The 2015 Chilli Thread

That's a very good crop

I don't process my chillies. Some of our ShineyHybrids are kept to dry as they dry very easily just in the sunshine on a windowsill.

All other chillies and the ShineyHybrids are sold for our charity. I've just had an order from an Indian takeaway in the nearest town for three Naga plants. That'll save me time taking them into the Asian wholesalers in the big town. We'll be passing the takeaway this evening.

These are the plants.





They are special Nagas and they would cost, at the wholesalers, 50p per chilli. I shall negotiate with the restaurant.

 

We grow a lot of plants and sell some when we open our garden at the end of May. The others are a matter of doing a slight selling job

In a town 7 miles from us there is an Asian wholesaler who sells mainly to Indian restaurants but also to the public. I buy my spices and rice down there (20kg Basmati rice for £14) so I ask them whether they want some Nagas to sell and tell them that the money goes to the charity we support. Nagas are the most popular chillies particularly in the Bangladeshi community.

I started off by taking loose chillies into them to see what they thought of them. They loved them and were selling them for 50p - 75p depending on size (good Nagas as good and perfectly fresh as these are difficult to get). I then asked them whether they would like to have the plants to sell instead and told them that I could bring one down for them to see how it goes. It sold before I had got out of the door!

Then, a week later, I popped into a takeaway a mile from me, had a chat with them and told them that I had been selling the Nagas to the wholesaler. I knew that they bought their supplies from them. . They said that they would like some plants for themselves and the three staff that were there all wanted one. I got a phone call from them the next day saying their other staff wanted some.

It's just the way you chat to them and how you pitch your sale. It helps having been a market boy in the East End in the mid 1950's

I'm now working on selling them the Shiney Hybrids for a milder chilli, still hot, that will survive indoors much longer than the Nagas.

The lack of leaves is because they drop their leaves quite easily this time of year. The Shiney Hybrids don't drop their leaves. Both varieties are still producing flowers.

We've made £100 in the last month but hadn't sold any since the May sale. I hope to get most of them sold by the end of November.

 

They look good

 

I don't sell seeds but I could try sending some to you (if we have any left, as we've just sold off most of last chillies, and Mrs Shiney is in charge of propagation so I don't know what's left).

Won't they be stopped by your border control?

 

Certainly shall

 

I bought seeds from the States, and on the form contents box was marked 'Pepper Seasoning'

 

@CanadianLori send me a PM with your address.

 

Another duff year for me on the chilli front. I only grow jalapeno type heat chillies but this year was pathetic!

Lots of them but tough fruit and zero heat even after stressing the plants . Ah well, there's always next year!