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While it is not scientifically proven, I have a theory. Since the chilli farm started almost two years ago, I have force fed Jim and the kids chillies. No, not true. But Jim has been eating at least one chilli every day. He doesn’t snore anymore.

He was a heavy snorer(is there such a word?) Anyway, with that and the night sweats, I endured. The night sweats have gone too. The only time he started snoring again was when he had a reasonably hideous virus, and he wasn’t eating. He even went off chillies!

My friend and neighbour is the only one in her family of four that eats chillies. She hasn’t been eating any for the last week and her partner is now complaining about her snoring.

I can only assume that the properties of chilli assist with respiratory function, clear nasal passages and sinus and make the process of breathing easier. The result is a non snorer, and a comfy nights sleep.

Well, with that and prostate sorted, what next???

The experience of  chilli handling and subsequent pubic pointing/probing/poking or pondering can be intensely painful if proper management has not been undertaken. Known as Hunan Hand, Chilli Willie, or Fiery Fanny (not the US meaning of Fanny – the front, not the rear) and probably other terms screamed out in the throes of agony, these occurences can be avoided. Simply put, water does not take away the burn. Capsaicin, the substance in chillies that is the heat, is not water soluble. Dairy products work as the fats cut through the heat. Washing hands in milk can also reduce the smell of onions and garlic. Commercial dishwashing liquids are designed to cut through oils as well, so they will reduce the heat on the body. Wearing gloves during chilli preparation is a definate plus, although easy to forget until afterwards. Michael Bailes suggests that large quantities of olive oil or vegetable oil is the best method for putting out that particular type of genital fire.

Spare a thought then for the women of the North west Amazon, who were made to endure the application of crushed chilli pods directly to the vagina for the purpose of speeding up childbirth. (Dewitt, 1999) Africa also used a mixture including crushed chillies in a poultice to encourage post childbirth healing.

Freshly cut chilli applied directly to a wound is said to heal the wound quickly. I haven’t tried it yet …………

 

Lanacoora Chillies is pleased to announce a new service for local landscape gardeners. We can grow ornamental chilli plants in quantities as required. We have stock seed for various types of ornamental chillies. For further information, contact us, and we can discuss your requirements.

 

Found this on www.newscientist.com. Thought some of you might find it interesting.

The same component of jalapeño peppers that makes them burn the tongue also appears to kill prostate cancer cells. Prostate tumours in mice treated with the compound, called capsaicin, shrank to one-fifth the size of those in non-treated mice, found a new study.To explore capsaicin’s effect, Phillip Koeffler of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, US, and colleagues exposed human prostate cancer cells in a laboratory dish to the natural compound. They found that capsaicin dramatically slowed the proliferation of the cells in the dish.

And this effect increased as the dose of the chilli compound was raised. Three per cent of prostate cancer cells committed “suicide” – programmed cell death – at low concentrations, rising to up to 75% of tumour cells dying at a higher dose.

Koeffler says this is the first experimental evidence supporting the notion that capsaicin stops the growth of prostate cancer cells.

Human cancer

He believes that capsaicin jump starts a pathway that triggers cell death. Molecular tests suggest that it achieves this by causing a cascade of events inside the cell that inhibits the release of a protein complex called NF-kappa B, which subsequently causes the cell to self-destruct. This is crucial since cancer is characterised by the uncontrolled growth of cells.

The team also found that capsaicin suppressed the growth of human prostate cancer cells by about 80%. These cells were grafted into mice with suppressed immune systems.

But Koeffler says that men concerned about prostate cancer should not interpret these findings as a reason to up their consumption of hot peppers. He stresses that the compound has not been shown to prevent prostate cancer but instead simply slows its growth. And he adds that he hopes to see human trials in the next two years assessing capsaicin’s effect on prostate cancer.

Take a chilli pill

After prostate cancer is surgically removed, it tends to reappear in about a quarter of patients, the researchers note. For this reason, they say that capsaicin may be most effective in slowing cancer’s return instead of stopping it from first developing.

He adds that one also must take dosages into consideration. A 200-pound (90-kilogram) person would have to eat about 10 fresh habañera peppers – one of the hottest chillies around – per week to consume an amount of capsaicin equivalent to the levels received by Koeffler’s mice.

A habañera typically contains 300,000 Scoville units – a scale used to measure the hotness of chillis – making them positively scorching to the mouth in comparison with the more popular jalapeños, which contain roughly 2500 to 5000 Scoville units. For this reason, he says it is unreasonable to imagine anyone eating fresh peppers to prevent the return of prostate cancer: “You would have to take it in pill form.”

