Chipotle Chili Peppers

You have probably heard the name "Chipotle" thrown about on your favorite food show or on the Food Network channel. Yes the Mexican chipotle chili pepper has gained much attention in the USA as a true spice.


Basically the chipotle pepper is a Mexican chili pepper which dated back to the Aztec era. These little peppers were loved by many then as they are today. Ancient history claims the Aztecs smoked the chipotle because the fleshy outer skin was prone to rot. Once smoked these little jalapenos provided a nice "punch" to any meal.


It is thought that chili peppers made their first appearance around 7,000 BC in Mexico. The first European to discover Chili Peppers was Christopher Columbus in America in 1493. It is said that he was actually looking for an alternative to black pepper. What he found was a small hot pod in which he called the "pimiento" after the Spanish word for black pepper. Within a century, chili peppers' popularity had spread worldwide.

 

[Chee-POT-tleh] peppers are smoked jalapeno chili peppers and are also known as chili ahumado. Today Chipotles are used widely throughout Mexico as well as in the United States. Quite popular in the South Western U.S. and California; Chipotles have found their way into the cuisine of many celebrity chefs from Hawaii to Manhattan. Most of the natural 'heat' of the jalapeno is retained in the drying process. Typically it is about 5,000 to 10,000 Scoville Units. This is considered a "medium" heat in comparison to other chilies.

Did you know these delightful little chili's are referred to as berries by many botanists? Yes botanists call them berries while others refer to them as fruits. The produce industry knows them as vegetables, but when they are dried,chefs call them a spice.

The botanical classification is "Capsicum Frutenscens". The word "capsicum" means that the pepper in question has a quantity of capsaicin in it. Capsaicin is the common name for the chemical component in chili’s that produce the "WOW" in peppers. The "hotness" of the pepper is measured on a scale called HU (Heat Units) or "Scoville Units" The more milder pepper, like the Bell Peppers range from 100 - 1,000 scovilles units. While the hottest peppers, like the Jalapeno and habanero, range from 5,000 - 300,000 scoville units.


Capsaicin is most commonly thought to be found in the seeds of peppers. It is most plentiful in the white ribs and seed coatings. If you want to make a Jalapeno less hot, simply scrape the seeds and stuff out. The same can be done with all peppers. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your Habanero is now mild though.


If you are as unlucky enough to burn your mouth on a hot chili then immediate consumption of dairy products like milk, sour cream or ice cream will help. The more fat in the product the better. Also, starchy foods tend to absorb the heat! A popular Mexican cure is to consume beer to cool the burn! Remember this tip: The smaller and thinner the pepper, the hotter it will be!


Want to try some of the hottest peppers on the planet? Try our Bird's Eye Chili's or Bird's Eye Powder at Florida Herb House or online at www.FloridaHerbHouse.com and www.SharpWebLabs.com in your next spicy recipe!

TRY THIS CHIPOTLE HOT SAUCE RECIPE!
ITS AN A+!!!

3 to 4 tablespoons Florida Herb House organic chipotle powder
2 teaspoons ground Florida Herb House organic cumin
2 teaspoons Florida Herb House organic black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher =OR= 2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Florida Herb House organic ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon Florida Herb House organic fenugreek

1/2 teaspoon Florida Herb House organic nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Florida Herb House organic cloves
1/2 teaspoon Florida Herb House organic cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Florida Herb House organic allspice

1/2 teaspoon Florida Herb House organic coriander

1 1/4 cups Florida Herb House organic cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons Florida Herb House organic paprika
6 cloves Florida Herb House organic garlic minced
2 cups water

3 tablespoons peanut oil

When you prepare this intoxicating, brick-red chili sauce, be sure to use your overhead stove fan or open all the windows. You might also want to tie a scarf around your nose and mouth while heating the spices in the sauté pan.

Place the red pepper flakes, cumin, black pepper, salt, cardamom, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and coriander in a medium, heavy-bottomed nonstick sauté pan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until their aroma fills the air and the color has darkened slightly, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a blender and set aside.


In the same pan, heat the cayenne pepper and paprika over moderately low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add to the spice mixture in the blender along with the garlic, water, and peanut oil. Puree until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the container.


