First Hot Peppers of the season!

In between rain showers, minding the Darn Hot Pepper Farm Store and cooking up some Darn Hot Salsa I managed to snap a photos of our Jalapenos. Here is a sneak peak at this seasons crop of Hot Peppers.

These little spicy peppers are still quite green and will need to hang out in the sun for a bit longer before they are ready for pickin’. however it looks like we’ll be bringing in baskets of Fresh Jalapeno peppers, Habanero peppers, Cayenne peppers and more soon.

We look forward to seeing you all at the farmers markets very soon.

Buen Provecho!

-Carol

FDA Clears U.S. Hot Peppers in Salmonella Outbreak

Some of you may have heard recently about a “salmonella scare” related to Jalapeno peppers. We’ll it’s has takin’ some time but today a top U.S. health official said the “tainted jalapeno peppers had been definitively traced to a farm in Mexico.” We thought you might like to know this and that this issue had no affect on Darn Hot Peppers customers.

This issue has made it a tough sell for some chile farmers, especially farmer in new mexico who have had to resort to advertising their chiles as “salmonella free” (see image on the left). Luckily the worst seems to be over and the strain has now been found to have been isolated to a specific area in mexico, and US peppers have not been affected.

According to the Associated Press, Dr. David Acheson, of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, gave the all-clear to jalapeno and serrano peppers grown in the United States, but warned consumers to avoid any grown in Mexico and also avoid salsas and sauces that are made with them. Click here to read the full story.

This is one more reason why buying local is better, as Jerry says “it helps people have more assurance: you get to know your farmer and their ways of doing things and you can be confident that proper care is being attended to.”

For more information visit the FDA for more on the salmonella outbreak.

– Carol

Darn hot tunes!

We heard through the chilebravo.org grapevine that a hot new band in Valparaiso, Indiana has been cookin’ up some hot tunes. An acoustic duo of chile heads called the Scoville Brothers, who’s music is as blazing as the home made salsa they make.

Hey guys if your reading this and don’t have anything to do this September come on down to cobden for Pepperfest 2008.

– DHP

Have you heard about Kiva.org?

Have you heard about Kiva.org?

Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. We’ve helped out on a loan for Francisco Jama.

Francisco has a stand where he sells tortillas and common Ecuadorian foods. He started the business off with only $10 of capital several years ago. This business has provided for Francisco and his 3 children. He depends on the stand to provide food, shelter and education for his family.

He requested the loan in order to buy chairs and tables to put around his stand. He hopes that his business will continue to become popular and that one day he can open a restaurant.

We know what it is like getting started as a business owner and it’s been great helping others achieve a good start also in having a family business.

Francisco repaid his loan in 100% and now has the tables and chairs he needed to expand his business.

Way to go Francisco!

Check out http://www.kiva.org when you get a chance