From seed to Vault

Every Vault chili begins its life from seed, grown in Finnish conditions that demand control, patience, and constant attention.

The growing season starts indoors, often while frosts are still biting outside. Early growth requires stable warmth and careful monitoring long before outdoor conditions allow anything to grow naturally. Young plants are raised in controlled environments where consistency matters more than speed.

As spring arrives, the plants move into greenhouses, where the real work begins. When managed correctly, Finnish summers can be ideal for chili growing. Long daylight hours, controlled temperatures, and careful ventilation allow the plants to develop slowly and evenly, often resulting in exceptionally clean flavors and well-defined heat.

The season rarely ends neatly. Late summer, autumn, and even early winter growing frequently require extensive heating to keep conditions stable.
Temperature swings, low light, and cold nights demand constant adjustment. Maintaining healthy plants in these arctic conditions is energy-intensive and unforgiving — but necessary for full ripening and proper flavor development.

Not every variety can handle this environment. Decades of experience growing thousands of chili varieties has shown which ones respond well to Finnish greenhouse conditions, and which ones never truly reach their potential here. Only varieties that develop outstanding aroma, taste, and structure under these conditions are selected for further processing toward the Vault.

The result of this demanding growing process is not speed or volume, but purity. Clean flavor, clear heat, and chilies that fully express themselves — shaped as much by their environment as by their genetics.

The Vault begins here, long before harvest.

Harvest and selection

Chilies intended for the Vault are harvested at the stage where they perform best.

For most varieties, this means full ripeness. Fully mature pods develop deeper aroma, clearer heat, and more complete flavor, especially when destined for drying or careful processing. These varieties are harvested ripe, in stages, as each pod reaches its optimal point.

Not all chilies express themselves best in exactly the same way. Some varieties — especially those intended for smoking — benefit from a carefully balanced mix of mature and slightly immature pods. This balance can enhance structure, deepen smoky umami notes, and prevent the final result from becoming overly sweet or flat.

Plants are visited repeatedly, and pods are taken individually rather than all at once. By harvesting the largest pods first — even when some are still slightly immature — the plant is encouraged to continue producing. Over time, this results in a significantly larger total yield and more evenly developed pods. This method, known as staggered harvesting, is used throughout the season in our controlled greenhouses.

After harvest, selection becomes strict.

Each pod is inspected one by one. Shape, wall thickness, surface quality, and aroma all matter. Chilies showing uneven ripening, physical damage, or weak structure are removed early. This is not about visual perfection, but about ensuring that every pod can withstand the demanding processing steps that follow.

Some pods are excellent for fresh use but unsuitable for drying or smoking. Others lose character once cut or exposed to heat. Experience gained from growing and processing thousands of chili varieties helps identify these differences reliably.

Only chilies that meet both sensory and structural standards move forward. Everything else is set aside.

By the end of this stage, the volume is already significantly reduced. The Vault does not begin with abundance — it begins with elimination.

Preparation — nothing left whole

Before any drying or smoking begins, every chili intended for the Vault is prepared by hand.

No pods are left whole.

Each chili is halved individually, lengthwise. During this step, the stems are removed and most of the seeds are taken out — not to reduce heat, but to improve consistency, cleanliness, and how the chili behaves during drying or smoking.

This stage is slow and impossible to automate properly at small scale, but it is essential. Cutting the pods open allows moisture to escape evenly, reduces the risk of hidden spoilage, and gives full control over how the chili reacts to time, temperature, and smoke.

Preparation also reveals things that cannot be seen from the outside. Interior structure, wall thickness, seed placement, and aroma become immediately clear. Pods that looked acceptable at harvest may still be removed at this point if something feels off.

Leaving chilies whole would save time, but it would introduce inconsistency. Whole pods dry unevenly, trap moisture, and can develop unwanted flavors. For smoking, the difference is even more pronounced.

By halving every pod and removing stems and excess seeds, the process slows down deliberately. It ensures that what follows is controlled, repeatable, and honest to the character of the chili itself.

Nothing enters the next stage by accident.

Drying — time, loss, and concentration

Drying is where chilies begin to change fundamentally.

Fresh chilies are mostly water. As drying progresses, that water slowly leaves the pod and everything else becomes more concentrated. Flavor, heat, and aroma do not disappear — they tighten. What remains is the essence of the chili.

This process cannot be rushed.

Temperature is not fixed during drying. It is adjusted carefully depending on the stage of drying and the variety being processed. Different chili varieties respond differently, and experience plays a key role in finding the right balance.

Drying too quickly flattens flavor and drives off delicate aromatic compounds. Drying too slowly increases the risk of spoilage and unwanted fermentation. The goal is to preserve the chili’s volatile aromatic compounds — the natural oils and aroma-carrying particles responsible for depth, complexity, and varietal character.

During drying, chilies can lose up to nine tenths of their original weight. In practical terms, a 10 g Vault product typically represents around 100 g of fresh chili before processing.

Drying also acts as another level of selection. As moisture leaves the pod, weaknesses become clear. Some chilies are removed even at this stage if they fail to develop as expected.

When drying is done correctly, the result is not simply a preserved chili, but a concentrated one.

This is how the standards of the Fatalii Chili Vault are maintained.

Using dried chilies — more than heat

Dried chilies are one of the most versatile and underestimated ingredients in cooking.

When dried properly, chilies become concentrated carriers of aroma, flavor, and heat.

[picture of different dried chili textures: whole, flakes, powder]

They can be used to create chili butter, chili oil, chili paste, sauces and marinades, rubs, soups and stews, stocks, chili bread and doughs, spice crusts, dry seasoning mixes, infused creams, fermented sauces, pickling liquids, flavored vinegars, and desserts where controlled heat and aroma add depth.

A wide selection of aromatic chili varieties is an incredibly powerful — and often underrated — asset in the hands of a capable chef or cooking enthusiast.

Before a chili ever reaches the Vault, it has already earned its place as a serious cooking ingredient.

Smoking — when time and smoke are allowed to work

When chilies are smoked for the Vault, smoking comes first.

After preparation and halving, selected chilies are exposed to real smoke before any final drying takes place.

Smoking is slow by design.

Vault batches are smoked for at least 24 hours, often longer. Only real smoke, real wood, and time are used — no liquid smoke, no shortcuts.

After smoking, the chilies are dried carefully to bring them to their finished form.

This is why smoked Vault products are always limited. They cannot be rushed, standardized, or guaranteed.

Finishing — and the decision to enter the Vault

After growing, harvesting, preparation, drying, and, when applicable, smoking, a final decision is made.

Not every batch enters the Vault.

Only batches that retain clarity, character, and integrity through every stage are considered complete.

At this point, the chili is finished. Nothing more is added. Nothing is corrected.

Value, honestly earned

A Vault product represents far more than the contents of a small bag.

It represents months of work, significant loss of product weight, and decades of experience.

For this reason, we genuinely believe Vault products are very reasonably priced for anyone who wishes to experience the very best of what chili can be when nothing is rushed or simplified.