Since you’re Mexican, can you tell me what chiles to plant for salsa? —Peppery Patty, Hope RanchReal Mexicans eat real chilis and make real salsa. That’s in our cultural DNA. Not only did the ancient Aztecs ritually rip the hearts out of their conquests, but they also stone-ground chile peppers and tomatoes to make a condiment that has endured the Spanish conquest and become an American staple. In this week’s column, Gustavo the Gardenator shares his wisdom of this ancient art form of what he calls “being a real Mexican.”
The fastest way to get your honorary Mexican citizenship is to buy three different five-gallon chile pepper plants. Gustavo recommends chile de árbol as your go-to chile plant, chile campana as a nice complement, and chile habanero to add the heat. Be careful because “el habanero es bravisimo” (it’s really, really hot).
Mix your soil with organic fertilizer, and make sure you water them two to three times a week, especially when first planted. Chiles like the warm sun and will ripen in the summer. “En dos meses, dan chilitos,” says Gustavo, meaning that, in two months, you’ll get lots of peppers. If you want to sundry your chile de árbol, you can leave them in the sun and wait another two months. The total cost for this path to dual citizenship: $150 bucks.
So what to do with these peppers?