It’s Pepper Palooza Time!
By Jackie Sledge
Big Country Master Gardener Association
Last year the Big Country Master Gardener Association kicked off the Saturday Seminars with the very popular Tomato-Thon, and comments on the evaluations showed there was an interest in doing a similar program on peppers. Well, we listened, and this year the February Saturday Seminar will be a Pepper Palooza where we spend time learning valuable information from selecting pepper varieties to preserving peppers.
Here are the details for:
What – Pepper Palooza
When – 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 24, 2024
Where – Taylor County Extension Office Conference Room
Cost – $35.00 which includes snacks, lunch, dessert, booklet of resources, cookbook (Southwestern Kitchen by Jane Butel), and 2 pepper plants from available varieties. There are limited numbers of some varieties. Additional pepper plants will be available for purchase. Some varieties of peppers available are: Habanero, Nadapeno, Shishito, Pepperoncini, Lemon Spice Jalapeno, Sweet California Bells, Sweet Banana, Serrano, Scotch Bonnet, Early Jalapeno, Ghost Peppers, and Jalapeno Megatron.
The agenda for the day is:
9:00 Welcome
9:15 The Great Big Beautiful World of Peppers
9:45 Break (Sample different kinds of salsas and chips)
10:00 Growing Peppers – From Seeds to Harvest
11:45 Cooking with Peppers
12:15 Lunch (Provided in Registration Fee)
1:00 Peppers for Dessert presented by Cory Bivens from Life of Pie
1:45 Break (Sample desserts made with and without peppers)
2:00 Pepper Preservation
2:45 Wrap Up
There will also be door prizes!
You must pre-register to attend the Pepper Palooza. Registration can be accessed at bcmgevents.square.site, and there are limited seats available.
Maybe you’re thinking you are not interested in growing peppers? Peppers are part of the nightshade plants which include tomatoes, white and red potatoes, eggplants, okra, pimentos, and plants that produce red spices. Much of the information provided about peppers in the Pepper Palooza applies to our other favorite nightshade vegetables.
BCMGA offers several education programs each month. There is a program at 6:00 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the South Library Branch in the Mall of Abilene, and the same program is offered again at 10:00 a.m. on the 2nd Friday of the month at the Downtown Library. There is a Saturday Seminar on the last Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m. at the Taylor County Extension Office Conference Room. Watch the BCMGA website and Facebook page for the topics and dates of these monthly programs.
If you have any questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at 325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you visit bcmgtx.org for information on all Big Country Master Gardener events, like us on BCMGA Facebook, and check out training presentations on BCMGA YouTube. We are here to help you.
