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Post by chiltepin on Mar 27, 2019 1:03:25 GMT -6
Hi I'm Wayne. I am a foodie, gardener and amature chili head. I discovered chiltepin hot sauce, while dining at a "Mexican " Mexican restaurant. That lead me down the chiltepin path. A wild chile that grows in the foothills in Sonora. Some say it was the original chile pepper. And then there was the time I wanted to make Jamaican jerk seasoning and the Caribbean store didn't have scotch bonnet peppers. And then there was my interest in learning Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian food. Oh, by the way did I mention Mexican chiles and Mexican food. This all led me to Macmex and Oklahoma seed savers,I'm very thankfull to be here.
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Post by macmex on Mar 27, 2019 6:22:05 GMT -6
Wayne, we're happy to have you! I grew up in NJ with many Italian friends, some of whom loved hot peppers. My father loved to grow different kinds of peppers. I remember one summer when he grew several kinds of chiltepines, at the time I didn't even notice where they came from.
After I was grown and married, we moved to Mexico and served there as missionaries for about 14 years. There, we encountered a good number of chiles. While living about 8 years in the State of Hidalgo, we discovered Chile Rayado. It was always sold in the market, smoked and dried. It brought top dollar. It became my wife's absolute favorite. Though I often visited the mountainous region where it was grown, I never managed to get out there when they were harvesting. I'd ask for seed, and no one had any. They all belonged to a co-op. One or two members processed seed. One or two started seedlings and distributed them to everyone else for planting. At harvest, they got smoked ASAP and shipped off to sale. Most went to gourmet chefs in Germany, who had a big contract with the co-op.
I looked for seed, on and off, for six years, without success. Finally, we returned to the USA, but once a year, for about 10 more years, I would return to teach an annual module at the Bible Institute where I had served. One year the module was broken up by a long holiday weekend and many of my students went home for the weekend. I was pleasantly surprised when they returned, as many brought me gifts of seeds from their villages. One handed me a bag of Chile Rayado seed. I bet there was a whole cup of seed in that bag! I brought it home and have been growing it ever since.
Incidentally, we don't smoke our Chile Rayado peppers, we just dehydrate them. Yet, they still have a smokey flavor. They're HOT. One dried pepper in a large crockpot of stew is about all my wife and daughter will tolerate, but the flavor is... oh so GOOD!
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Post by meandtk on Mar 27, 2019 8:14:48 GMT -6
chiltepin, From one newbie to another, welcome. macmex, What region did you minister in? We have contact with a few Mexican ministers and churches. One moved to the states 20 years ago to minister to Hispanics who work in MS’s chicken industry.
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Post by macmex on Mar 28, 2019 5:54:10 GMT -6
We were a little over 5 years in the State of Puebla and a bit over 8 years in the State of Hidalgo. The first was a high, cold rain forest environment and the latter was in the Bajío, a fairly arid, warmer environment. Chile Rayado is typically grown in an area that includes parts of three States (Hidalgo, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí) called la Huesteca. In their native environment, they are just a little higher up (and slightly cooler) than where they grow coffee. They do get an occasional freeze. There is also abundant rainfall, except for about 1 1/2 months of dry season, starting in April.
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Post by chiltepin on Apr 5, 2019 1:34:47 GMT -6
Hi Bon. I have been busy lately with work, gardening, cooking ect. Had some pepper seed start sprouting. I'm excited about that. My food movement friend is supplying me with composted goat manure, I'm excited about that also. Bought some seeds at the feed store, ordered more from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. More corn ,beans and winter squash for the three sisters concept.
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Post by philagardener on Apr 5, 2019 19:21:32 GMT -6
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Post by mjclark on Apr 22, 2019 9:01:55 GMT -6
Here on the. Each in North Carolina...its always a challenge growing here with the water in my back yard..(my tomatoes should not need salt..lol,) Look forward to meeting everyone and swapping some seeds
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