Return the pureed mixture to the sauté pan and cook over moderately low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the sauce from burning. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 months.

 



Stephen Sharp
Florida Herb House

www.SharpWebLabs.com

www.FloridaHerbHouse.com

World's Best Elderberry Pie

Here you will find one of the best Elderberry Pie and Elderberry Wine recipes in the world!
Our Elderberries Are Certified Organic, In Stock And Ready To Ship In Our Flavor Savor Containers! All our herbs are true certified organic by CCOF, OTCO and certified NOP Kosher! All herbs are free from irradiation and ozone treatment, sulfur, gasses and other sanitary chemicals! Unsurpassable in color, depth, taste and aroma! Guaranteed fresh and not from "warehouse stock" Processed and handled according to strict organic standards! Analyzed for quality, safety and true botanical identity by the best in quality control!

Buy Organic Elderberries On Sale - 1 Lb

Our Favorite Elderberry Pie Recipe!
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups organic elderberries
3 tablespoons organic lemon juice
3/4 cup white organic sugar
2 tablespoons organic flour
1/8 teaspoon organic salt
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a 9 inch pie pan with pastry.
2. Combine berries and lemon juice. Pour into shell. Mix sugar, salt and flour. Sprinkle over berries.
3. Cover with top crust. Seal and flute edges. Cut a few small steam vents in the top.
4. Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake 30 minutes longer.


Make Your Own Elderberry Wine!
FRESH ELDERBERRY WINE (recipe to make one gallon of wine)
250 grams of Dried Organic Elderberries
White Granulated Sugar 1 kilo for dry wine
Or White Granulated Sugar 1.25 kilos for a medium wine
Or White Granulated Sugar 1.5 kilos for a sweet wine
Citric Acid (1 teaspoon)
Yeast and Yeast nutrient
Water
1 Campden Tablet
Potassium Sorbate (Stoppitt) as directed

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE ONE GALLON OF WINE
5 litre/1 gallon white plastic food grade bin and lid
5 litre/1 gallon demijohn either glass or plastic
Cork with hole and airlock
Fine nylon Straining bag
Syphon
Hydrometer/Trial Jar (Optional)


RECIPE
Strip the fresh elderberries from the stalk by using a culinary fork, then weigh the berries and crush them in a food grade white polythene bucket. If using dried elderberries or sloes put them directly in the bin and pour on 2 pints of boiling water and dissolve the amount of granulated sugar required. Once cool - approximately 21C (75f) add the yeast, yeast nutrient and citric acid.

Cover well and leave in a warm place to ferment for 4/5 days.

Strain of the liquid into a glass demijohn, top up with cool boiled water and fit a cork and airlock. Continue to leave to ferment for approximately 4 to 6 weeks. When the wine has finished fermenting (test using a hydrometer, the reading should for a dry wine read 0.998sg.). Rack again in one months time. The wine should be stored in either a glass demijohn or bottled. If storing in a demijohn, top up with cool boiled water or red wine up to the neck of the demijohn and add one campden tablet and 1/4 teaspoon of Stoppit. Rack again in two months time. The wine can be sweetened if necessary . This wine can be drunk within 3/6 months or left to mature

TIP: Adding an extra kilo of blackberries (2lb) at the bucket stage makes an excellent Port style wine

Have a fun Tuesday!

Stephen Sharp
www.FloridaHerbHouse.com
www.SharpWebLabs.com

Lemon Balm - A True Lemon Spice

Happy Thursday Here From Florida Herb House!

After packing up 10 lbs. of our organic Lemon Balm today for one of our customers we suddenly noticed the entire room smelled like a refreshing lemon grove. If you are a lemon lover and cook with lemon frequently then you must add lemon balm as an essential spice to your pantry! Our organic certified lemon balm is chopped and sifted and ready for your kitchen! You can purchase online at www.FloridaHerbHouse.com or www.SharpWebLabs.com! Shhhhh...... don't tell anyone but if you type in this code FLORIDAHERB at checkout you get an instant 10%-20% off!!!

