News & Notes of the UCSC Farm & Garden Issue 139, Fall 2013 Making the Most of Your Pepper Crop – Orin Martin Forrest Cook continued on page 2 Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems While fresh peppers, hot or not, are both a visual and gustatory treat, a mature pepper allowed full “hang time” on the plant is a cut above pedestrian green peppers. Green peppers are immature and as such have the taste of an unripe fruit—metallic and even phenolic (acidic). All peppers eventually mature to red, yellow, or orange and there are many advantages to waiting until your green peppers have “colored up” before harvesting – 7KH ULFKQHVV RI IXOO FRORU LV DOOXULQJ³D YLVXDO IHDVW 7KH SRG ZDOOV ZLOO EH PXFK PRUH VXFFXOHQW DQG ULFKO\ ÁDYRUHG 7KH VXJDU FRQWHQW MXPSV FRQVLGHUDEO\ WKLV LV WUXH RI FKLOHV DV ZHOO DV VZHHW SHSSHUV %H\RQG WKH KHDW LI \RX FDQ ZLWKVWDQG LW FKLOHV KDYH FRPSOH[ ÁDYRUV GHULYHG IURP VXJDUV DQG FLWUXVOLNH DFLGV VRPHWLPHV ZLWK VPRN\ RYHUWRQHV 9LWDPLQ $ LQFUHDVHV WR H[FHHG WKDW RI D ZHOOJURZQ FDUURW 7KH\ VD\ ´SDWLHQFH LV D YLUWXHµ EH YLUWXRXV DQG JLYH \RXU SHSSHUV WKH ² ZHHNV LW ZLOO WDNH WKHP WR PDWXUH from green to red/orange/yellow So, in late summer, at the height of the harvest, be voracious and consume as many fresh peppers as possible. %XW DV ZH QRZ QRWH WKH WXUQLQJ RI WKH VHDVRQV WKH ORZHULQJ RI WKH VXQ·V DUF DQG GD\V VOLJKWO\ VKRUWHU WKDQ WKH QLJKWV WKLQNV DERXW SURFHVVLQJ DQG SUHVHUYLQJ VRPH RI \RXU SHSSHU FURS $Q HDV\ ZD\ RI GRLQJ WKLV LV WR URDVW and then freeze or can a portion of your mature peppers. $Q\ RI WKH ODUJHU WKLFNZDOOHG SRG W\SHV RI SHSSHUV KRW RU VZHHW FDQ EH URDVWHG SHHOHG DQG HLWKHU HDWHQ LPPHGLDWHO\ RU IUR]HQ RU FDQQHG IRU ZLQWHU XVH 7KH\ DUH D ZHOFRPH DQWLGRWH WR WKH GUHDU\ GD\V RI )HEUXDU\ 7KH TXDOLWLHV WR ORRN IRU LQ D URDVWLQJ SHSSHU LQFOXGH ² $ ODUJH SRG ZLWK WKLFN VXFFXOHQW PHDW\ SRG ZDOOV 8QLIRUP VKDSH PLQLPDO LQGHQWDWLRQV LGHDOO\ D VLGHG ÁDW SRG )XOO HYHQ FRORULQJ LQGLFDWLQJ ULSHQHVV DQG IUHVKQHVV 6ZHHW RU KRW \RXU FKRLFH EXW ´FDYHDW HPSWRUµ ,Q WKLV DUWLFOH ,·OO GHVFULEH VRPH RI WKH EHVW KRW DQG VZHHW SHSSHU YDULHWLHV IRU URDVWLQJ DQG RIIHU DGYLFH RQ WKH various techniques for getting the most from your pepper crop. New Mexican Chiles 7KH 1HZ 0H[LFDQ FKLOH LV LGHDO IRU URDVWLQJ 7KHVH DUH WKH FODVVLF ORQJ UHG DQG JUHHQ SRGV WKDW DUH WKH EDFN bone of Southwestern cuisine, used in chile sauces, soups, barbecue sauces, chutneys, salsas, rellenos and tamales. , DOVR OLNH WKHP URDVWHG SHHOHG DQG DGGHG WR VDQGZLFKHV 7KH 1HZ 0H[LFDQ FODVV RI SHSSHUV JRHV E\ D QXPEHU RI QDPHV LQFOXGLQJ ORQJ JUHHQ FKLOH ORQJ UHG FKLOH 1HZ 0H[LFDQ FKLOH $QDKHLPV UHOOHQR W\SHV DQG +DWFK FKLOHV 9DULHWLHV ZLWKLQ WKH FODVV LQFOXGH ² ¶1HZ 0H[ · DQG ¶1HZ 0H[ ²· ¶1XPH[ %LJ -LP·³ZKLFK VHW WKH *XLQQHVV %RRN RI 5HFRUGV ZLWK D µORQJ SRG ¶6DQGLD· ¶(VSDxROD ,PSURYHG·³GHYHORSHG IRU FRRO FOLPDWHV ¶-RH ( 3DUNHU·³WKH QXPEHU RQH YDULHW\ JURZQ IRU WKH FDQQLQJ LQGXVWU\ ¶&RQTXLVWDGRU· ,QWHUHVWLQJO\ WKHUH LV QR DFWXDO +DWFK YDULHW\ EXW UDWKHU +DWFK LV D VPDOO WRZQ LQ 1HZ 0H[LFR VXUURXQGHG E\ H[WHQVLYH DFUH DJH RI WKHVH 1HZ 0H[LFR SRG W\SHV +DWFK LV DOVR D EUDQG QDPH IRU URDVWHG JUHHQ FDQQHG 1HZ 0H[LFR FKLOHV DQG VDXFHV
Transcript
News & Notes of the UCSC Farm & Garden
Issue 139, Fall 2013
Making the Most of Your Pepper Crop– Orin Martin
Forrest
Cook
continued on page 2
Center for Agroecology
& Sustainable Food Systems
