Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Pepper

My apartment is filled with Mace!

EmilyFlew — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:14:18 -0800

My lovely husband has just accidentally set off pepper spray in our one-bedroom apartment. We're now hanging out in the building lobby, and have all the windows open and the fans going. Is there anything else we can do to make it so we can go back in the apartment tonight?

My pepper mill is too advanced for me

Saucy Intruder — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:02:17 -0800

I have a William Bounds pepper mill that kind of looks like this except that it has a hard plastic ring around the ball at the top that is impervious to my wrench. It needs to be refilled with more pepper. How do I get the damn thing open?

What pepper is this?

miasma — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:12:07 -0800

PepperIdentityFilter: I serious don't know my peppers. I was trying to pick up serranos, but picked up what looks like the pepper on the left in this image. What is this? A banana pepper? Extra points if someone knows whether if i boil this'll spice up or ruin the chili I plan on making. I plan on boiling this pepper in the sauce prior to adding the meat to it.

Pepper Insanity?

batgrlHG — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:11:08 -0800

Food Question! Have you ever tried a Naga Jolokia/Ghost Pepper? And survived? Thanks to a "host eats insanely hot food" show on television, the husband has decided to purchase some Ghost Peppers and eat them. Having read the MeFi thread on them (and this one too) my questions are:

1) Are these peppers really that hot?
I'm wanting to know from people who actually tried them if they are indeed that insanely hot. And whether you (or one who ate them) underestimated the heat. Trying to figure out how much is hype and how much is actual heat - though the Scoville scale does rank these up in the scary (to me) numbers.

2) How long did the heat take to die down?
I'm kind of wondering what to do for husband after he eats the things - unless it's just one of those "only time will cause the pain to go away" things. Maybe I'll end up packing him in ice or something.

And no, I'm not going to try the things myself. I'm just going to document the horror. Also trying to figure out how quickly he can use up the peppers - he keeps murmuring something about a Shrimp Diablo recipe..

What are these glowing eggs doing on my jalapeno plant?

joeyo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:07:53 -0800

GardenFilter. What insect will these translucent (and possibly glowing) eggs turn into? Photo here. I'd have to get another look after dark to see if they really are glowing or are simply reflective.

If they will turn into something that will eat the plant or the fruit I'll get rid of them, but I'd rather leave them alone if they are likely to be beneficial or neutral.

What did the Pearl Beer "waterfall billboard" in Dallas say in 1996?

unknowncommand — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:52:14 -0800

What did the old Pearl Beer "waterfall billboard" on I-35 in Dallas say in 1996? Am I crazy in thinking that the lyrics in the chorus of the Butthole Surfers song "Pepper" made direct reference to the text of the sign? I have a distinct memory that when the song came out, the billboard said either "coming down the mountain" or something about a fountain. I don't know if it was advertising Coors then, perhaps?

(Not too) Hot Sauce Recommendations

brandman — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:18:25 -0800

I like Green Tabasco sauce. What are some other similarly mild pepper sauces I might enjoy? I like Green Tabasco's combination of flavor & heat, and I tend to use it on things like scrambled eggs, mac & cheese, and burgers. My bottle's almost empty, and I was thinking of trying something new. Any recommendations on other mild sauces? Anything available on a national basis would be great, but regional recommendations are welcome as well (I'm in Michigan).

It burns! It burns!

zackola — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:07:41 -0800

What is this pepper? The teeny tiny yellow one in the middle. hot hot hot It just kicked my ass (I was warned by the seller, but did it anyway.

What else can I grind in a pepper mill?

Lizc — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:21:38 -0800

What else can I grind in a pepper mill? I have an extra Olde Thompson Pepper mill with nothing to grind in it. The product description says "Carbon Steel grinding mechanism is fully adjustable from a coarse to a fine grind." - so I'm wondering what else I can use in this mill. I'm guessing seeds of some kind - what would YOU use this for?

Tien Tsin vs de Arbol

SpecialK — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:36:31 -0800

Tien Tsin vs. Arbol - Can I use Chili de Arbol in place of the traditional Tien Tsin peppers that I know chinese food recipes call for? Chili de Arbol was the only thing I could find in my (rural, Texas) area easily.

Picklers of the world unite!

goodnewsfortheinsane — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:28:26 -0800

What's your favourite pickle recipe, and why? And what advice can you offer to a novice pickler? I've embarked on a cautious foray into the world of DIY pickles. So far I've mostly limited myself to trying to replicate the ones I grew up with, i.e. Dutch-style gherkins and onions. They're nice, sure, but not very imaginative.

So in the interest of adventure, let's hear it! What's your favourite pickle? And if you know how it's made or if you've made it yourself, please share! I know I'm not alone in my pickle frenzy, so let's not be coy about these things, shall we.

