February 18, 2026

All about PEPPERS in the garden, kitchen, and apothecary!

Whether you love sweet bells or fiery super-hots, this episode is your complete guide to growing, using, and benefiting from one of the most versatile plants in the garden. 🌶️

Chili or Chile

Sweet or Spicy

Pain & Inflamation

In this flavor-packed conversation, we dive deep into the vibrant world of peppers—from seed to harvest, kitchen to apothecary. Timed perfectly for late-winter seed starting, this episode walks you through everything you need to know to successfully grow thriving pepper plants, including seed-starting tips, heat and light requirements, transplanting, and maximizing yields in the garden.

But the journey doesn’t stop at the harvest. You’ll explore how peppers transform in the kitchen—fresh, dried, fermented, or smoked—and how heat levels (thanks to capsaicin) influence both flavor and culinary creativity. We share our personal experiences crafting unique hot sauces and spice blends straight from the garden.

Finally, discover the powerful medicinal side of peppers, including their role in circulation, digestion, and topical pain relief, along with simple ways to incorporate them into your home apothecary.

Whether you love sweet bells or fiery super-hots, this episode is your complete guide to growing, using, and benefiting from one of the most versatile plants in the garden. 🌶️

Dive further with more information:

Planning your garden in 3 Simple Steps (featuring info about seed starting equipment): previous podcast episode

Seed Starting Amazon recommendation list

Seed Starting Tips & Tricks on Youtube

Tabasco Seed Story on YouTube

Shop Pepper Seeds in the Small House Seed Collection

Shop Small House Salves made with Capsicum

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