Maybe some of you farmers on the forum should look at growing the Jalapenõ hybrid used in Sriracha Hot Sauce. My favourite condiment is impossible to find because of the California drought. The product (if you can find it) on eBay and Amazon is $63 each now. But most of them are counterfeit and not the original—even though the bottles are. Turns out the guy who invented the wonderful sauce (David Tran) failed to trademark the name—so it's perfectly legal to counterfeit the bottles and fill them with anything.
Seriously though, in Alberta at least, the grow zone has recently changed from 3b to 4a ( https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-...ts-new-designation-for-plant-growth-1.2970507 ). The peppers take 4+ months to grow, but in Alberta we'd need to harvest in late September I'm guessing. If the weather continues to remain hot year after year, I'm not certain we couldn't pull this off even though they normally cultivate in a grow zone 10.
With my shop shut down I'm looking at a grow tent in there for hot peppers. I used to grow hot peppers in our undeveloped basement when we first bought the house. But it's all developed now so the garage (ex-metal shop) looks like a better alternative. With the LED grow lights available now and all the new controller technology, I'm getting the urge to restart a 25 year old hobby again. Keeping the nutrient solution warm in the winter is the one looming problem I'm still thinking through.
If we could all send some collective good thoughts towards California—and specifically Huy Fong Foods in Irwindale—I'd appreciate it, as I'm fairly certain I've developed a medical dependency on this condiment. I used my last few drops on a Chinese dumpling back in June and am starting to panic now. The fact that I recall when I used it, and what I used it on, shows the depth of my addiction. If I can figure out an alternative to the fermentation process that's acceptable, I may just try making the stuff myself. You can buy the seeds online (although sadly they are not open pollinated, so you cannot harvest the seeds year after year).
I just cannot run the risk of a shortage like this again. At $63 bucks a bottle there must be a business case here, even hydroponically.
Seriously though, in Alberta at least, the grow zone has recently changed from 3b to 4a ( https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-...ts-new-designation-for-plant-growth-1.2970507 ). The peppers take 4+ months to grow, but in Alberta we'd need to harvest in late September I'm guessing. If the weather continues to remain hot year after year, I'm not certain we couldn't pull this off even though they normally cultivate in a grow zone 10.
With my shop shut down I'm looking at a grow tent in there for hot peppers. I used to grow hot peppers in our undeveloped basement when we first bought the house. But it's all developed now so the garage (ex-metal shop) looks like a better alternative. With the LED grow lights available now and all the new controller technology, I'm getting the urge to restart a 25 year old hobby again. Keeping the nutrient solution warm in the winter is the one looming problem I'm still thinking through.
If we could all send some collective good thoughts towards California—and specifically Huy Fong Foods in Irwindale—I'd appreciate it, as I'm fairly certain I've developed a medical dependency on this condiment. I used my last few drops on a Chinese dumpling back in June and am starting to panic now. The fact that I recall when I used it, and what I used it on, shows the depth of my addiction. If I can figure out an alternative to the fermentation process that's acceptable, I may just try making the stuff myself. You can buy the seeds online (although sadly they are not open pollinated, so you cannot harvest the seeds year after year).
I just cannot run the risk of a shortage like this again. At $63 bucks a bottle there must be a business case here, even hydroponically.
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