Naga King Chilies From the Hills of Nagaland

OK, here is the first one showing a close up of a Naga King chili. The fruit body of this particular chili measures about 8 centimeters which comes out to about 3 1/4 inches. That's a nice big pepper in anybodies book!

I've grown a lot of Habañeros in my time and these chilies look a lot like Caribbean Red Habañeros or Red Savino Habañeros. 

Although I have some of those chilies pictured on the main page, they are not an exact representation of the typical chilies. I chose some nice plump shapely examples to display. 

 

Though they share the curvy shape displayed on the left, missing is the lanky appearance of some of these chilies as well as the very rough and bumpy looking texture of the Naga King chili... and of course the tongue torturing heat!

This is truly a unique looking chili!

Click on the photo for the full sized version of this picture which is much too large to fit in the format presented here.

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Chiles' kick is an old story, scientists find

Fossils show peppers were domesticated by agricultural societies in the Americas more than 6,000 years ago.

Thousands of years before ketchup, mayonnaise or Grey Poupon, there was the red-hot chile pepper.

Researchers have found evidence that farmers in the Americas, stretching from the Bahamas to Panama to Peru, domesticated the spicy fruit about 6,100 years ago, making it perhaps the oldest condiment in the history of cooking.

The scientists were surprised to find that those early agricultural societies had advanced to the point of cultivating more than: staples such as maize, yams, beans and cassava.

"This is an indication that there was a complex system of agriculture and sophisticated cuisine very early, even before pottery in some places," said Linda Perry, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and leader of the study, published today in the journal Science.

Perry and other food archeologists found microscopic fossils of chile starches on milling stones, cooking vessels and even in the dirt at seven early settlements in the New World.

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Bell Pepper Benefits

Bell Pepper, also referred to as Sweet Pepper, are found in a wide array of colors and can vary in flavor.

The color and flavor of the Bell Pepper depends on the variety of the pepper plant and the stage of ripeness. As a bell pepper ages, its flavor becomes sweeter and milder.

The fruit is also frequently consumed in an unripe form, when the bell pepper is still green. Bell pepper is native to Mexico and some parts of South America.

Benefits of Bell Pepper

The health benefits of bell peppers are extensive. The Bell Peppers are nutrient rich and contains nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. The various health benefits of Bell Peppers are often linked to metabolism, insulin levels, pain control, weight loss, natural cold remedies and endorphins.

Prevention of cataracts and heart problems

Vitamin C and beta carotene in bell peppers helps prevent cataracts and several other vision related diseases. As a result aging becomes one of the factors for the need of bell pepper consumption in most people. Peppers also contain capsaicin and flavonoids which prevent blood clots besides reducing cholesterol levels. Both in combined action greatly reduce the risks of strokes or heart attacks.

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Feel the Burn: 2004 Hoop House Hot Pepper Trial

Consumer demand for fiery food is on the rise, and increased consumption of hot peppers is primarily responsible for this trend.

Hot peppers are eaten fresh, stuffed, dried and as an important ingredient in salsa, chili, hot sauce and a myriad of Mexican, South American, Indonesian, African and Asian dishes.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, hot peppers make great additions to a healthy diet. They are cholesterol free, low in sodium and calories, rich in vitamins A and C and a good source of folic acid, potassium and vitamin E.

In response to this craving for all things hot, market gardeners are expanding their offering of hot pepper varieties.

Like their cousin, the tomato, hot peppers respond favorably to growth-enhancing technology. To get a jump on the competition, progressive growers set hot pepper transplants into plastic mulch-covered raised beds during early spring. Floating row covers and low tunnels are commonly used in conjunction with plastic mulch to provide additional protection and growth enhancement.

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Water Cycle Extreme — Hurricanes

From June through November, we live nervously here in Florida. Why? Energy and water from the tropics can venture toward the southeastern U.S. in gigantic, spinning storms we call “hurricanes.”

Hurricanes have been in the news a lot lately. They can be very destructive, but they’re also part of the natural cycle in Florida. Of course, no one wants to be part of a natural cycle that includes storm surges, massive waves, devastating flooding and winds that can rip the roof right off of a house.

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The World’s Deadliest Lightning?

The Southwest Florida Water Management District includes Florida’s notorious “Lightning Belt.” It is famous because of the number of thunderstorms and lightning strikes that occur here. They don’t call the hockey team the “Tampa Bay Lightning” for nothing. Florida’s lightning strikes are thought to be especially powerful, thanks to the huge, highly charged clouds that form here.

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The Water Cycle

Water is restless; it likes to move. Gravity makes it flow downhill, off your roof, into creeks, down rivers and even over giant waterfalls. Some water sinks into the ground, but most of it ends up filling the oceans, which cover over two-thirds of the planet.

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The Hidden Water

Do you know where your drinking water comes from? You might have poured it from a tap or bought it at the store, but it had to come from somewhere before that. Any guesses?

The ocean? That would be a good guess because the oceans contain most of earth’s water, about 97%! But would you drink a glass of seawater?

No! The salt would make you sick.

We need fresh water. Not just any fresh water though. Did you know most of the world’s fresh water is frozen solid? Nearly 80% is locked up in ice sheets and glaciers. We can’t drink that.

So where do you get your drinking water from? In Florida, lakes, rivers and swamps all contain water that isn’t frozen or too salty. So do ditches and retention ponds. But would you drink from the ditch near your house?

NO!

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Florida’s Most Wanted! Taking on Invasive Plants.

Every day the invasion continues. People are mostly to blame — we import plants from all over the world, planting them here in Florida. It might be because we think they’re useful, or maybe we just think a plant is pretty. Because these plants are new on the scene, Florida’s environment isn’t used to them.

Some plants can’t adapt to their new surroundings so they die off. Many new plants grow, but stay right where we put them. But some new plants love it here — they go to seed and start to spread. From the farms or yards where they were first planted, they spread and spread and spread, invading new territory and taking over places where native plants aren’t used to competing with them.

We call these unwanted plants “invasive,” and Florida spends millions of dollars trying to get rid of them. The crazy thing is — you might even have some in your yard! If you like to get down, dirty and destructive, then you can help.

1. Identify the plants in your yard — are any of them invasive?

2. There are local organizations that fight back. They gather people together and uproot, cut and sometimes spray invasive plants. If you’d like to help out, ask your parents or teachers about volunteering, and check out the link below.

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