total fat (1%DV); 24mg sodium (1%DV); 8g dietary fiber (32%DV); 624 IU vitamin A (12% DV); 17.6 mcg vitamin K (22%DV); 0.8 mg vitamin B6 (40%DV); 152 mg vitamin C (253%DV WOW!!); 472 mg potassium (13%DV)
Related Links
Eat More Fruits and Vegetables 
Veggies for Breakfast? yes!
6 Sly Ways to Sneak Veggies into Breakfast
Photo collage and blog post Copyright (C)2013 Wind. All rights reserved.

Hot Jalapeno Pepper Jelly in test kitchen︱ Colorful fall harvest today #GardenCuizine

Today in Our 

South Jersey Garden
October 12, 2013

Still picking organic heirloom tomatoes and jalapenos. Harry made a test kitchen batch of hot jalapeno pepper jelly today using a new recipe. We'll post the recipe soon if it gels.

Happy and Healthy Gardening!
Photo Copyright (C)2013 Wind. All rights reserved.

Next time you make Stuffing, Spice it up! 'n keep it ♥Heart Healthy! #GardenCuizine #gardenchat

"Good Stuff"

Stuffing with Hot Peppers 

from the Garden!

Our mouths were tingling this Thanksgiving from the aromatic, heart-healthy, stuffing made with Capsicum chinense 'Yellow Mushroom' hot peppers from our garden! 

"What's in the stuffing?" was the question asked from someone who used to get heartburn from high fat, high calorie stuffing in the past. Nothing fancy, just a simple classic stuffing with a few added hot peppers. Hot peppers are easy and fun to grow. Try growing some in your garden. 

Okay, so I tossed in a persimmon too! This was our year for experimenting with persimmons in the kitchen. The mild, sweet flavor of persimmon gets lost when combined with anything spicy, I've noticed. But, persimmons add nutrients and dietary fiber.

Heart Healthy Stuffing
No need to add Salt
Think about the main ingredient - bread. Read the bread label. Bread contributes plenty of sodium. 

Low Fat
With plenty of protein from your main entree, their really is no need for added protein in the stuffing, let alone the added saturated fat and calories that meats like bacon or sausage contribute. So at Thanksgiving at our house - you won't find added high fat sausage in stuffing anymore. Gone are the Andouille sausage stuffing days. But, guess what? This was "Good Stuff!" It pleased even the most picky eaters and those seeking pronounced flavor in stuffing. 

Does your stuffing recipe call for using a whole stick (or two!!) of butter or dotting the casserole with butter? Do your arteries a favor, just use a small amount of olive oil when cooking the veggies. Trust me, this stuffing has plenty of flavor and your family will NOT miss the saturated fat and dietary cholesterol from the butter.

GardenCuizine Freestyle Recipe: meaning, no need to measure out ingredients. I'll note what I used, but exact measurements are not necessary. Recipe for 8x8 baking dish. 

Ingredients  
1/2 loaf Challah and/or whole grain bread cubes (or enough to fill up your baking dish)
2/3 cup chopped Celery
Hot Peppers* any kind (we used 2 Yellow mushroom peppers)
2/3 cup chopped Onion
2/3 cup chopped Carrots
1 teaspoon dried Thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground Sage*
1 teaspoon dried Marjoram*
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed Rosemary* 
2 Tablespoons chopped Parsley
1 3/4 cups plus 12 ounces Turkey stock (or vegetable stock if you want to keep the recipe vegetarian) Note: if you're roasting a Turkey make a small pot of stock with the giblets, water and chopped carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, parsley stems and black peppercorns. Turkey stock can be used for gravy too!
3 Eggs
1/8 teaspoon ground Nutmeg 
Persimmon (optional) - we used American native Diospyros virginiana
1 to 2 Tablespoons Olive oil