Because of its delicate lemon flavor, lemon balm has lots of culinary applications where it works perfectly. Apart from using fresh leaves as an attractive garnish, Chopped fresh leaves can be used to to add zest to sweet or tangy dishes. It combines well with allspice, bay leaves, mint, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Fresh herbs with essential oils, however, are less potent and should be added at the end of cooking. A wonderful addition to fruit salads, green salads, herb butters, fruit drinks, sorbets. It can also be used in egg dishes, custards, soups and casseroles. It works well in stuffing's for poultry, lamb or pork. Its subtle flavour is a perfect for sauces and marinades for fish. Lemon balm and chervil are also good combination.

If you wish to grow lemon balm we had great success with an indoor plant. As an indoor plant, lemon balm offers a light lemon refreshing, uplifting scent to your home year round. Be sure to keep it in a sunny location, and don't let it go dry. To insure an even and regular supply of moisture, consider providing a wicking system for your plant. Use a quality prepared potting soil, and select a pot that's on the small side, five inches or less. Potted lemon balm does better when kept a bit crowded. If your plant starts to get leggy, it needs more sun.

Harvesting and Drying Lemon Balm
This resilient herb can be harvested throughout the summer months by snipping or pinching. It grows back quickly and tolerates heavy harvesting well.

Stephen Sharp
www.FloridaHerbHouse.com
www.SharpWebLabs.com

French Onion Soup Recipe

Okay well this is not one of our organic seasoning but after trying it we had to put it in our store. For anyone who loves a sensational bowl of French Onion Soup, you know the kind that is steaming hot with vapors of flavorful onions evaporating in the air and with the cheese that is cooked perfectly and darkened on the edges of the bowl due to the higher heat conductivity then you gotta try this onion base!

We do strive on offering organic, green friendly and all natural products but a few of our non-organic favorites are always available 24/7 online at our stores http://www.FloridaHerbHouse.com and http://www.SharpWebLabs.com.

Here is the recipe we used last night using our own onion base powder for a boost!


Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 90 minutes
Serves 6-8


Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2-1/2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
4 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) beef broth, divided
2 tsp Florida Herb House's onion base
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp organic parsley
2 tsp organic thyme
2 tablespoons Madeira or sherry
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 3/4-inch-thick slices French bread
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 degree F. On stove top, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and stir often until softened and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Increase heat to high and pour in 1/2 cup broth, stirring until most of the broth has evaporated and onions are browning again. Continue until you have used up 2 cups of the broth.

2. Wrap bay leaf, parsley, and thyme in cheesecloth. Add to soup, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Season with Madeira and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Toast bread in oven on a cookie sheet, 5 minutes. Divide the soup among 8 ovenproof bowls. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese over each, then top with bread and 2 tablespoons more cheese. Place bowls on cookie sheet and bake until the cheese bubbles, 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Stephen Sharp
www.FloridaHerbHouse.com
www.SharpWebLabs.com

Asparagus Powder Is Delightful

Just a quick news update on our newest vegetable asparagus powder now available in our store and packed fresh to order! We are excited to be approaching 1500 natural and organic products in our Florida Herb House. See us online at http://www.sharpweblabs.com/ and http://www.floridaherbhouse.com/! Our asparagus powder is loved by many and is of superior grade and quality. We put this powder to the test the other night using it in one of our favorite recipes and it was a 10! Below is the recipe we used and its a must try!

Tilapia, a relatively plentiful fish, has the unfortunate reputation of being dull. All it needs is a spice rub, a familiar barbecuing technique that works just as well indoors. You could also use this rub on chicken breasts or toss it with lightly oiled shrimp before cooking.

4 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon asparagus powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic, powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound tilapia, Pacific sole or other firm white fish fillets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice


Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Put asparagus in a steamer basket, place in the pan, cover and steam until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate, spreading out to cool.

