Question
How do I grow Piri piri plants from some peppers taken off another plant? Piri Piri peppers are used to make a hot chilli sauce here in the Algarve and I would like to make my own

Answer
Kate, propagation from seed is a relatively easy process.  Be sure to wait until the peppers have fully matured. Remove the seeds and place them in a brown paper bag.  Be sure to store the bag in a dry location.  After about two weeks, shake the bag and carefully remove the dislocated seeds.  Place the seeds in a ziplock bag and store them in the back of your refrigerator in a plastic container.  After a dormant period of at least three months, the seeds can be planted.

One word of caution.  If you are saving seeds from hybrids, there is a strong probability that the offspring plants will not be true to the parent plant.  To ensure exact replication, seeds must be harvested from open-pollinated varieties or heirlooms.  You would have to cross-reference the variety of the original plants to verify whether or not this particular pepper is a hybrid or heirloom.  If that is not possible, I would still go ahead with the process since the offspring will be somewhat similar in taste.  Sometimes, the outcome actually exceeds the characteristics of the parent.  It's worth the try.

Good luck, and have a great week.

Regards,

Mike