Smoking chillies...

...and other stuff.

Right- for the food/technical genii on the forum.

I'm growing some chillies (cayenne) this year and started thinking about how nice it would be to smoke the little fellers when they're grown.

I've had a look on the webnet-thingie and there don't seem to be any domestic smoking kilns on offer- mostly industrial stuff.

As this is an occasional project for probably not a lot of return (apart from me, my bro and a mate, not much else may get smoked!), I thought about the possibilities of making a small kiln. But there don't seem to be many websites about this, either.

Does anyone know anything about building such implements?

Please help!

[SoulKiss]

rig something up in a pressure cooker?

adapt this method of tea-smoking chicken?

2. In a small bowl mix together the sugar, rice and tea leaves.
3. Line the base and sides of a large sauté pan or wok with foil.
4. Sprinkle the tea mixture over the foil and cover with another layer of foil.
5. Place a lid on the pan and the pan on the heat.
6. When the tea mixture begins to smoke, remove the lid and place the chicken on top of the foil.
7. Season the chicken and drizzle over the oil.
8. Place the lid back on the pan and leave to smoke for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Just a thought

Thats interesting Ive just bought a mini greenhouse to grow a few chillies and peppers, If they all come to fruition, I should be able to supply ASDA and Sainsbury,s for a few weeks, plus bring some down to the AR. Im looking forward to founding out more myself.

[Bluepete]

I have made and destroyed several smokers in tha past, including one which burned the garden decking to bits!

All you need is a heat source and a box with a tube to connect them.

I have a small chiminea, a piece of kitchen hood extractor tube and a metal bin.

The chiminea provides the smoke, through the tube into the bottom of the bin. It's a cold smoke system, ideal for chillies.

You can make it out of anything tyou have to hand really!

I am growing loads this year, early Jalapenos for smoking, numex orange, pasilla bajio, chinese pot, bih jolokia (hottest in the world) aji lemon, and a few others I can't remember.

Growing your own plants - how sad! I'd never do such a thing!




You growing them indoors or out?
(I maintain that gardening is cool )

[Bluepete]

Mine are in a plastic greenhouse in the dining room for another month at least, then into the greenhouse in the garden.

It may not be the coolest thing in the world, but I like it!

Originally Posted by BluePete

I have made and destroyed several smokers in tha past, including one which burned the garden decking to bits!

All you need is a heat source and a box with a tube to connect them.

I have a small chiminea, a piece of kitchen hood extractor tube and a metal bin.

The chiminea provides the smoke, through the tube into the bottom of the bin. It's a cold smoke system, ideal for chillies.

You can make it out of anything tyou have to hand really!

I am growing loads this year, early Jalapenos for smoking, numex orange, pasilla bajio, chinese pot, bih jolokia (hottest in the world) aji lemon, and a few others I can't remember.

Have you tried scotch bonnet ? tried one last year, kin ell, me lips went completely numb, have you got a full sized greenhouse Pete ?

[Bluepete]

You can buy Scotch Bonnet at Tesco, and yes, I use it a lot. It's very good in marinades.
I bought 2.5kg of them a few years ago from the market in M'cr for a mass BBQ. I spent several hours chopping them up by the end of which, my fingers were blistered and I couldn't feel anything for three days!
Capsaicin is very scary stuff!

I'll share the Bih Jolokia out if they mature!

8 by 4 foot greenhouse on a two foot high brick wall for the banana tree to live in through winter.


Hundred quid for a home smoker? no thanks!

Ive got the following on the go, demon red, banana sweet,corno do torro rosso, fresno chilli, jalapeno, red cherry hot and puple beuaty peppers, as with Pete once they come on, if they do come on Ill share them out as well.Now looking on ebay for greenhouses

I'm just growing in a couple of pots indoors (was a seeding tray until Sat, when I knocked it all over the floor and had to do an emergency early re-pot! Casualties were limited).

I'm very excited and am frequently checking the shoots to see how they're doing!

Cheers for the ideas though- will look into some sort of makeshift apparatus. Looks like for cold kilning, a closed system is recommended.

My bro bought a bottle of "6 million Scovilles" chilli extract the other week- god alone knows what you'd use it for- it looks lethal and comes with all sorts of health warnings! Don't see much point myself- I'm more of a flavour and heat man, instead of heat and HEAT!!