Cobden, Ill. • You can get almost any chile fix at Darn Hot Peppers, Jerry and Carol Jimenez's family business in Southern Illinois. Their farm store is the heart of Rancho Bella Vista Farm, a 16-acre spread that grows 21 varieties of peppers, from mild to scorchingly hot.

Jerry and Carol know peppers. But they entered the business almost by chance. Jerry worked for the state government in Springfield, Ill., and Carol taught high school Spanish, French and German in Rockford, Ill. When they retired in 2003, they moved to the southernmost end of the state and settled into country life outside of Cobden, in Union County, about 2 1/2 hours from St. Louis.

Country living calls for a vegetable garden, and theirs was a big one. They soon decided to build a business around their bountiful pepper crop, and Darn Hot Peppers was launched in 2004. Their goal was to share the traditional chile tastes of the Jimenez family and to teach others about the culinary and health benefits of chiles.

"We are also committed to growing a crop of peppers without pesticides, by using a combination of natural farming techniques with an emphasis on sustainable practices," Jerry says. "We hope to keep the land in good and viable condition for many years to come." Of the 16 acres on their farm, they plant various fields in various places for crop rotation. This year, they have about two acres in pepper production.

By 2005, they were participating in food shows and farmers markets. They built a small FDA-approved commercial kitchen, monitored by state and local health authorities, and began producing salsas, jellies, jams, pickled items, ground spices and other products. Now in their seventh year of business, they have recently expanded the farm store and are putting the finishing touches on a deli. They offer product tastings at the salsa bar.

"We use local produce, such as peaches and berries, to complement our peppers in our products," Carol says. The grandchildren helped her experiment and come up with the jam and jelly recipes. "The peppers add flavor and taste, not just heat," she says.

An herb garden thrives alongside the farm store. The herbs are used in various products. On the east side of the store, there's a flower garden with a seating area for soaking up the pastoral panorama.

Visitors are welcome at the farm, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday from June to mid-December. The second Saturday in December is the annual holiday open house and final day of the season. The biggest event of the year is the annual Pepperfest, scheduled for Saturday. (See the story below for details.)

If you can't make it to southern Illinois, you can visit the Jimenez family online at DarnHotPeppers.com and order most of their products. They do not ship fresh peppers; those are sold at the farm or nearby farmers markets. Some peppers are frozen or dehydrated for future use.

Jerry was born and reared in southern Texas, and his paternal grandmother came from Mexico. Carol hails from Oklahoma. They both enjoy the myriad flavors that chiles lend to food, and are eager to share this enthusiasm with their visitors. They also help promote the worldwide passion for peppers via their secondary website, ChileBravo.org, which is a social network for chile heads.

As a parting tip, Carol offers tested advice on how to ease the burn that can come from consuming too-hot peppers. Try milk or other dairy products or something sweet. Gulping water won't help.

The accompanying family-favorite recipes are adapted from the Darn Hot Peppers website. Carol was unable to select a favorite. "We really like and use them all," she says.

Because fresh peppers are a seasonal item, it's important to note that you can use dehydrated whole peppers in a recipe that calls for fresh peppers by rehydrating the peppers. To do this, put the peppers in a glass bowl and pour boiling or very hot water over them; let stand for 15 minutes. Drain well. Chop or slice the peppers as directed in the recipe.