Hot Peppers(C. annuum and others)
Ranging from the mild poblano/ancho types to the tongue
searing red Savina habaneros, hot peppers are only a small portion of
our total production. They garner a disproportionate and passionate
attention ranging from love to fear. Though all peppers
originated in Central America and from common genes, they have become
nationalized to virtually every country and culture on earth.
Size, color, shape, and heat levels vary to literally exponential
degrees. From literally thousands these are the varieties we have
selected to grow.
Poblano/Ancho (C.annuum)
Poblano at the green stage, ancho when mature red or dry, this variety
is our mildest hot type. Whether at the green or red stage, it
makes great stuffed peppers, or traditional chile rellenos, as well as
being a great grilling, frying, or sauté pepper. We also
have a mullato or green to chocolate brown type.
Hot banana (C.annuum)
Banana peppers are a world favorite, known as aji crystal in Chile,
guerro piquoso in Mexico, and bácskai fehér in
Hungary. Great pickled, grilled with meats, sautéed, in
stir fry, Chilean pebere, or Hungarian
Lecsó. We grow both a mild and a sizzling hot version.
White Jalapeño (C.annuum)
These are a large white to red jalapeño type known as a
jalapeño guerro in Mexico or a Bogyiszlói in
Hungary. Excellent flavor for fresh or roasted salsas, just
enough heat to keep you interested but not overwhelmed. It can be
pickled or stuffed with excellent results.
One of our popular hot peppers. Use for salsas and hot sauces, sweet and juicy, thick walled with a little less heat than cayennes. We also dry and smoke/dry serranos for a sweet medium hot paprika or pimenton.
Hot cayenne (C.annuum)
Cayenne is one of the hottest of the annum types. Closely related to
its wild parents the chiltepin and pequin, it is one of the best for
adding heat to dishes and sauces. We dry and smoke/dry cayenne as
one of our most popular hot paprikas and pimentons.
Pequin/Chiltepin (C.annuum)
These are the parent type of all domesticated C.annum varieties of
peppers. They are very hot wild types of Central and South
America. We grow a few, more as specimen plants than as a crop,
but do offer the peppers for sale when they are available.
Ají Rojo and Amarillo (C.baccatuum)
Another of our Peruvian favorites these aji types are similar in flavor
to habaneros but a little more in the rational heat range. They
are about as hot as cayenne but impart an essential distinctive flavor
to Peruvian dishes. Another of our undependable late season
producers, we also dry and offer these as powders.
Manzano/Rocoto (C. pubescens)
The rocoto is a native of Peru. In Mexico it is called a
Manzano or chile peron for its apple or pear-like shape. Hotter
than most of our annuums it is a ping pong to tennis ball size pepper,
black seeded and very hot. In Peru rocotos are often
stuffed. The seeds and placental tissue are carefully removed and
the peppers soaked overnight to remove as much of the heat
(capsacin) as possible. We like it in curtido, a mixture of
chopped peppers, onions, garlic, oregano, and vinegar. Also a
late season producer for us, though usually available as a powder or a
smoked pimenton.
Habanero (C.chinense)
These are the little pretty brutally hot types. Used in ceviches,
Jamaican jerk BBQ sauces and a few other hot dishes, habeneros are not
for the timid pepper lover. We grow a small crop of several
habanero cultivars which include red Savina, orange, yellow, and
chocolate. Habaneros are a native of the Central American and
Caribbean region. They are unreliable late season producer for
us.
They tend to mature late and all at once. We dry our surplus
fresh peppers and sell them as dry crushed habanero or powder.