Some personal quirks:
-I like pickled vegetables. Fruit... not so much. Previous successes include gherkins/cucumbers, onions, carrots, sweet peppers, and celery. I'm very open to pickling other vegetables.
-I really, really like strong tastes. Anyone remember boo_radley's story in MeTa a while ago? That's me. Basically, the pickles I've made so far have come straight from hell. This does not please everyone, however, and they don't have to be super hot or sour or garlicky or anything. But I do like strong flavours. More specifically, I'm looking to add some meat to my pickles, or say a darker / more umami flavour.
-Most of what I've made and/or read about concerns European- and American-style pickles. I'd be interested to hear about other varieties, such as those from our Asian cousins.
-Relishes to relish! Let's not forget about these pulpier, more spreadable citizens of Pickleland (which I'm pretty sure actually exists).
-I'm also interested in advice a pickle master would give to a novice, such as "cold infusions are for total wusses" or "the amount of mustard seeds should never exceed the square root of the amount of coriander seeds". Of course, I'm totally making these up, but I'm sure you catch my drift.

Then again, feel free to ignore the above, as certainly your suggestion will benefit someone.

Thanks in advance, fellow pickle freaks, and stay sour!

pepper vinegar

dearleader — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:48:57 -0800

I live in New York City and I'm trying to get a bottle of the southern 'pepper vinegar' pronto (something like 'texas pete's pepper sauce). Anyone know where you can find this southern staple up gotham way? The big grocery store, Fairway, was of no help...

pepper pesto?

jujube — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:56:22 -0800

Made some pesto with chili pepper leaves by mistake. Now what? I picked some chili pepper leaves by mistake, thinking it was a variety of basil. Made pesto with the leaves, along with some real basil leaves. Ate some. Stomach feeling a little upset, but am otherwise fine. Plus, the upset part just might be psychological. I know the leaves of nightshade family are supposed to be poisonous, but this ,this , and this say that leaves are eatable, especially those from a young plant. Should I throw the rest of the pesto out? Should I save it?

No, not Caledonian headgear...

ramix — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:11:42 -0800

Where can I find Scotch Bonnet peppers (not habaneros) to buy in the Puget Sound area; or alternatively online? Preferably fresh and not dried. Thanks.

Salt & pepper- which goes in which shaker?

rawredmeat — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:32:03 -0800

Salt and pepper shakers: Does the salt or the pepper go in the shaker with more holes? And does the salt or the pepper go in the shaker with bigger holes? We were sitting around the Christmas dinner table and the eternal argument surfaced: My dad insisted that the shaker with two holes got the Salt, and the shaker with three holes got the pepper. My mom argued the contrary. Is there a definitive answer so this family conflict can finally be laid to rest? What happens if each one has one hole, but one of the holes is bigger? Obviously, this does not apply to grinders, or shakers already marked "pepper" or "salt". What is the reasoning behind their assignment to which shaker? Where does the tradition stem from? Are there any exceptions to the rule? Please help! I don't think my family can take another year of this debate- it almost came to blows over our Christmas feast...

Tips on cooking or brewing with hot peppers.

nebulawindphone — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:26:45 -0800

Tell me about cooking (or better yet, brewing) with hot peppers. I'm looking to make a batch of ancho chili mead. I'd like it to have as much of the fruity ancho flavor as possible, and as little heat or bitterness — I know that some heat is inevitable, but I want this stuff to be drinkable for ordinary humans and not just rabid chili-heads, so I'm aiming for a nice warm tingle and not a vicious burn.

Cooks: How do you maximize the flavor, and minimize the heat, when cooking with hot peppers? Methods involving fat (steeping in oil, frying) aren't really an option here. Anything involving water, sugar, honey or alcohol is ideal.

Homebrewers: Have you ever brewed with hot peppers? Did you add them to the boil, in primary, in secondary, to the bottle, or what? How'd it turn out? What did you learn?

They taste like BURNING

mezzanayne — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 21:18:29 -0800

How does one taste really hot peppers? This year I planted a few different pepper plants and now they're yielding well and it's time to start cooking with them. But as I'm unfamiliar with the pepper types (I kind of played the pepper lottery at my local nursery after prime planting season), I have no idea how to cook with them.

The only information that I have about the peppers are via the little plastic flags that came in the plants and they're not very helpful (ie, "celebration pepper", "super chili", etc). All of the peppers that I've grown are too hot to eat on their own and I do not know how to temper the heat of them in order to get an idea as to their actual flavor.

My question in a nutshell would be: how does one actually "taste" a very hot pepper without temporarily rendering their taste buds useless? Is there a standard, neutral medium in which I might prepare them all in order to allow their flavor to be experienced without all of their heat?

