So my tongue is on fire, what next?

November 6, 2021 3:12 AM

What should I do with all of these habaneros?

We had two habanero plants at our allotment garden that were reasonably prolific, which was quite exciting. I have already made two (fermented) hot sauces, both based on these recipes here: How to ferment hot sauces, according to Serious Eats.

The last batch of habaneros is about 200g or so; it's around 50 peppers, some of which are pretty small, and many of which need to be ripened indoors. I really like the hot sauces that I made, and now I'm wondering: what next?

Should I just make another batch of the better of the two of them? Or do you have any recipes that you particularly like? Or even something that is not a hot sauce that I should try?

It'll probably be a few weeks before they are done ripening, so if there is any planning needing to be done, I do have time. We also have quite a few apples and some squash from our (and neighbours') gardens.

posted by vernondalhart to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

One time I tried making mini stuffed peppers with habaneros. Mostly sour cream, with a couple of bacon bits and like two pieces of shredded cheese per pepper, roasted for a couple of minutes. They were good, but I wouldn’t recommend doing this for all 50 of your remaining peppers, for reasons that, if they aren’t yet clear, will become so after eating the first one.
posted by kevinbelt at 4:31 AM on November 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

Yeah, roast them a bit maybe, stuff them with cheese or such, batter and bread and then deep fry to make poppers. Based on poppers I've had they should freeze OK.

Add to some cream cheese on a bagel. (I miss Hatch green chile bagels, so yum). But you should be able to prep and freeze them and use at will. Nachos, chili cheese fries, add to salsa or a cheese dip.
posted by zengargoyle at 5:33 AM on November 6, 2021

We dry ours and grind them to a powder. I suggest ski goggles and grinding in a coffee grinder that is used only for spices outside if possible.
posted by waving at 6:17 AM on November 6, 2021 [5 favorites]

How about a nice jam— you could gift that out for the holidays too.
posted by calgirl at 7:00 AM on November 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

I had some habanero sorbet that was very nice.
posted by ShooBoo at 7:07 AM on November 6, 2021

I made a nice hot vinegar from a recipe in a book recently. 2 cups white vinegar, a lime or two sliced in half, and 6 or so babaneros sliced in half. Let steep for a few days, then remove the limes and refrigerate. The lime gives it a really nice fresh flavor. It's more of a flavored vinegar than a sauce and I'm not entirely sure what to do with it; I've made cole slaw with it, etc. It'd be great on fish or maybe as a thin sauce for pulled pork.

Not sure what you can do with the other 44 though. Habaneros are intense.
posted by Nelson at 7:49 AM on November 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

To easily dry and grind to flakes or powder, most cheap countertop blenders (Oster, etc) use the same thread for the blades as a wide mouth mason jar. So you can grind and store the dry peppers in a mason jar that is used just for that purpose.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 8:42 AM on November 6, 2021

Hot pepper jelly or candied pickled peppers make a great gift!
posted by blnkfrnk at 12:20 PM on November 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

Dry and grind. Cut them in half to dry them.
Wear an N95 mask when grinding and maybe goggles too, for comfort: the aerosols are a real concern.
posted by the Real Dan at 12:57 PM on November 6, 2021

How about a nice jam— you could gift that out for the holidays too.

This! I recommend peach jam with habaneros.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:55 PM on November 6, 2021

Infused vodak?
posted by sourcequench at 5:57 PM on November 6, 2021

Do the dry and powder, I've been thinking all week about how I could use some powdered habanero to add to food.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:10 PM on November 6, 2021

Fruit and habanero jelly/jam. Habaneros are also vital component to my favorite jerk recipe.
posted by Grandysaur at 9:12 PM on November 6, 2021

Or, more hot sauce for Christmas presents!
posted by Grandysaur at 9:12 PM on November 6, 2021

For jelly, my favorite is "habanero gold". I think it is originally a Bernardin recipe. I get asked to bring it to parties all the time.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 9:33 PM on November 6, 2021

Cut 'em up and pour vodka over them (sourcequench's link is interesting) while you think about this. The vodka will probably last longer than the peppers.
posted by kingless at 2:16 PM on November 7, 2021

I would definitely pickle some.
posted by koucha at 2:24 PM on November 8, 2021