*or 1 tsp poultry seasoning 

Putting it all together

• Butter your baking dish. 
• Chop up your veggies and saute them in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil until fragrant and somewhat tender. *The key to this recipe is to add just enough hot pepper to please both those who like spicy and those who don't like their food too spicy. Sprinkle sage, rosemary, thyme and marjoram over the veggies while cooking. Ladle in a few scoops (about 12 ounces) of turkey broth. Simmer until carrots are tender and turn off heat and let cool. 
• Meanwhile, cube the bread - no need to let it go stale or dry it out. In a large bowl toss the bread cubes with chopped parsley.
• Add in the sauteed vegetables; stir gently to combine and scoop into baking dish.
• In another bowl whisk 1 3/4 cups cooled stock with the eggs; add nutmeg (you can add a chopped, ripe persimmon - optional). Pour the liquid egg mixture over the seasoned bread cubes. It should be good and moist almost like a bread pudding. Add more broth as needed. You should see the liquid, but it should not cover the top layer of bread cubes.
• Bake at 350°F covered until set (about 30 minutes), remove cover to brown top layer (another 15 minutes or so). 

Buon Appetito!
Photos and blog post Copyright (C) Wind. All rights reserved. Revised 11/26/2021

Tucked away from the #FNCE frenzy in Philly; Today in Our Garden #GardenCuizine

 click on the photo to get a full view 

Today In Our Garden

South Jersey
USDA Zone 7a (formerly zone 6b)

October 7, 2012

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) in Philadelphia is now underway (October 6-9), drawing more than 10,000 Registered Dietitians - myself included. You can follow updates about the conference on Twitter. Everyone is quite eager to Tweet their updates and as a result several hash-tags have emerged: #FNCE, #FNCE2012 and  #FNCE12. 

I was in Philly before the FNCE frenzy - for a 2 1/2 day Weight Management training certification course, which no doubt benefited my nutrition counseling skills. I was sorry to miss the FNCE food photography class and the excursion to Hershey PA though. Proud to be a qualifying participant in a Hershey cocoa focus group, I look forward to going back to Philly this week.

Philadelphia is in our backyard so to speak; it's not a far drive away. But, what's really in our back yard? A fabulous garden. Backyard gardens provide food, physical activity and fun for the whole family. I highly encourage you and your family to try growing your own vegetables and herbs. And, even if you don't have a backyard - plants can be grown in a neighborhood community garden or grown in pots and put out on a balcony or porch. Here is today's spotlight of a few of our select October blooms and foliage.
 
Photo clockwise from top left to right:

• Chiltepin Peppers (Capsicum annuum var. aviculare) - one potted plant produces literally hundreds of tiny round hot peppers; also known as bird peppers. We just took our plant indoors last night. Peppers grow best in warm climates. Chiltepin peppers require a longer growing season than sweet banana peppers or more commonly grown bell peppers. From a culinary perspective, they are well worth the wait. Once red, they can be pulled off the plant and allowed to dry on plates. When dry, the hot peppers can be stored in a spice jar and used as needed in cooking.
• Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) - what more can I say about Chard? I've blogged often about Chard's healthy nutrition profile and how easy it is to grow. Chard comes in many vibrant colors and varieties. The Chard in our garden (Northern Lights Mix) has been amazing - producing greens for our family all Summer long and even now into the Fall.
• Tomatoes are running out of ripening time! Still, so many new flowers with hopes of growing more tomatoes. Knowing how tomatoes dislike cool temperatures - at this time of year, we start picking them green and allowing them to ripen inside on a sunny windowsill.
• Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) - are now black in color and will be picked and saved as seed or used as beads - a fascinating plant.
• Garden Mums are ablaze in Fall colors!
• Purple Beauty Berry (Callicarpa dichotoma) - these berries feed the birds.
• Inky Fingers Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) - my absolute favorite Soleno. I took cuttings last night and have about a dozen plants started under grow lights indoors for new plants that will be for outdoor garden planters next year. If you find your local garden centers do not offer some of your favorite coleus, this is something you can do to propagate hard-to-find cultivars.

Happy and Healthy Gardening!
And, have fun at FNCE if you're an RD headed to, or in, Philadelphia
Related Links
Backyard Gardening: Grow your own food, Improve your Health 
Related Articles by Diana Wind, RD
Ayurvedic Herb: Coleus forskeolii  
Homemade Ground Pepper Spices
Job's Tears - A Fascinating Plant
Chiltepin Peppers Garden Spotlight
Photo collage Copyright (C)2012 Wind. All rights reserved.

