APPALACHIA, LIFE AFTER DEATH, DRYING AND STORING YOUR HABANERO

Appalachia, a ravenous and beautiful panorama, tucked away in the thickets of history, untouched and untamed, crawling with injuns and wild game, and militias of Overmountain Men like ghosts in the morning mists moving slowly through the lowlands on eternal patrols. Shrieks of loyalist scoundrel like deer feasted upon by bands of coyote, and across the holler, beneath the Georgia pines, the unmistakable smell of stills, tin liquid chicken coops glistening in the moonshine of balmy summer evenings; light bugs like fairies twinkling in the valley yonder, dancing through the branches of two hundred-year oaks to the twang of a granddaddy banjo. The aroma of jasmine and fresh gravy, cured ham and Carolina tobacc-a; Appalachia, where the bacon fat is used in place of olive oil, and the southern drawl’s thick like hoards of July mosquitoes, where the southern bells are sweet like cotton candy at the country fair, and yeoman till and hoe their crop, sow their seed, knead their dough, and love their guns. Appalachia, the last frontier, the final glimpse of America, from the tops of Roan Mountain to Kings Mountain, a fading echo of the glorious ringing bell of liberty, under God to preserve the great doctrine of freedom, and the right to brew beer and hunt squirrel; to distrust in shadows whose execution of sinister design relies on the naivety and tomfoolery and confusion of the multitudes, whosoever may wear that bloody crown in these times of peril and arduous discussion, felt from the surf of the Outer Banks to the weeds and reeds of the Clinch River. We gaze like rummies toward the twinkling heavens, to the Almighty Supreme Being who rules over this vast pimpled landscape of fields and forests, prickly thistles, thousand acre dairy farms and meadows of for-get-me-nots and beds of twenty foot high sunflowers with seeds the size of walnuts, crystal clear mountain springs like liquid glass, glimmering in the sunshine the nuggets of undiscovered gold and grave yards with bald headstones of Revolutionary rebels, former negro quarters, vines and old wine cellars, distilleries and train trestles that touch the clouds; Appalachia.

CHAPTER 7: LIFE AFTER DEATH AND THE HABANERO

It is a question that has intrigued and baffled humans since the beginning of time, is there an afterlife?  And if so, what does it entail, how does the tangible world and the intangible world quadrate?  It is a touchy subject that can separate a room like dueling clans.  Most people I have talked to have varying opinions about the afterlife.  Some follow the beliefs of certain religions, and some have their own ideas.  The poet, Horace, for example, didn't believe there was anything after the mortal life.  He, like many people, think that once a person, animal, insect or plant dies then that is it, and yes I am including animals, insects and, strangely enough, plants because they all have an individual spirit, in my opinion.  Your garden is full of living organisms.  Just because certain living organisms don't have the power of thought and reasoning doesn't mean they are not divinely blessed.  Some say that if you don't believe in heaven or an afterlife then you won't go to such a miraculous place. In my opinion, that is not true and I will try to explain here, though I don't believe there is only one route to the afterlife.  This essay very well may make me liable to confinement in a hen house, but until then, let's run the gauntlet.

            Many have read how Odysseus traveled to the underworld, where he was to offer blood and speak with the dead so they could inform him how to get back to Ithaca.  Odysseus learns about the fates of fellow Achaeans following the fall of Troy and relays the information to King Alcinous.  That is Homer's take on the afterlife for the ordinary soul which he calls "burnt-out wraiths," and it is an interesting one though nothing of plant life was mentioned.  I think that is because the plants go to a place where Zeus' descendants would go after death, a beautiful oasis called Elysium.  Similar to the glorious heaven of Christian belief and "The World to Come" in Judaism in the Talmud, and the heaven where the soul is sent after being judged in Plato's The Myth of Er.  In nearly all the religions it seems the soul is judged on how the mortal lived and either sent to a place of righteousness or despair.  The fact that the sounds of Homer's underworld is filled with wailing and weeping is an uncomfortable thought.  In Judaism hell is called Sheol and the lack of description of such a place, left for the guilty mind to ponder is terrifying.  Surly it is no place for such a beautiful plant, as the habanero, to reside.  In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon says, "For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals, one thing befalls them: as one dies, so does the other.  Surly, they all have one breath, man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity.  All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.  Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which go upward, and the spirit of the animal which goes down to earth?  (Ecc. 3: 19-21 NKJV).  From my experience humans, animals and plants arrive in similar fashion to the same destination.  Also all is vanity can correspond to a habanero plant because when two plants are growing side by side in a pot, one of them will dominate the other.  Its desire to grow and survive and be noticed and bear fruit is like the painter who desires his work to be placed on display in the MET or the Louvre.  All is vanity.  One of the most fascinating books of any related to the afterlife is the Talmud.  This is because except for the usually wicked and evil who are eternally punished or cease to exist in any spirit form upon mortal death, both Jews and gentiles are welcome into The World to Come.  The prejudice is left behind on earth and if you were a decent person regardless of your belief you are rewarded. One of the earliest beliefs in the afterlife was the ancient Egyptians.  When the mortal body died, the soul, called ba, which is your personality, and ka, which is your spiritual body go to a place called The Kingdom of the Dead (In Zoroastrianism the soul is also sent to the Kingdom of the Dead).  Osiris would then force your spiritual body to work for restitution for protection in the spirit world.  To reach the afterlife was tedious and one must understand the Book of the Dead, and have a pure heart.  People will say that plants do not have a personality and obviously no heart.  Of course they don't, because the definition of personality refers to the characteristics of a person.  The personality of a plant is yet undefined so shall we define it?  We will call it plantaeality.  They do have plantaeality, for example, they react differently to certain kinds of music and familiar voices. It is an unexplained phenomenon. The ancient Egyptians believed after the Kingdom of the Dead your soul then entered the Hall of Two Truths and your heart was weighted against the Shu or feather.  If you heart was lighter than the feather you go to on to a heaven, if it was heavier it was consumed by the demon Ammit.  The Egyptians also believed that being mummified was the only route to the afterlife and that medicinal plants passed with the Pharaohs to the afterlife where they were utilized.