Journal reference: Cancer Research (DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-0087)

I’ve just been looking around the farm and taking note of what is going on out there. The Hungarian Hot Wax is producing oodles of fruit, which is ripening quickly. The tepins, which are supposed to be the chillies from which all other chillies evolved, have also set fruit. I am looking forward to their maturity so I can taste them. My Naga Morich plants are covered in gorgeous flowers, with only two small fruit at this stage. This family of chillies (C. chinense) is well known for its longer germination and growth rates, but it pays off, as they are incredibly beautiful, as well as being hot and full of flavour. The fatalis in the greenhouse have slowed down. I moved them to a different part of the tunnel last week and I don’t think they liked it.

The mustard habaneros are proving prolific, although again, they are slow to mature. The red habs too, are loaded with green pods. The Aji pineapple are finally producing fruit. The pasillas, dutch cayennes, sioux’s (there’s a story to the name – another time perhaps), jalapeno’s, santa fe grande, african birds eyes, scotch bonnets are all bursting into fruit as well. January is looking promising.

 The ornamentals too are proudly showing off their beauty and colour. Numex twilight, bolivian rainbow and rainbow thai have really come out and promise a stunning display in weeks to come.

 

I found yesterday that I had taken a photo of Jim’s first chilli smoking attempt, so I thought I would show you. It is  a work of art indeed!                                    

                                                                

Just before Christmas, I had a go at candied chillies. The result is awesome.

                                                             

The message is out there, chillies can be hot, but they can be a lot of fun. There are recipes out there for different ways of using these gorgeous creatures. My favourites include, candied chillies in champagne (and some of you are saying “we knew it wouldn’t be long before champagne was mentioned”), fatali in fruit salad, paw paw salsa with coriander and habanero, and the list continues. It is all part of the Great Chilli Adventure. Enjoy!

Hello all, today I had a different food experience. After spending the morning potting up cayennes and scotch bonnets, I cleaned myself up and took my 6 (almost 7 mummy) year old to High Tea at Tea and Niceties. This totally adorable, pink and frilly tea shop is the dream of Carolyn and her daughter Rianna, and has been five years in the making. The decor is pink and white french – reminiscent of Louis XIIIV ish, I think. Anyway lots of lace, rosettes, white linen, and all those things that make a formal tea party special. I expected to walk out of there hungry, but I was not.  After sliver sandwiches and mini scones, I ended at the cake tier, only to find that I couldn’t do it! All in all it was a beautiful experience, with quality food, tea, and enchantment. Tea and Niceties is located at Eagle Heights on Tamborine Mountain. Bookings are essential. Tel: 07 55453645. So much elegance for a humble chilli farmer. (forgot to clean the fingernails!).

The rain seems to have stopped, but the chillies are happy nonetheless. I am currently developing a list of chilli varieties that are growing here, and will be adding a diary of a sort. My Big Jim seeds are in their medium and will soon be presenting me with gorgeous little seedlings promising record breaking pods!

This morning, we are experiencing a most beautiful rain. It is the deep soaking rain that all chillies love. Further north however, the Sunshine Coast has been hammered by destructive storms. There is always two sides to the story.

Jim got a fish smoker for Christmas, and he has been smoking fish – obviously. He has also been smoking kangaroo and beef strips. And he has been smoking chillies. The first attempt was a little interesting. They were burnt black but in their perfect shape. They were shiny charcoal, but disintegrated at the slightest touch. It was a shame I didn’t take pictures. The second attempt was a little better, as he placed them higher in the smoker, and smoked them for a shorter time. The anaheims would have been better if they had been dried a little prior to smoking as they are larger and fleshier. It is all a process of trial and error, and Jim is really enjoying himself.

How I would love a cold smoker. I managed to find some chipotles in adobo sauce. Chipotles are cold smoked jalapenos, and in the sauce, they are absolutely fabulous – muy picante, if I may steal a saying from Ian at the Mexican Deli and Restaurant, from whom I purchased these goodies. I made a delicious chipotle mayonnaise with them over Christmas. You can find this recipe on www.fiery-foods.com.  For now I will make do with the fish smoker and the aforementioned Mexican Deli.

Thanks for bearing with me whilst getting the site up and running. I think most of the glitches are resolved for the moment, and I will be adding more as we go along.