While fresh peppers, hot or not, are both a visual and gustatory treat, a mature pepper allowed full “hang time” on the plant is a cut above pedestrian green peppers. Green peppers are immature and as such have the taste of an unripe fruit—metallic and even phenolic (acidic). All peppers eventually mature to red, yellow, or orange and there are many advantages to waiting until your green peppers have “colored up” before harvesting –
from green to red/orange/yellowSo, in late summer, at the height of the harvest, be voracious and consume as many fresh peppers as possible.
and then freeze or can a portion of your mature peppers.
various techniques for getting the most from your pepper crop.
New Mexican Chiles
bone of Southwestern cuisine, used in chile sauces, soups, barbecue sauces, chutneys, salsas, rellenos and tamales.
News & Notes
continued on page 5
productivity in cool areas with short growing seasons
though bred for their ornamental value they are also
How Hot Are They?
is Capsicum
about it.
New Mexico Chile Plant Characteristics
reduce the incidence of sunburn on the pods. Sunburned fruit shrivel, slime and rot, and sunburn is a huge problem on some of the biggest of the modern hybrid bell
to grow to maturation/full color. Sunburn also contributes to both fruit anthracnose and bacterial soft rot (see
indentations—helpful characteristics when roasting and
some of the land race pepper varieties (see below) grown
the canning industry.
indigenous land race types.
Land Race Peppers
chile peppers that have been in cultivation in the
Some of these bear the name of the pueblos that
While many producers view land race peppers as obsolete, having been supplanted by bigger,
article, they are both historically and horticulturally
soups.
Red or Green?
is to the same pepper variety at two different stages
are meatier and more succulent, with a higher dose of sweetness, but still have a good “bite.”
The Great Chile Book
concept of “pepper terroir.”As per the question “red or green,” I feel strongly
red/half green).
UCSC Farm & Garden
by Katherine Collins
Saving Seeds at the UCSC Farm
Sandwiched between the apple trees and the tomatoes,
dled towers of lettuce. “What caused these crop deformi
to harvest the seed of these crops, we allow them to grow far past the point of edible produce to complete the full
Asteraceae family and was
Asteraceae family member.
plants out of the ground, dry them on a tarp and store the last bit of seed.
most exciting because it allows for an even greater level
through this process of producing our own seed
myself growing in the future.
*Note: the Demeter Seed Library at UC Santa Cruz
out about upcoming exchanges or to volunteer at the
Katherine Collins, a member of the 2013 Farm & Garden Appren-
ticeship class, wrote this article for the September 10 issue of Field
Notes, the newsletter of the UCSC Farm’s Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA ) project.
Farm & Garden Apprentice staff member Jessie Nichols and garden manager Christof Bernau sow seeds at the UCSC Farm.
Farm production manager Liz Millazzo (left) describes seed saving techniques to members of the 2013 Apprenticeship class.
News & Notes
!anks to Our Harvest Festival Supporters
We are grateful to our local businesses that supported
of organic apples that were enthusiastically pressed into
the event.
Beginning Farmer Mixer at the Ecological Farming ConferenceThursday, January 23, 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Fred Farr Room, Asilomar Conference Center
to miss the expanded beginning farmer mixer that will
sponsor the gathering.
org/programs/efc/
Winter Fruit Tree Workshops on Tap
ary.
at casfs.ucsc.edu, contact us by email at casfs@ucsc.
