Our friends at http://bhutjolokia.blogspot.com/ posted a great entry on the worlds hottest pepper the Bhut Jolokia. Take 5 minutes to get the scoop!

“…For many years, there was uncertainty about this particular chile pepper, some sources even listed cayenne-type peppers as Naga Jolokia or put it into the C. frutescens species. Eventually a field trial with comprehensive analysis by the NMSU Chile Pepper Institute (CPI) shed light on this cultivar (see our extensive

Both Assamese growers and the Chile Pepper Institute found top heat levels around one million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), and the Chile Pepper Institute’s findings for Bhut Jolokia were even awarded the
world record as the “hottest of all spices” by Guinness World Records

Read the rest of the story here.

This was soo funy I laughed out loud!

Have you checked out ChileBravo, not the product but the website. It is a new social networking website when you can meet, chat with and share chile recipes or hot pepper growing tips. They also have some funny videos of gringos eating habaneros. Silly gringos, eating habaneros uncooked and raw is for kids!

Been having a nice visit with Virginia at the farm; we worked on making some new top secret products that we are planning to debut this summer.

Things are beginning to keep busy at the farm with the nicer weather:  like for instance the new part of garden……….see pics ………..

Dad is digging up for me on the side of the store.

Excited about next events coming up::  Makan da  Spring Festival on May  3 and 4 ;  Then Dad will go up  to the IAHSE  conference in Springfield on Mon/Tues, May 6 and 7.  Need more products for that.

Busy Busy Busy

Some of you have been asking about more pepper recipes, and specifically for ancho or poblano recipes. Well we asked around and the one ancho recipe most people are familiar with is for making a deep dark sauce to put on anything from enchiladas to cornbread. Enjoy!

Ancho Mole Sauce  - Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

4 dried anchos
4 cups water
1/2 cup canola oil 
1/2 cup peanuts or almonds
1/2 cup raisins or dates
4 whole large tomatoes

1.5 ounce dark chocolate, minced

To Prepare

• Place chiles in large bowl; add water over, Let stand about 2 hours, turning occasionally. 
• Drain, but keep 1 cup soaking liquid. 
• Chop chiles in large chunks. 
• Heat oil in large skillet (cast iron is best) on low-to-medium-low heat. 
• Add nuts, raisins and sauté until toasted, about 10 - 15 minutes. 
• Move contents to blender or food processor, add chiles with 1 cup soaking liquid and add tomatoes. 
• Blend until smooth. 
• Return to skillet and add an  additional 2 1/2 cups water and bring to boil, whisk while boiling. 
• Reduce heat to medium-low; add chocolate and whisk until completely melted. 
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce becomes thick and dark. 
• Salt to taste, then allow to cool.

Xav told us he put a new toy on the website…

Check out the new Darn Hot Pepper Photo Puzzles next time you stop by, there are 3 of them 1st one is a nice picture of Rancho Bella Vista & pretty easy, 2nd one is a cute ‘lil basket of Habaneros and pretty tough to solve, and the 3rd one, pictured below, is just too hard for me. Have fun.

Recently at our Saturday Farmers Market in downtown Springfield Illinois, I’ve had fun meeting some residents originally from New Mexico who stopped by.  These chileheads went directly to the long green peppers as if they have found a long lost friend. Week after week now I’ve been getting questions and thoughts like: where do you get these, do you grown them yourself, I haven’t seen these peppers since I left New Mexico.

For those of you who just have to know…Yes we are able to grow the long greens in southern Illinois. Although we are not growing as many peppers as New Mexico, we have enough to meet the appetite until you are able to return to visit friends and relatives in New Mexico and get your taste of down home darn hot cooking. Springfield Illinois is a great city and I am happy to meet chile lovers from around the world.

This summer it was over 10o degrees in southern Illinois for a week or so and the 21 variety of specialty peppers grown at Rancho Bella Vista-Home of Darn Hot Peppers are having a ball.

The Mirasol, Thai Hot and Thai Dragons are sunning themselves looking straight up at the sun and smiling, the Pequins and Chiltepins are saying in Texas we usually play in 105 degrees, the long greens, anaheims and poblanos say this is regular southwest type of weather. And in Illinois we now consider Cobden the southern Illinois Home of Specialty Hot Pepper.

So welcome Chileheads and Pepper Lovers in Illinois. We at Darn Hot Peppers LLC have created this blog for our new found friends around the world. Share your thoughts and share your recipes, through this blog, of how you are using our pepper products and which products may be your favorite. We inturn will share your recipes with the rest of the world. I look forward to hearing from all of you.