Heat-less habanero - any ideas?

[Zeedman]

This is "Trinidad Perfume", a habanero-like pepper with no heat. Although I may snack on one while in the garden, I originally grew this as a curiosity. I have grown it twice since to save & offer seed, but I never had enough peppers mature before frost to cook/experiment with. Not the case this year, when the plants were loaded & nearly all ripened. So I unexpectedly find myself with a couple gallons of these peppers - any ideas on what to do with them?

 

[jbosmith]

I've grown both those and Haba-nada in a greenhouse. They make a good 'Not' sauce since it adds the fruity flavor of C. chinense without any heat. It's really strong if all you do is peppers and vinegars so I'd advise either using it in moderation or finding more ingredients to add.

 

[heirloomgal]

Wonderful harvest @Zeedman. I love this pepper, though I've not ever had a harvest that large! My fave way to use it is in rice & veggie stir fry dishes. The cooked texture is deliciously chewy.

 

[seedcorn]

So how would you describe the flavor? Only eaten jalapeños, bananas, & bells. I grew regular once but never tried due to heat-chili’s are as hot as I’ve eaten.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sweet Pepper Jelly

Ingredients
2 cups prepared peppers
3/4 cup vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
1 box SURE_JELL Fruit Pectin (I use the full sugar version, not the low sugar)
1/2 teaspoon butter (optional)
3-1/2 cups of sugar, measured in a separate bowl

Stem and seed peppers. Finely chop peppers and drain well. I squeeze a little extra liquid out through a sieve. Measure 2 cups of the drained peppers into a food processor, add the vinegar, and chop some more. Finely chopped! Do not worry about peeling the peppers. The tiny bits of skin adds an interesting visual element. Finely chopped.

Put the peppers and vinegar into a 6 or 8 quart saucepan. Stir in the pectin. If you add the butter, add it now. It will reduce foaming. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) I'm constantly stirring once I start heating it. Don't stop stirring. Stir in the sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil it exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam.

Ladle immediately into jars, filling to within 1/4" of the top. Wipe the rims and threads, put on the lids, and water bath can for 10 minutes (adjusted for elevation). Makes about four 8-ounce jars. Have a fifth jar handy, I usually have a bit extra which goes n the fridge for immediate use.

I use this as a relish on baked chicken.

 

[flowerbug]

...
I use this as a relish on baked chicken.

sounds good to me, and if you do want some heat to it you can use a few hot peppers to suit your own tolerance.

 

[ninnymary]

I grew Habanada this years cause my son bought the seeds. I'm not crazy about the flavor and probably won't grow it again. It was very slow starting out but it did produce very well.

Mary

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Moving slightly off topic, does anyone know of a heat less variety of rocoto pepper (C. pubescens)?

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

I love homemade pepper flakes

Dehydrate and crush in a food processor.

What about pickling them whole?

 

[heirloomgal]

So how would you describe the flavor? Only eaten jalapeños, bananas, & bells. I grew regular once but never tried due to heat-chili’s are as hot as I’ve eaten.

Hard to describe. Perfume is an apt name, has a uniquely strong fragrance that is quite unlike other peppers. Some people describe it as fruity or even citrus like. It may revert occasionally to it's heated ancestry so it can be a bit like roulette.