My Kind of Hot Chocolate * Jamaican Hot Chocolate Peppers! #GardenCuizine

Jamaican 

Hot Chocolate Peppers

In early Spring this plant didn't look so hot. Today, it's smoking hot with Capsicum chinense Jamaican Hot peppers ready for harvest! The flames of Jamaican Hots are right up there with super hot 100,000+ Scoville unit heat of Habanero chili and Scotch Bonnet hot peppers.

Jamaican Hots need a long growing season before the fruits turn shiny, chocolate brown in color. We always bring a few select potted, gourmet, pepper plants indoors in the Fall to allow any leftover green peppers to finish ripening. The plants remain indoors until Spring at which time we put them back out in full sun. Some years yield better than others.

Jamaican Hots are only 1 1/2 to 2-inches long and resemble prunes in size and shape. Their strong smoky, Caribbean flavor makes a great addition to salsa or hot sauce.

Related Link
Jamaican Hot Chocolate

Garden Spotlight: Chiltepin Peppers * Hot Stuff in a berry-sized Pepper! #GardenCuizine

South Jersey Garden Spotlight 
Chiltepin Peppers
 Shown growing in USDA Zone 7a (formerly zone 6b)

Chiltepin Peppers (Capsicum annuum var. aviculare) look like berries; they can be easily dried and used ground or crushed to add flavor to your favorite foods. A little goes a long way; don't let their size fool you. The little peppers are hot stuff at 50,000-100,000 Scoville units - compared to Jalapeno peppers at 3,500 to 8,000 Scoville units . 

Hot pepper heat varies depending on several factors, including the region where grown and growing conditions. The Scoville organoleptic scale is a measure of the capsaicinoid compound that makes hot peppers hot (0 to 16 million units). Pharmacist Wilbur Scoville created the scale in 1912.

Chiltepin Peppers, also known as Bird Peppers, are a food source for birds in some regions. But in our South Jersey garden, we've never had that concern. Perhaps, because the majority ripen indoors in the fall. Chiltepin plants need a long growing season. We grow our Chiltepins in pots and usually bring them indoors when frost threatens. 

To harvest, wait until the peppers are red and ripe, then pick off the plant and let dry out. We dry Chiltepins inside on a plate, then when completely dry, store in spice jars. Bird pepper skins are thin enough that they dry nicely, without getting moldy inside. 

Clinical studies have shown dietary capsaicin to have properties that may benefit weight loss and lower fasting glucose and leptin levels.   

Related Links

Ark of Taste: Chiltepin Pepper 
Bird Peppers Dave's Garden Plant Files Info 
Scoville Scale for Peppers
Homemade Ground Pepper Spices by Diana Wind, RD
Photo and blog post Copyright (C)2012 Wind. All rights reserved.

Creative, Vitamin C-rich version of Peppers and Eggs #GardenCuizine

Bell Peppers and Eggs

Low Sodium ~ High Vitamin C

This morning we cooked sweet bell peppers with eggs over easy; a creative and tasty way to add vegetable nutrients to breakfast. Sweet bell red peppers are an excellent source of Vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin A. In the past we've made peppers and eggs using sweet banana frying peppers with scrambled Egg Beaters, this was something different.

The idea was inspired from a recent Pinterest post. They weren't as picture perfect as the Pinterest post; the egg whites ran out a little from under the pepper rings, but it added interest to the creation. Everyone enjoyed them! 

Growing Bell Peppers Health Tip

Remember if you're growing bell peppers, let them ripen to yellow, red or orange for sweeter flavor and higher Vitamin C!
 
Ingredients 
Free range eggs (1-2 per person)
Bell Peppers sliced in 1/2 inch rings from the widest ends of the peppers for the number of eggs you plan on cooking
Paprika and/or fresh ground black pepper - optional 
No salt needed!

Putting it all together

• Lightly spray a hot griddle or cooking pan with vegetable oil
• Cook the pepper rings first, turning on each side
• Crack eggs sunny side up into each ring
• Cover and cook until the whites are cooked. If you don't want to overcook the yolks, flip the egg in the pepper ring as you would for eggs over easy and serve.

Buon Appetito!
 
GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis Bell Pepper slice (without the egg): Serving Size 20g 1 ring 1/2-inch thick: Calories 6; total Fat 0g; Sodium 0.4mg (0%DV); Cholesterol 0; dietary Fiber .4g (2%DV); Vitamin A 326IU (12%DV); Vitamin C 26mg (42%DV); Vitamin E 0.4mg (2%DV)

Related Links

Growing Bell Peppers
Blog post and photo collage Copyright (C)2012 Wind. All Rights Reserved.

Make a Hot Pepper Ristra for Good Luck!

Chile Pepper Ristra
Ideal for air drying Hot Peppers

Mexican folklore says that hanging a Ristra on your door or in your home brings good luck! As you harvest your hot peppers, now is a good time to think about stringing together those with thin skins into a Mexican 'Ristra' to air dry. You can easily do this with a large needle and thread to connect the peppers. They can simply hang together in a long line, or the ends can be attached to form a wreath shape.
There are many ways to preserve your pepper harvest besides Ristras. Peppers can be preserved by pickling, made into hot sauce, jelly, canned or blanched and frozen. However, one of the simplest ways is to air dry hot peppers in a Ristra.

Air Drying
Air drying is an easy way to dry hot peppers, especially if they have thin skins. Pequin, a tiny, round Chiltepin (Capisicum annum var. aviculare, 'bird pepper') hot pepper, is one of my absolute favorites. Chiltepin's don't even need to be strung on a Ristra though, they can simply air dry on a plate or sheet pan. My favorite Rista peppers are usually long, thin cayenne or Thai peppers. Remember, thin skinned peppers work the best for air drying.
Pepper Skins, thin or thick?
If your peppers have thick skins such as Tomato Grower's large red thick cayenne or any brand Jalapeno pepper, they will not work well in a Ristra. After several days, the moisture trapped within thick skinned peppers will contribute to mold inside the peppers, making them unsuitable for culinary use. I find many hybrids have skins too thick to air dry, even if I poke a few pin holes in them. They are all different though; for example, Burpee's long thin slim red cayenne peppers dry well, and so does Tomato Grower's Kung Pao hybrid. Both have thin walls for easy drying on a Ristra.

• Please post a comment if you have a favorite pepper that works well for Ristra air drying

If your peppers are thick skinned, one way to avoid mold forming inside the peppers is to cut them in half lengthwise using culinary shears. This will permit optimal air circulation. Allow the pile of cut peppers to dry on a large plate or sheet pan and stir them around every few days. When they are thoroughly dry, they can be stored in airtight containers. Obviously, after the peppers are cut in half they can't be used in a Ristra, but they will still be a tasty seasoning for your foods throughout the year.
If your not sure if your peppers have thin or thick skins, let a few air dry on a plate for a week or two then cut one open, if it appears moldy inside, discard the moldy ones and from then on your best bet is to start cutting that variety open to air dry, and preserve them by another means.

Ristra Home Decor
In addition to being useful and functional, Ristras store dried peppers in an artistic, decorative way that looks great hanging in your home. Ristras make appreciated and thoughtful gifts from your garden too. Store bought Ristras, unless stated otherwise, may have been shellacked or varnished and should not be used for culinary purposes. For the safest and best Ristra, make your own!
Ristra Strings
The Ristra is just a bunch of hot peppers attached together by a thread, string, or fish line. I use a large needle and thread and simply string the needle with the thread, making a knot at the beginning (and again at the end). Then string together the peppers, pushing them together to close up any gaps.

• Ristras can be all sizes and shapes. I tend to use the simplest method and allow them to hang straight down, but as I mentioned you can connect the ends and make a wreath too.
• Ristras can hang to dry outside under an overhang, from a pot rack in your kitchen, or in any dry area.

Don't leave your Ristra hanging forever!
Ristras look great hanging in the kitchen; however,don't get too attached and let it hang up there for years to collect dust. Especially since the peppers are the real deal and not fake. A good rule of thumb is to use the peppers as you need them throughout the off season, and then before the new harvest, take what is left down and store the leftover peppers in an airtight container.

Related Links
Chile Ristras Brighten Border Homes by Doug Perez and Martha A. Sandoval, El Paso Community College
Cluster Braid and Red Chile Sauce Recipe by Priscilla Grijalva, New Mexico State University Extension

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.