            In Hinduism the belief is that the old body leaves its shell and takes on a new body.  Though the body dies eventually the soul inside is indestructible.  They believe in Karma, "As you sow, so you shall reap," that is common in other religions as well because of the final judgment.

            Buddhists believe that your actions on earth determine how you are reincarnated.  The worse you were in mortal life the lower on the "totem pole" of life you will be reborn.  In Tibetan Buddhism if you are a pure soul you are guided up into the light.  Those who haven't been briefed or fear the afterlife because of something evil they did on earth do not follow the path to the light and instead are reincarnated into the animal, ghost or hell realm.  I can't imagine a habanero plant would go anywhere but into the light.

            I was baptized a Methodist but I practice Catholicism and like Albert Einstein, I too believe in the afterlife where I will walk amongst flowing fields of habanero trees, giant palms with rich fruits, African violets, lemon trees, while smoking cigars, drinking coffee and wine etc. surrounded by family, friends, and pets.  I was contacted in spirit by my deceased dog during a particular tough period of time only weeks following her death.  It was during this revelation that I was privy to truths regarding the outer limits.  As a man of science and spirituality I was intrigued.  The vision was short-lived, mere seconds but eternal.  For months afterwards, and currently, I sit in the darkness of the mountains and study the celestial motions because the answers to the mysteries of life, to the mysteries of the habanero repose in the heavens.

           

CHAPTER 8: DRYING, STORING AND GRINDING YOUR HABANEROS

To dry your own habanero pepper, tie the stems to a piece of string.  You are going to want to hang the peppers in a dry area that has sufficient air circulation.  The way I do it, is by tying a string to the ends of two thumb-tacks.  I then hang them between a doorway, at the top of the door frame, in a well-ventilated area.  Also you don't want the doorway to be used very often so the peppers won't accidentally get pulled down by any child.  That would not be a pretty sight.  After a few weeks the peppers hue will fade and they will be ready for storage or grinding.  To store them I use freezer ziploc bags.

            Or if you own a food dehydrator, what you do is cut off the stem of the pepper and cut them in half, removing the seeds and placenta.  Halving the peppers will speed up the drying process.  You then place the halves in single layers on the food dehydrator screen within the food dehydrator and turn on.  It can take up to a couple of days to fully dry the peppers, though some will dry within 12-14 hours.  Make sure they are completely dry because if moisture remains in the pepper it will mold once in storage.  While drying the peppers will give off a pungent aroma so be sure to dry in a well-ventilated area.

            If you live in a hot, dry climate, cut up your peppers and stick them out in direct sun.

            You can also place your halved habaneros in an oven at 200 degrees, leave them in overnight, or during the day and after about 6-8 hours you have dried peppers waiting.  Make sure the oven temperature is low so not to brown the peppers.  This method is especially useful for people who live where the air is not dry enough and don't have a food dehydrator. 

            If you are someone who likes to grind your peppers, once they are dry toss them into a coffee grinder.  I recommend purchasing a second coffee grinder for your peppers, especially if you drink high-end coffee like Kona or Jamaica Blue Mountain.  I would recommend the stainless steel mortle and pestle set for grinding, mixing and crushing.

            The best way to master drying, storing and grinding your peppers is through experience and

experimentation.  Find the method that works best for you and it will become a wonderfully addictive

hobby.  You may even begin to concoct your own habanero sauce or spice blend.


P.S. Happy Valentine's Day. I love the Holidays.