Life Lessons from a Chili Head

On one of our earliest dates, my husband introduced me to spicy food. And thus began my journey into gastronomy as a chili head.

Since I took on gardening our collection of dehydrated, frozen, and canned peppers has exploded. This year my jalapeño plants didn’t do super great. However, I’ve harvested more of the spicier habañero chilis than expected.

My favorite use is to make a hot sauce called Inner Beauty. Hubby discovered the recipe during our earliest home Internet days (!) and I still enjoy it.

On Tuesday I harvested almost forty more. I cut off stems, removed any darkened seeds, and prepared to vacuum seal them for the freezer. Trust me when I tell you I wore plastic gloves.

First lesson: My cheap gloves don’t suffice and a facial tissue didn’t protect my dripping nose.

Second lesson: If you want the nasal clearing and/or body cooling benefits of capsaicin but fear gastrointestinal irritation, the nose is the way to go.

I should know better by now. ~rolls eyes~ And you do not want to know what other skin tissue peppers have irritated.

I haven’t yet tasted the peppers I canned. Perhaps I should and see if it’s a good longer storage option. Meanwhile, one pepper had a surprise inside.

Finding a tiny pepper inside a larger always fascinates me...

Knowing the answer from some of my kind loyal regulars I still have to ask, do you like spicy food? Are you familiar with the term chili head?

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