We grow all of our vegetables and since few years we started growing spicy peppers as well. Our most beloved ones at this point are Habanero and some sort of regular looking Mexican chili pepper brought to us by a friend who was there on a business trip.
I personally fell in love with Habanero because of its fruity notes. It’s not a pepper I eat fresh often but we make a nice sweet sauce from it that is used way too much in our household.
As am preparing slowly for the next season, I’d love to hear some suggestions on what I should try next. I’d prefer to try peppers with some characteristic taste. I already have my eyes set on Aji Lemon, Sugar Rush Peach, Golden Nuggets. We prefer medium spicy peppers but I’ve had hotter. I just dislike hot for the sake of hot.
Chocolate Habanero, has a sort of earthy undertone to it. Works well in a smoky sauce.
Scotch bonnet for it’s fruity note.
I think I was gifted Chocolate Habanero, but it didn’t taste good, and plant was a bit suspicious as well. Thanks for the suggestion.
As in the plant may not have been labeled correctly, or it was a bit dodgy and you couldn’t leave your door unlocked?
Someone gifted a plant to me saying it was chocolate hanabero. Am not sure if it was labeled like that. However it didn’t have the heat of habanero.
Right on, that will happen. Could have also been a “choc hab” that was open pollinated and crossed unknowingly.
That too. Am assuming it was open pollinated since it was spicy but only about a third.
I also say Scotch Bonnet.
I have grown superhots for the last 5 years and the only one I still grow is Bhut Jolokia (ghost pepper).
They are the only superhot that has a decent flavour in my opinion, all the hybrids are just flavourless heat to me.
When it comes to sweet peppers, my favourite to grow is Hungarian Wax. They are original pepper used in sweet paprika. Home made paprika with these is another level of flavour and taste.
If you like that style pepper, check out Romanian Sweet sometime!
https://www.superhotchiles.com/product/romanian-sweet-pepper-seeds/?v=7516fd43adaa
“Romanian Sweet-(Capsicum annuum)-Also called Antohi Romanian because a man named Jan Antohi defected in 1991 from his home in Romania and brought the seeds to the United States. Sweet and full flavored matures from yellow to blush orange to bright red. Once fruit starts getting orange it can be picked.”
Thanks for the recommendation.
Yeah, flavorless heat is a no go for me. Hungarian Wax I might even have tried before, since I live close to Hungary and we get a lot of produce from there. Even looks the same. Never had Bhut Jolokia. I did plant it at one time, but my father killed it thinking it was weed. :D
Hatch Chilies – like smokey pimentos with a bite
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My fav all-time!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatalii
There are some varieties like chocolate, but they’re all super-hots and have a clear citrus tang. Just as easy to grow as any other cultivar. Get some!
Never heard of this one. For citrus flavor this year am going with Aji Lemon. But I’ll keep my eye on Fatalii. Thanks for the suggestion.
I really like growing Habanero’s. And in a similar vein, Scotch Bonnets are quite spicy and flavorful. A friend who makes a Surinamese curry used a pepper called Madame Jeanette, and I really liked it. All three are in the same general corner of the spicy pepper world. Check 'em out.
I also grew Yellow Hots this year. They are about as hot as cayenne. Pretty and easy to grow.
Best of luck in the coming season!
Scotch Bonnet is something I’ve been looking into for a while now but it seemed much spicier than Habanero. Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll include them in my to try list.
Wikipedia shows all 3 (Haban, Madame Jeanette, and Scotch Bonnet) in the same 100,000-350,000 SHU range. That is, admittedly a broad range. If you like Habanero’s, it’s worth a taste. We have a foodtruck here that has about 10 different single chili hot sauces, and it’s fun to compare. I also like the flavor at least as much as the heat. Enjoy!
Thanks. I’ll give them a shot at one point for sure.
I was just looking at a local spice shop’s offering, and was reminded of Bird’s Eye Chili (50,000-100,000 SHU). I like mixing different chili’s in my sauces. :-) It’s a fun time of year to be thinking about planting; my view out the window is a garden white with snow.
Well, I have to take into account long delivery times and potential issues. Also, this is about the time when pods are dried and seeds are ready. :) So yeah. No snow here, sadly.
Chilhaucle Negro I think is an interesting, non-typical one. Its uses are limited due to its thin flesh and tough skin, but it’s a key main ingredient in Oaxacan mole sauces. When I’ve bought them, I dry them out and rehydrate them later to use in sauce.
Can you describe the taste? What makes it interesting?
I would categorize it as the opposite of bright or fruity peppers. Have you ever tried a mole sauce? It’s what gives that a dark, chocolatey, savory taste. When I dry them out (and they get lightly toasted since it’s in the oven), it’s hard to stop smelling them - an intoxicating mix of sweet and smokey. They’re very mild, but mainly used for the flavor.
How interesting. I’ll give them a shot. We use a lot of pepper in our sausages and seasoning, so it might be right up our alley.
That’s probably a really good use for it. I’ve had some mole style salumi that was delicious.
