Dried chillies

Dried Chillies

Fresh chillies are everybody’s favourite but what are we to do during those long winter months when chilli cravings take hold of us, leaving us frustrated and eager for a chilli fix?
The answer is of course to use dried chillies. Many think that the flavour and heat get compromised during the drying process but fret not, this is definitely not the case. We have been drying our own chillies naturally and in a dehydrator for a while now and always get fantastic results. If anything the flavour is more concentrated due to the absence of water. Here are a few tips on how to handle and use them:

The first thing to remember is that, as with any dried goods, dried chillies have to be kept in the right conditions for them to last the distance. Dried chillies can be kept for years if stored right but for best results in flavour we would recommend using them within 6-8 months. Any airtight container will do the trick, a Tupperware being of course the best, but freezer bags work as well as long as kept in a dry, cool and dark place.

Now one might be tempted to think that since chillies are dried they are ok to handle and are not as harmful as fresh chillies. We have learned at our expense that this is not the case at all and would advise you to wear gloves or at least rinse your hands with lemon juice, either fresh or concentrate, after handling the dried chillies. For the hotter chillies such as Bhut Jolokia, Trinidad Scorpions, Scotch Bonnets or Habaneros you should really use a mask too as the micro particles coming out of the dried chillies can be pretty potent and irritate eyes.
The great thing with dried chillies is that you can use them whole, ground or chopped up but they can also be re-hydrated. To do so, immerse the dried chillies in a bowl full of hot water (not boiling as this will scorch the chilli skin) and leave to re-hydrate for at least 10-15 minutes. If your kids do not like chilli bits in their food you can always ground whole dried chillies using a small coffee grinder although if you want finely ground dried chillies we would recommend that you buy them as powder (such as Blair’s Death Rain shakers) or flakes (Dartmoor Chilli Farm’s ones are superb) as it can be pretty time-consuming and arduous to do it yourself. Professionals have specialist tools that turn dried chillies into really fine powders so why not leave it to the best?

A question that a lot of people ask us is how much dried chillies to use. Well of course it depends on how many people are coming round for dinner and what dish you are making. Milder dried chillies such as Pasilla, Guajillo, Ancho, Mulato or New Mexico can be used whole and even stuffed or roasted but hotter ones such as dried Chipotle, Habanero or De Arbol are to be handled carefully depending on your resistance to chilli of course. Half a habanero would be plenty for a 4 people meal for example while 1 or 2 De Arbol will really fire up your belly!
Versatility is immense with dried chillies so do not hesitate to try out various combinations of flavour or heat with your food until summer comes round again, bringing you gorgeous fiery pods!

Bim's Kitchen

Writing a simple blog about Bim's Kitchen is just impossible. This is the kind of brand that requires pause and carefully chosen words so we are already offering penance for the sin of quickly going over some of Bim's products without the proper attention it deserves.

After all, this is the brand that brought us the amazing African Pepper Spice Mill (and its handy refill!) as well as the African Herb and Spice Rub which takes pride of place amongst our many spices. We have had so many compliments for our food when using these spices it's unbelievable and although we'd like to take credit for it every time we have to give back to Bim's what belongs to Bim's!

The Spicy African Ketchup is just about the best ketchup there is currently out there and with definitely less chemicals and a deeper flavour than supermarket counterparts. One condiment that we use and abuse on a daily basis is Bim's Kitchen African Lemon, Garlic and Pepper Sauce as it encompasses staple ingredients that are necessary in any risotto, stir-fry or marinade worthy of the name.

We were seen keeling over when we tried Bim's curry pastes, may it be African Bean and Nut or the Melon Seed one. They are that good. Both are widely different but the fantastic thing about them is that they are more versatile than a simple curry. You can really use them as they are over vegetables or poured over chicken or lamb (good God the lamb!) at the last minute.

Again, it is too hard to go over everything in just a few words when it comes to Bim's Kitchen so this is why we highly recommend for you to check out this astonishing range so you don't miss out on any of it!!