Help me find my daily grind

B-squared — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 14:43:23 -0800

I am looking for a new pepper mill, but an Amazon search produces an overwhelming 800 results and very few customer reviews. So I turn to you, my Metafilter test market. I use the mill often enough that Target's selection just isn't cutting it anymore, but I don't know which models and brands offer the most bang for my buck. And, aren't Peugeots cars? It should be manual (not electric), it should have a variable grind, a heft in the hand, and a steel or red finish (though I prefer function over form). Tell me if you've got a great grinder. Thanks in advance everybody!

My pepper jelly recipe is not quite right. Help me fix it.

nanojath — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:33:10 -0800

I'm looking for a good recipe for hot pepper jelly I love the appetizer where you pour pepper jelly over a block of cream cheese (previously on AskMe). I decided to try canning some from my garden produce this year and I'm not thrilled with the results. I used a recipe from Rodale's Stocking Up. It was more of a true jelly - the peppers were food processed to a puree - there wasn't a high enough hot pepper to bell pepper ration (it's not really hot at all) and the flavor is VERY vinegary. It isn't terrible, just not what I was looking for and I'm sort of wishing I didn't have a pint and a half of it now.

I'm capable of typing "pepper jelly recipe" into a search engine. I'm hoping for personal recommendations - the family recipe. Specifically, I was looking for what I've encountered before, a sweeter, hotter, more chunky-preserves/chutney texture affair. My mom never made this. Email your mom for me? Thanks!

My eyes, the burning!

adamrice — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 17:45:41 -0800

Tricks for sanitizing hands after handling very spicy peppers? I'm not a pussy about spice. I can handle it. But we have some thermonuclear habaneros growing in the garden, and I chopped one today. I used some plastic wrap between it and my hand. The infernal oil penetrated or got around that. I kept my pinky elevated so at least one digit would be safe to, you know, scratch with. I washed my hands repeatedly.

I just carefully scratched near my eye with said pinky and it burns. Oh, my eyes, the burning!

Since the habanero plant is quite productive, this problem is going to repeat. I need a way to get the habanero fire-juice off me.

What do I do with pepper jelly?

lawhound — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 11:03:56 -0800

I received a jar of homemade pepper jelly as a Christmas present. What do I do with it? What is it good to put on? My experience with homemade jelly is limited to what you would put on toast or peanut butter sandwiches, neither of which sounds appealling with anything involving pepper. Ideas?

Grinding mondo peppercorns

wryly — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:15:13 -0800

I love Tellicherry pepper, but I need to find a pepper mill that can handle these extra-large peppercorns. Tellicherry pepper tastes great, but a lot of the peppercorns are too large for normal pepper-grinding mechanisms. Do you know of a peppermill that's up to the job -- a mill that's not battery-powered?

I do know about the (IMO) ugly Zassenhaus -- any others?

The Weird and Wonderful World of Chili

divabat — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:05:39 -0800

What sort of weird and wonderful stuff have people made with chili? I'm helping a friend who's writing a book about anything to do with chili peppers. Right now we're trying to look for:

a) Medicinal remedies that involve chili (whether old-wives-taleish or more medically sound)
b) Tech innovations with chili
c) Other weird and wonderful uses of chili

So far we have found the use of chili as barnacle prevention, and chili facewash (apparently it's a good anti-acne agent) but nothing much else. She's trying to avoid too many cookbook-style recipes and wants more unusual uses.

My search-Fu is not that strong now.

Thank you so much!

Is pepper-based Sinus Spray effective? Dangerous? Risky?

soulbarn — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 22:40:20 -0800

I have chronic sinus infections for which I am now considering surgery after trying most major medical options, as well as a massive allergen removal program. I read about a product called "Sinus Buster" which uses pepper in the form of a nose-drop to clear sinuses. I bought some, and based on just a few days usage, there is a definite improvement. I'm surprised, since the manufacturer also claims that the product can help you lose weight and has even said that it can cure some forms of cancer (multiple miracle claims=sure red flag.) So, my questions: - Does anyone else have any exeperience with this product? - The stuff burns, which I am getting used to - but is it really a good idea to put something that (at least) feels caustic up my nose? Is there a possibility of long-term damage? -Can I become reliant on it for clearing my congestion, as with "traditional" OTC nose drops? Here's the product URL: www.sinusbuster.com

Pepper sauce woes...

drstein — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 18:11:58 -0800

Help me find tasty things to do with this yummy pepper sauce. I have a bottle of this pepper sauce and while it's delicious, I can't really think of any creative or tasty ways to incorporate it into another dish.

My food preferences tend to be a bit on the midwestern side of things. Seafood ideas are right out (allergies) and I love beef & chicken dishes.

Anybody have any ideas? I'm dying to add the sauce to *something* this week.