Combine chili powder, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a plate. Dredge fillets in the spice mixture to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook until just opaque in the center, gently turning halfway, 5 to 7 minutes total. Divide among 4 plates. Immediately add lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and asparagus to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the asparagus is coated and heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve the asparagus with the fish. ENJOY!!!

http://www.floridaherbhouse.com/
http://www.sharpweblabs.com/

Difference Saffron Stigmas And Saffron Flowers

We are proud to offer some of the finest Saffron products on the market today but some are a bit confused on our saffron products. Whenever Saffron is mentioned around cooking lingo the item being mentioned is our Saffron stigmas. Also here at http://www.sharpweblabs.com/ and http://www.floridaherbhouse.com/ we sell Saffron flowers. The flowers also have used such as fabric dying and medicinal uses as well. Remember Saffron stigmas are the tiny thread like fibers in the center of the flower. These thread like stigmas of the Crocus sativus is a part of the Saffron flower. Saffron is the reddish-orange stigmas of a particular variety of crocus. The process of this spice is remarkable. About 200,000 dried stigmas from about 70,000 flowers are needed to produce just one pound.
Saffron is mainly bought for culinary purposes, a small pinch goes a long way, but today folks are coming back to it for herbal medicinal reasons. Saffron milk is becoming quite popular and can be bought in some local groceries today. The saffron milk is a flavorful, soothing drink that can be helpful in relieving cardia problems. To make it yourself, bring one cup of milk just to a boil, add a pinch of saffron, reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for two minutes. sweeten it with honey to taste and drink it once a day.
Be careful when purchasing saffron. It is sometimes adulterated with other spices. true saffron is expensive and has a deep orange to brownish red color. The redder the strands, the better the quality. Yellow saffron has no curative properties. Choose whole saffron threads over powder saffron. The threads have a better flavor and the curative qualities are higher. When you store saffron, store in an airtight container in a dark, cool place. Don't let it get damp or you will end up losing it all together. Don't add saffron threads directly to foods, the flavor is better distributed when the spice is first allowed to soften in a little warm water. Wait until the water takes on a yellow color and then add it to your dish. Plus use it sparingly. Adding too much can produce a bitter taste and it has been known a large dosage can make a person feel ill, and more than 1/3 oz. can be fatal.

Have A Great Day!
Try The World's Best Saffron Today!
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Organic Garlic Spice - You Can Taste The Difference!