Dried Chillies

 Dried Chillies

Fresh chillies are everybody’s favourite but what are we to do during those long winter months when chilli cravings take hold of us, leaving us frustrated and eager for a chilli fix?
The answer is of course to use dried chillies. Many think that the flavour and heat get compromised during the drying process but fret not, this is definitely not the case. We have been drying our own chillies naturally and in a dehydrator for a while now and always get fantastic results. If anything the flavour is more concentrated due to the absence of water. Here are a few tips on how to handle and use them:
The first thing to remember is that, as with any dried goods, dried chillies have to be kept in the right conditions for them to last the distance. Dried chillies can be kept for years if stored right but for best results in flavour we would recommend using them within 6-8 months. Any airtight container will do the trick, a Tupperware being of course the best, but freezer bags work as well as long as kept in a dry, cool and dark place.
Now one might be tempted to think that since chillies are dried they are ok to handle and are not as harmful as fresh chillies. We have learned at our expense that this is not the case at all and would advise you to wear gloves or at least rinse your hands with lemon juice, either fresh or concentrate, after handling the dried chillies. For the hotter chillies such as Bhut Jolokia, Trinidad Scorpions, Scotch Bonnets or Habaneros you should really use a mask too as the micro particles coming out of the dried chillies can be pretty potent and irritate eyes.
The great thing with dried chillies is that you can use them whole, ground or chopped up but they can also be re-hydrated. To do so, immerse the dried chillies in a bowl full of hot water (not boiling as this will scorch the chilli skin) and leave to re-hydrate for at least 10-15 minutes. If your kids do not like chilli bits in their food you can always ground whole dried chillies using a small coffee grinder although if you want finely ground dried chillies we would recommend that you buy them as powder (such as Blair’s Death Rain shakers) or flakes (Dartmoor Chilli Farm’s ones are superb) as it can be pretty time-consuming and arduous to do it yourself. Professionals have specialist tools that turn dried chillies into really fine powders so why not leave it to the best?
A question that a lot of people ask us is how much dried chillies to use. Well of course it depends on how many people are coming round for dinner and what dish you are making. Milder dried chillies such as Pasilla, Guajillo, Ancho, Mulato or New Mexico can be used whole and even stuffed or roasted but hotter ones such as dried Chipotle, Habanero or De Arbol are to be handled carefully depending on your resistance to chilli of course. Half a habanero would be plenty for a 4 people meal for example while 1 or 2 De Arbol will really fire up your belly!
Versatility is immense with dried chillies so do not hesitate to try out various combinations of flavour or heat with your food until summer comes round again, bringing you gorgeous fiery pods!

Mad Dog Collector's Hot Sauces

If there is one thing that the Mad Dog brand has taught us it’s to definitely not mess around with it! Having started making hot sauces in his own kitchen, David Ashley, the man behind the brand, has now made a very honourable name for himself in the chilli world as well as the general public. With infamous chilli sauces such as Liquid Fire, Ghost Pepper or Green Amigo, Mad Dog hot sauces are not for chilli beginners unless you have a good resistance to chillies... and/or have a death wish!

Mad Dog is particularly known for its range of collectors’ sauces, the most famous one being Mad Dog 357 Collectors Hot Sauce. Made with a mere 6 million Scoville Unit of chilli extract, this is a heat you have to experience to believe. It is so potent that Mad Dog provided a miniature sampling spoon that looks more fit for Lilliputians to use rather than actual humans! Despite its heat though you can definitely taste the fresh habanero chilli peppers that have been used as a base to this great chilli sauce.

Mad Dog 357 Silver Edition Hot Sauce is slightly different in the sense that cayenne chilli peppers have been introduced along with habaneros to form a tantalising mix that will leave you panting if you are still alive of course after being hit by Mad Dog’s 6 million SHU chilli extract! This is a whole new league of chilli heat and one that should never be underestimated! Again this bottle of hot sauce comes with the iconic bullet-shaped keyring containing the sampling spoon.

Although not technically Collectors’ hot sauces, Mad Dog’s Inferno Reserve Hot Sauce and Mad Dog’s Revenge are well worth mentioning as these are some of the bestsellers at the Devil’s Garden and with good reason.

Mad Dog’s Inferno Reserve Hot Sauce is as subtle as a machine gun and will hit you full on... with pleasure as much as with pain thanks to the mix of habanero chilli extract and Jalapeno chilli pepper whilst Mad Dog’s Revenge is just plain silly when it comes to heat as it is made with 1 million SHU chilli extract, enough to make your kitchen counter smoke if you spill a drop on it! (let it be clear that we are not advising you to try that out by the way!).

Mad Dog is and will remain one of the top players in the chilli world for a long time to come thanks to a wide range of fantastic hot sauces that in our point of view should all be made collectors’ items.