BC Hothouse Chilies: Lotsa Burn/Bite for The Buck!

[Sam Salmon]

One of my pet peeves re:produce here in BC has been the astronomical price charged for Chiles.

Considering how easy the plant is to grow/how low maintenance it is the price has always seemed way out of line to me.

3 weeks ago @ the Nat Bailey Market one well known vendor from the Interior tried to charge me $C4.00 for 100 grams of Chile-outright robbery IMO-so I just said "no way too much" and skulked away.

Finally though we have an alternative-have had for a while it's just that I haven't paid attention.

Today a Broadway greengrocer had 454 grams of prime recently picked Hothouse Chile on special for $C1.29.

Some is being simmered into a pot of Rice n' Beans now and the bite is on!!(so to speak)

Yes I know there are 'issues' involved food politics are never ending but maybe these prices will show locals that there's some money to be made but that Chile isn't the gold mine some think it is.

Or maybe not.

Maybe people here don't eat Chile enough and don't care-maybe this really is the Great While Land of Bland it oten appears to be.

Time will Tell.....

[fud]

^ I agree. Chillies are insane here. I have a thai chilli plant at home which is REALLY not enjoying the turn of weather from summer. I need to eat all my chillie's before they all wilt up and look like raisins. I generally freeze chillie's I buy from T&T since they sell em in packs of like 50 and I end up using like 2 a week.

Are there any good places to buy chillies round here?

[Memo]

Today a Broadway greengrocer had 454 grams of prime recently picked Hothouse Chile on special for $C1.29.

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What type of fresh chile was the greengrocer selling?

There are so many varieties (in the world) with nuances in flavor and complexity - with just as many different uses.

Memo

[shelora]

Considering how easy the plant is to grow/how low maintenance it is the price has always seemed way out of line to me.

I don't think chile peppers are easy to grow. They like heat and over here, that is something hugely unreliable. I think that is why hothouse growers are more successful in yield.

And what are they by the way? I don't recall seeing a variety listed on the packaging for those hot house chilies.

I also take issue, S. S., with the high prices at most of the farmer's markets for things like chile peppers and the other thing that really is easy to grow, tomatillos - man, those things grow like weeds. And $3.00 for a head of garlic?? Come on.

I think the prices are out of line, for my pocket book anyway.

I have been buying my jalapenos and serranos at the regular old grocery store - the jalapenos lately have been blisteringly hot.

Edited October 20, 2005 by shelora (log)

[eatrustic]

I don't usually pay too much attention to the price of chiles as they are most often (for me) a seasoning element in the body of whatever dish I'm making thus a fairly small cost regardless.

Now if we're talking about something like Poblanos for stuffing then I notice the $$$$.

My concern is more that they have the appropriate heat level, a real problem at times (especially with Jalapenos) which can have the same bite as a bell pepper or take you head off.

[jamiemaw]

Yes I know there are 'issues' involved food politics are never ending but maybe these prices will show locals that there's some money to be made but that Chile isn't the gold mine some think it is.

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If only Pinochet had listened.

[~cayenne~]

Today a Broadway greengrocer had 454 grams of prime recently picked Hothouse Chile on special for $C1.29.

←

What type of fresh chile was the greengrocer selling?

There are so many varieties (in the world) with nuances in flavor and complexity - with just as many different uses.

Memo

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Most likely were these ones? I saw them at Donald's Market on Commercial Drive, a couple of days ago, but didn't buy them. Next time. I'd love to hear what SS thought of them after eating them (if they were the same as the link). OT, that market is great! Oh, and, at the Asian stores (Rice World, T&T, etc., they have styro plates (3.5" x 6"???) of Thai chili's, gosh there must be about 25 each? approx. on the plate, for around $1.00 ... seemed like the amount/price ratio was more than fair. At Drive Organics they had organic chili peppers, grown in BC IIRC, for .19 each.

[Sam Salmon]

Yes those are the ones-excellent flavour lotsa bite.

There are some drying as I speak-dunno if it'll work as they are somewhat 'meaty' but at that price making a Ristra isn't all that risky.

[~cayenne~]

Yes those are the ones-excellent flavour lotsa bite.

There are some drying as I speak-dunno if it'll work as they are somewhat 'meaty' but at that price making a Ristra isn't all that risky.

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Good to know, thanks. Ristra idea sounds great, let us know how it works out.