Peppers are definitely a diverse group in the garden, from sweet to blazing hot. Every garden needs at least one either to warm a dish or cool a plate. Peppers like growing conditions similar to tomatoes but benefit from a bit of late afternoon shade. The following describes a few we have on hand today.
ANAHEIM PEPPER
80 Days to maturity. A mild California chili. Ripens from light green to dark green to red and grows 6-10 inches long by 1-2 inches wide. Can be used at any stage but is most often used green. Most often seared to remove the skins and then dipped in batter for chile rellenos. When red, it is hotter and usually dried for use. Many cultivars exist, hence their wide range on the Scoville scale (400-4000).
FRESNO PEPPER
90-100 days to maturity. A California hybrid similar to the jalapeno but meatier and thinner skinned. Medium hot when used green, hotter when red. Usually used fresh, not dried, in salsas. 5,000-10,000 on Scoville scale.
HABANERO PEPPER
90-100 Days to maturity. Fruits are 1-2 inches long, and lantern shaped. They start out green and ripen to bright orange and are reported to have a slightly fruity or citrus after-taste but is hotter when red. 200,000 to 350,000 on the Scoville scale! Plants are bushy and can overwinter in a greenhouse.
SERRANO PEPPER
85 Days to maturity. Similar to a Jalapeno in size but thinner and meatier but most importantly, up to 5 times hotter! They emerge green and ripen to orange or red. 10,000 to 30,000 on the Scoville scale. Do not dry well.
JALAPENO PEPPER
80 Days to maturity. Fruits are 3 inches long, smooth, green to red, with a slight taper and blunt end. Dry streaks or “stretch” marks are common and often indicate a hotter pepper. It is considered medium hot on the Scoville scale, rating 5,000-7,000. Can be eaten either green or red but is hotter when red.
JIMMY NARDELLO PEPPER
80-90 Days to maturity. A sweet pepper that looks like one of the spicy peppers. If you sauté these peppers, they are apple sweet.