One taste of our organic certified fresh dried garlic spices and we guarantee you too will smell and taste the difference than that of supermarket variety choices. Here at www.FloridaHerbHouse.com and www.SharpWebLabs.com you will find nothing but the best of the best for all your top chef herbs and culinary spices. We stock over 700 herbs and spices in our climate controlled and light controlled rooms for your cooking and diet pleasures. Take the taste challenge today! We offer several choices of organic certified and all natural garlic such as minced garlic, granulated garlic, garlic fine powder, and toasted garlic!
Garlic not only tastes great to most, it's very good for your body too. It is one of Mother Nature's most precious gift to cooks of all levels of expertise. yet it is actually a member of the lily family and a cousin to onionss, chivess, and shallotss. The edible bulb or head of garlic is composed of smaller cloves. It is a root crop, with the bulb growing underground. Garlic crops are harvested in mid-July and hung in sheds to dry before reaching their prime in late-July/early-August. There are over 300 varieties of garlic grown worldwide. American garlic, with its white, papery skin and strong flavor is one of the most common varieties. Italian and Mexican garlic, both of which have pink- to purple-colored skins, are slightly milder-flavored varieties. Elephant garlic (allium scorodoprasum), which has very large, extremely mild-flavored cloves, is not a true garlic, but a closer relative to the leek.
STORING GARLIC - Commercially, garlic is stored near 32 degrees F. However, most home refrigerators are too warm for ideal long-term storage of garlic. Instead, store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place in well-ventilated containers such as mesh bags. Storage life is 3 to 5 months under cool (60 degree F) dry, dark conditions.
PEELING GARLIC CLOVESPeeling whole cloves requires that the papery skin be removed without cutting into the clove. If the garlic is going to be chopped or sliced., the skin can be removed by pressing the clove with the flat side of a knife until the clove and skin crack. The skin can then be easily removed.
ROASTING GARLICRoasted garlic, which has become popular in recent years, is sweet to the taste and is delicious on bread or crackers as an appetizer or served as a vegetable side dish. To prepare roasted garlic, leave the head whole and cut off the tip of the head, exposing the cloves. Allow one-half to one head per person. Put the head (or heads) in a baking dish or wrap them in aluminum foil, sprinkle with olive oil or pat with butter, and season with a little salt and pepper and some fresh or dried thyme if desired. Bake at 350 degrees F until very soft and tender (about 45 minutes to 1 hour). The roasted garlic cloves can be easily squeezed from their skins and spread with a knife.
FREEZING GARLICGarlic can be frozen in a number of ways.1. Chop the garlic, wrap it tightly in a plastic freezer bag or in plastic wrap, and freeze. To use, grate or break off the amount needed.2. Freeze the garlic unpeeled and remove cloves as needed.3. Peel the cloves and puree them with oil in a blender or food processor using 2 parts oil to 1 part garlic. The puree will stay soft enough in the freezer to scrape out parts to use in sautéing. Freeze this mixture immediately - do not store it at room temperature. The combination of the low-acid garlic, the exclusion of air (by mixing with oil), and room-temperature storage can support the growth of Clostridium botulinum.
DRYING GARLIC - Dry only fresh, firm garlic cloves with no bruises. To prepare, separate and peel the cloves. Cut in half lengthwise. No additional predrying treatment is necessary. Dry at 140 degrees for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 130 degrees until completely dry or crisp. If desired, garlic salt may be made from dried garlic. Powder dried garlic by processing in a blender or food processor until fine. Add 4 parts salt to 1 part garlic powder and blend 1 to 2 seconds. If blended longer, the salt will become too fine and cake together in clumps.
STORING GARLIC IN WINE OR VINEGAR - Peeled cloves may be submerged in wine or vinegar and stored in the refrigerator. A dry white or red wine is suggested; white or wine vinegars also work well. The garlic/liquid should be kept for about 4 months in the refrigerator. Discard both the cloves and the liquid if there are signs of mold or yeast growth on the surface of the wine or vinegar. The garlic-flavored liquid and the garlic cloves may be used to flavor dishes. Do not store the garlic/liquid mixture at room temperature because it will rapidly develop mold growth.
STORING GARLIC IN OIL - Extreme care must be taken when preparing flavored oils with garlic or when storing garlic in oil. Peeled garlic cloves may be submerged in oil and stored in the freezer for several months. Do not store garlic in oil at room temperature. Garlic-in-oil mixtures stored at room temperature provide perfect conditions for producing botulism toxin (low acidity, no free oxygen in the oil, and warm temperatures). The same hazard exists for roasted garlic stored in oil. At least three outbreaks of botulism associated with garlic-in-oil mixtures have been reported in North America.
By law, commercially prepared garlic in oil has been prepared using strict guidelines and must contain citric or phosphoric acid to increase the acidity. Unfortunately, there is no easy or reliable method to acidify garlic in the home. Acidifying garlic in vinegar is a lengthy and highly variable process; a whole clove of garlic covered with vinegar can take from 3 days to more than 1 week to sufficiently acidify. As an alternative, properly dried garlic cloves may be safely added to flavor oils.

Our favorite simple to make garlic chicken recipe! A great quickie meal! Some garlic chicken recipes involve roasting a whole chicken. That's great - if you've got both the time and enough people to eat the chicken! This simple garlic chicken recipe uses chicken breast and serves two. It makes a quick and easy garlic chicken supper.


1/2 oz (15gm) Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
As always, adjust garlic according to taste
2 Chicken Breasts
1/2 Pint (280 ml) Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper
Handful fresh Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp Natural Yoghurt

Trim the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and cook gently until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
Add the chicken pieces to the onion and garlic mixture and brown on all sides.
Add the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper to taste and add the chopped parsley. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down to minimum and leave gently cooking - uncovered - for about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and keep warm. Turn up the heat and reduce the liquid by about half. Remove from the heat and stir in the yoghurt.
Serve the garlic chicken with mashed potato, your favourite veg and the garlicky sauce.
ENJOY!!

Thanks to all who contributed to this article!

Stephen C. Sharp
www.FloridaHerbHouse.com
www.SharpWebLabs.com