Fruit Tree Q&A sessions (free)ProBuild Garden Center
The Garden Company
Fruit Tree “101”: Basic Fruit Tree Care ClassesSierra Azul Nursery and
Gardens
UCSC Farm
Basic Pome Fruit Pruning UCSC Farm
Weekend Pome Fruit Intensive WorkshopAlan Chadwick Garden
Basic Stone Fruit PruningUCSC Farm
Farm & Garden apprentice Drew Gabel cranks out a batch of or-ganic apple juice at the 2013 Harvest Festival as UCSC students look on. Students attend the event free of charge thanks to support from Measure 43, the Sustainable Food, Health and Wellness Initiative.
UCSC Farm & Garden
Roasting Peppers, from page 2
Sweet Peppers Suitable for Roasting
In each of the last two years I harvested a few in mid
cal Interest Seeds
tion varieties. It is particularly early, disease free, sweet,
quits.
impressive.
brilliant red fruits. Softens and sweetens when fried in oil.
Methods and Tools for Roasting Peppers
es and the sweet peppers described above is to roast them fresh and then, of course, to consume them voraciously.
In roasting these hot and sweet peppers, the aim is
really, all you need to do is slice them into strips and plate
their taste and texture leave the tinny, pale green canned chiles of commerce “in the weeds.”
between the two
also be saved and added to soups.
Options for roasting include—
safer, fashion
continued on page 6
New Mexico chiles for roasting.
News & Notes
Keep Up with Farm & Garden News!
Field
Notes newsletter. Field Notes
sues of Field Notes
News & Notes
over the last two years –From Pueblo Chile Roasters
propane burners, a regulator, very solid design, construc
models that can roast hundreds of pounds at a time.
from the hopper, chop off the top and stem and plate
rhythmic, fun, and quite a spectacle at social gatherings
roasting peppers is sure to draw a crowd.
fame.
issues of the News & Notes
edu). Orin Martin is the manager of the Alan Chadwick Garden
at UC Santa Cruz
Apprenticeship graduate Weston Monroe uses a hand-cranked, propane-powered roaster at Santa Cruz’s Westside market during the 2012 PepperFest.
More on the pepper diseases mentioned on page 2 –
Anthracnose is a fungal disease of pepper pods. Symp
tions foster growth of the Colletotrichum
organic botanical fungicide Serenade can allay damage.Erwinia species fungi.
walls collapse and the fruit becomes a watery mess with a bad
by acting as a physical barrier to prevent fungal spores from splashing up into the plant canopy. Serenade can also help control this disease.
UCSC Farm & Garden
Third Annual Farm-to-Fork Dinner Raises Funds for 2014 Apprenticeship Class
as a way to “pay it forward” by raising funds for the
to create a wonderful meal featuring organic produce, locally sourced meat, and wonderful local wines.
and sponsorships will help offset costs and provide
Garden apprentices during their six month organic farming and gardening training program.
prentices for all their efforts.
Apprenticeship
Updates
Garden have been doing recently. Apprenticeship alumni,
ucsc.edu.Karen Washington
to live by turning empty lots into community gardens.
for garden protection and preservation. She has served as
Damian Parr Darryl Wong
new opportunities for undergraduate students in sustain
delivery to campus dining halls.Jessy Beckett
Josh Slotnick
shout out to his Apprenticeship experience, calling it “the best educational experience I ever had.”
Joy Moore
cally grown food seems to be the province of the haves,
about gardening and nutrition, and is also a founder of
Erin Justus Lampel
specializing in sourdough breads and seasonal pastries
News & Notes
#119
University of California Santa Cruz
Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems
1156 High St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
PAID
Pie Filling7 – 8 baking apples (try JonaGold and Honey Crisp) cored, peeled and sliced! – 1 cup sugar1 – 2 teaspoons cinnamon1 " tablespoons #our" teaspoon saltJuice of one lemon
Coat the apples well with the rest of the ingredients and let rest while rolling out pie crust. Place crust into 9 inch pie pan.Fill with apples and put on top crust that has been vented to let steam escape. Crimp the edge to make a seal.Brush the top of the crust with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar.Bake at 425 degrees for 10–15 minutes and reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake approximately 40–50 minutes until crust is browned and pie is bubbling.Cool and enjoy!
entries.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Crust 2 " cups (315 grams) pastry #our1 tablespoon (15 grams) sugar1 teaspoon (5 grams) salt1 stick butter (frozen)Approximately " cup ice water Grate the frozen butter into the mixed dry ingredients with a regular sized grater and mix together.Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together without being too moist.Without handling it too much, form into two balls and refrigerate while preparing the apples.
