Limes + Hot Peppers

[liu]

Right now we have a glut of both limes and hot peppers in our garden. What to do?

So, I made a limeade concentrate with lime juice from a couple of limes and sugar to taste, and then soaked some tiny hot pepper rings in it for about an hour. I used an Anaheim chili pepper because that is what I had closest to me, but I am certain that any chili pepper with some heat would serve well here.

I then added about a cup of chilled filtered water and some ice. WOW! This is a wonderful spicy refreshment on a hot Summer afternoon!

Has anyone else tried this?

[bg90027]

Never tried that but I always have around a homemade jalapeno simple syrup that I use in cocktails with fresh squeezed lime juice and either bourbon or rum and muddled fresh herbs.

If you have a lot of limes + hot peppers, you can also make some salsas/hot sauces. I can't remember which cookbook it was from (either one of Rick Bayless' or Diana Kennedy's) but I made a nice habanero salsa recently that I used on carnitas that was essentially just 16 roasted habaneros pulsed with 3/4 cup of lime juice and a teaspoon of salt. When I ran out of habaneros, I did the same with some mirasol peppers and fresno peppers. All were good but the habanero one was the best.

[liu]

Thanks, bg90027! It all sounds so good!

Also, in past years I would cut up all the peppers and simmer down in a sugar water. Then, this hot "jam" could be used on everything!

[JungMann]

Spicy limeade? Yes. It makes a great base for margaritas and is popularly considered an appetite suppresant amongst certain peoples.

[liu]

JungMann, thanks for this information. I did not feel any suppression of my appetite; rather, I could have continued to enjoy this elixir all day because it had so much going on: the tangy and the sweet and the spicy and the chill!

[boogiebaby]

My husband makes lime/jalapeno/vodka/simple syrup martinis. Good stuff. They go well with our spicy S/SE Asian food.

[liu]

Hmmm, sounds good, boogiebaby, although yours is quite different with the addition of spirits. I don't drink, but I am guessing that mine had about the same kick!

[weem]

I haven't tried it, but it sounds tasty. It sounds a bit like a fresh, cleaned up version of the liquid that remains from ceviche.

[liu]

Ah, weem, this is an interesting place to go. I like that ceviche liquor. The difference might be that the one I made yesterday probably had more sugar so that the lime juice was more to a limeade. However, I could cut the sugar even more and probably still have a tasty treat!

Thanks for that comparison.