hey Kevin, sorry didn't answer sooner, didn't check the board this weekend. I don't know if I would be a good person for that one. I have only grown them in pots, and last year was my first year to grow them (I plan to put them in the ground this year). But. if I remember correctly (it's been several months ;-)) they didn't get over 2ft tall and about as wide, they got a bit bushy. Sorry I can't be better, maybe Bill has a better answer, he grows them (in fact I think I might have gotten my seeds from him). Hopefully after this year I will have a better answer. ;-)
Pam

Kevin -

I've grown the Chilhuacle Negro pepper for the past couple years. If memory serves me the ones in the ground get about 2 1/2 to 3ft and the ones in the pots just a bit smaller.

Sandy

Thanks Pam. No problems.. just wondering if the smaller cages will do.

Sandy: Is that with ONE good harvest where you are or 2?

Thanks

Kevin

oh, you are so good Kevin. Every year I threaten to put them in cages, or at least a bamboo stake to hold them up... and every year they get blown over or fall over and just grow along the ground. ;-) I think a smaller cage would work fine with them.
Pam

Good memory Pam, I'm pretty sure I sent you the Chilhuacle [chee-WAH-lee] Negro seeds.

Kevin, what Sandy said although I've had a few potted one get to 3 feet.

I agree with Pam that a small cage should be fine.

Bill

Cool. I'm growing mostly TALLER annuums this year, and most of my cages are the mediums.

Thanks All. And a peripheral thanks to Bill through Pam. ;)

Think I'll try my hand at some moles this year. A lot of my stuff ends up like a mole(e.g., reduction) many times, just without the Negros, chocolate, pepitos, and the other 12,000 ingredients. Mexico's version of a Pad That...lol.

Kevin

Kevin - I get one good harvest from the Chilhuacle's and then some stragglers that develop and get picked up to frost.

I've used the sm/med cages with my taller pepper plants and they work good.

Sandy

Hidey Ho Bill! Thanks for the input! I thought I got them from you, but it's been a couple of years, my memory's a bit iffy back that far. ;-) And THANK YOU for the pronunciation lesson, I've been pronouncing them wrong all along.

You know I would LOVE to make real mole sauce, but like you say Kevin, dang, the ingredient list is pages long, I'm not that patient nor crazy to collect all those ingredients and go through all that hassle. Kinda like making tamales, it's much easier to just go buy them. ;-)
Pam

Yeah, Pam. I don't think I'm going to go hog wild but I'll do the chocolate, pepitos, multi chile, (maybe cinnamon) thing.

The trick to tamales is to get an assembly line going and make a couple hundred of them and freeze them. Then when you want some, just pull out and steam. Got a couple Mexican American friends here that their grandmas and moms give them about 3 dozen every xmas that do as mentioned above. It's an all day thing.

Thanks everybody.

Kevin

I actually read it was more of a weekend thing. Spend saturday fixing the filling and sunday making them. Sounds like way too much work. I will make egg rolls, that only takes an afternoon, but a whole weekend, especially when we have Santa Fe Tamale co in town... hahaha, laziness strikes again.

ok, what's a pepitos? I'd have to pass on the anise, HATE the stuff, and the idea of raisins... yep, might have to pass on that too. ;-)
Pam

Sorry. PepitAs.= pumpkin seeds. I can see raisins giving a nice sweetness though.

And yes. It really is a 2 day thing, but the 1st day isn't too bad, just a lot of time in simmering and melding. And everybody knows that some of those Mexican dishes are like spaghetti sauce.. better the NEXT day or even longer. It's the 2nd day that requires the tedious job of assembly.

I'm with you on the whole anise thing... tarragon, too much fennel, anise. HINTS of licorice aren't so bad, but if it's pronounced, hate it!

Kevin

This post was edited by woohooman on Tue, Apr 8, 14 at 20:36

I hate HINTS too. Have always hated licorice (although I used to like the red but have always absolutely hated the black). hahaha, there is a simple recipe on allrecipes for mole... but honestly, it really doesn't look very good.
Pam