The last two weeks of good weather have helped the chillies ripen. I grew them from seed saved from just one fruit last year but this is where I have to admit to one of my failings; if I sow 10 seeds and they all germinate, I am determined to grow all 10 plants! What on earth was I thinking!
We now have dozens of big juicy chillies we don’t need and won’t use, so we have to think of ways to preserve them, dry them, pickle them, freeze them or……give them away! What a waste of effort, water, compost, plant food and greenhouse space!
Note to self, do not grow more than one chilli plant next year. Or maybe two. All right, a maximum of three!
Davids Garden Diary 
I have the reverse condition. I collected two chile pods from Monticello gardens this winter and planted all of the tiny seeds, to get merely two plants, yet those two plants now have HUNDREDS of tiny fruit! I think they were called Bird’s Eye and are hotter than one can imagine. SO if you have ideas for preservation, kindly share! 😉
Well, my beautiful wife Cathy is the wizard on all the culinary activities, I just grow them! However, we discuss ideas and share research on stuff like this and we came to the conclusion that the three main ways of preserving chillies are as follows:
1. Freezing. They freeze really well and need no preparation at all, just shove them into a freezer bag and chuck them in. This year, Cathy has also deseeded some and chopped them before freezing. We reckon they will be good for 12 months or more. We also have a vacuum sealer which should make them last longer.
2. Drying. We cut the chillies leaving about an inch of stalk. We then string 20 together with needle and strong thread and hang them up somewhere warm to dry for 3 months. They should last up to 12 months in an airtight container after that.
3. Oils and Pickles. Slice the chillies vertically and put several in bottles of Olive Oil. Great on salads. If you pickle eggs or onions in vinegar, pop in some chilli seeds and when the pickling is done, stand well back!
Hope this has been helpful.
Best wishes
David
Thanks David. These Bird’s Eye chilies are still green in the garden, so I will push them to see if they can handle cooler temps of October and turn red. These hot babes are truly the size of a bird’s eye. Know them? I pinched a few seed pods from TJ’s garden (that’s Thomas Jefferson) last winter. Not sure if anyone around here will eat their heat level! Perhpas I can create a hellish insect spray for next growing season!