Re: [CH] Open Fields 2004 & Dates for 2005
Matt Evans (tmattevans@gmail.com)
Sat, 15 Jan 2005 12:59:12 -0500
I don't want to put words into anyone's mouth here (especially Jim's),
but I actually asked him about the ornamentals last summer (I think
this is the conversation you might be referring to, Paul). I said
something to the effect of:
"Jim -- I notice you always list Medusa as a variety that you grow
every year. I have never been very impressed with the flavor of
ornamentals. Do you grow these commercially and sell them to sauce /
powder manufacturers?"
Jim's reply was that the ornamentals went only into the OF field, not
his commercial fields. He said that he continues to grow them because
the seeds are very expensive (as are the plants). Thus, by growing
them for OF, he is providing a source for free seed for anyone who
wants it.
As for why there aren't that many picked, I'm sure most folks just
pick a few pods to be able to get some seed, whereas with the other
varieties, people are picking as much as they can hold to take home
and dry / pickle / smoke / freeze.
Again, not to speak out of turn here, but I think this is a plausible
explanation.
Matt
On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 12:32:48 -0500, NECM <northeast.chileman@gmail.com> wrote:
> Jim, I remember reading that you wrote people request the ornamentals,
> but I too noticed a lot go unpicked..... Don't know if you can reduce
> the numbers of these & increase others? Or is there a minimum # your
> seedling source will start? I got there early Sat. afternoon & the
> ripe Savinas, Chocolates & Fataliis were cleaned out.... as noted, all
> the hot ones....... Course I pulled 30 Fatalii plants & had pods
> ripening into November.....
>
> NECM
>
> On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 10:38:35 -0500, Kris Kumler
> <kris+chile-heads@kumler.us> wrote:
> > On Fri, Jan 14, 2005 at 12:33:38PM +0000, Alex Silbajoris wrote:
> > >
> > > It's true that some of the ornamental varieties are still unpicked when the
> > > event is over. Same with the really small-podded varieties; they're good
> > > stuff but few people bother picking a lot of them. I love the pointsettas,
> > > they're pretty and they're very useful when dried.
> > >
> > > The orange and red habs are the bread and butter of the field, and in 04 I
> > > acquainted myself with the fatalis (love the way the pods squeak in hand
> > > when picked).
> > >
> > > The larger and milder roasting varieties are always eagerly picked, yet
> > > unfortunately they also seem very vulnerable to problems in the growing
> > > season. Some years they're rotted on the vine and some years they're
> > > barely becoming ripe. I'd like to see a larger proportion of these kinds
> > > of pods - new mex, poblanos, etc.
> > >
> > > The other thing I discovered on 04 was the location of our hosts, Adrian
> > > Orchards. I spent my first $$ there last year and I resolve to spend there
> > > again as a gesture of thanks for letting us behave like lunatics on their
> > > land. (We really were hanging out in the moonlight for hours last year.)
> > >
> > > - A
> > >
> >
> > I must agree almost across the board with Alex. Many of the smaller
> > varieties are easily grown indoors and I went after only the ones I
> > haven't tried before.
> > The chocolate habs were very good, but the fataliis were the best --
> > probably one of my favorite chiles right now thanks to Butch introducing
> > me to them at OF. However, by the time I knew what they were like, all
> > the ripe ones were picked. I managed to get some seed from a couple
> > though, so hopefully I can get a few this year. I never did have much
> > luck with growing from seed at home -- maybe it's that forgetfulness
> > and such.
> >
> > I should be able to spend a more than just one day up there this year
> > though, so I'd really like to check out the market and thank the field
> > owner as well.
> >
> > --
> > Kris
> > OpenPGP Key Fingerprint: 14B5 9651 FC09 E576 077E F344 DFA2 1AA8 6229 5D84
> > --
> > Remember: Silly is a state of Mind, Stupid is a way of Life.
> > -- Dave Butler
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Is this where I'm suppose to attach some witty little ditty?
>