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Writer's pictureThe Pirate Chicken

What's growing, stop #2...peppers!

Last week I posted about all our tomatoes. The varieties we like and why, along with information on where to purchase and specific characteristics of each variety. This week it's on to peppers.


We planted a plethora of peppers (say that 5 times fast) this year, 75 to be exact comprised of 13. varieties. We like a good mix of sweet and heat with a focus on smaller varieties. Here's what we planted this year.





HOT PEPPERS


Padron: Padrón peppers are bright green to yellow-green (and sometimes red), 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long with a thin skin. They have an elongated shape. They are native to the Americas and are a specialty of the Galicia region of Spain, where they are often served as tapas or side dishes. The peppers are known for their unique flavor profile and the fact that some may be hot while others are not. SHU Scoville heat index of 500–2,500.


Thai: Thai chili peppers were introduced into Southeast Asia hundreds of years ago by the Spanish conquistadors. The pepper plant produced a plethora of small, 1-inch (2.5 cm.) fruits. The peppers are green when immature and ripen into a brilliant red color. SHU Scoville heat index of 50,000 to 100,000.


Datil: Blazing hot, blunt little 3.5-inch fruit ripens to a brilliant orange yellow. The heat is vicious, being comparable to habanero types, but the flavor is more complex, sweeter and fruitier. Perfect for spicy salsa, sauces, and fabulous jellies. SHU Scoville heat index of 100,000-300,000.


Pantera Jalapeno: Fruits avg. 4 1/2" long and are smooth, glossy. It's a cylindrical, dark green pepper with thick walls that are firm and uniform. Mild flavored jalapeno. SCU Scoville heat index of 2,500-8,000.


Capperino: Fruits have a moderate heat level and avg. 1 1/2" in diameter—just perfect for stuffing. Most fruits are round to slightly flattened. Very popular in Italy. A good balance of sweet and heat. SCU Scoville heat index of 2,500-7,000.


Aleppo: Aleppo peppers have a sweet taste with a nice kick of heat on the back end. This very thin-skinned and thin-walled pepper is native to Syria and Turkey. Mainly used dried or crushed. The taste is slightly smoky, salty, sweet and warming. SCU Scoville heat index of 2,500-7,000.






SWEET PEPPERS


Glow: Tapered, thick-walled, 2-3 lobed fruits are 4-5" long and are deliciously sweet and fruity.

This chili will play the best role in pineapple or mango salsa, fire-roasted and put on burgers, in salads, or even pureed in sauces for chicken or fish.


Lunchbox Red: These beautiful, mini-sized peppers are remarkably sweet and flavorful. They are delicious sautéed, as an addition to salads and, of course, perfect for a healthy snack.


Lunchbox Yellow: These beautiful, mini-sized peppers are remarkably sweet and flavorful. They are delicious sautéed, as an addition to salads and, of course, perfect for a healthy snack.


Mad Hatter: These unusually shaped peppers resemble a bishop's crown. Fruits avg. 2 1/4" in diameter and are borne on big, bushy plants. Moderately sweet flesh with floral and citrus notes and a touch of heat near the seed cavity.


Round of Hungary: Ribbed, flattened fruits mature early and have very thick, sweet, delicious flesh. Distinctive, globe-shaped fruits avg. 2-2 1/2" x 3-3 1/2", turn red early, and are great for stuffed peppers, in cooking, and in salads.


Goddess: Long, thick-walled, smooth fruits are borne on large plants. Avg. 8-9" long, the fruits are mild when yellow and moderately sweet when they ripen red. Best for pickling due to their mild flavor.


Ancho Gigantea: This distinctively rich Mexican poblano sets the standard for sauces and stuffing; it is also excellent used fresh for chile rellenos. Can be harvested when green-black heart-shaped fruits measure 4" long, or it can be allowed to ripen to red and be dried as an ancho chile.





Clearly, we love peppers. Our favorites are Jalapenos for overall usefulness and any of the lunchboxes for snacking. Nothing beats strolling through the garden and picking a few peppers to enjoy.


Do you have a favorite pepper? Do you prefer sweet or spicy? Have you tried pickling or candying peppers? We enjoy Cowboy Candy using our jalapenos. It's delicious straight out of jar or on nachos.


Hopefully you all survived the recent heat wave. It definitely made the peppers happy. Me, not so much but then again, I like the cold.


Happy gardening!


The Pirate Chicken







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