This is the first post in our 2018 Hot Pepper Blog Series. Please check back often to keep up to date on this series.
It is that time of year again! Its time to sow hot peppers, and here at Zone9Garden.com’s garden, we are going to give a few new peppers a try. Here are the peppers that we are growing this year, where we are at in the process with them and a little bit of information about them:
- Congo Trinidad Peppers
- Golden Cayenne Peppers
- Monster Cayenne Peppers
- Fresno Peppers
- Hot Bell of Lebanon
- Bell Peppers
- Peter Peppers
1. Congo Trinidad Peppers
About: The Congo Trinidad Peppers is larger and slightly hotter version of the habanero pepper. This large red super hot pepper can reach 300,000+ on the Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) scale. It is a slow starting plant that can grow quite large and be moderately to highly productive. When fully ripened to a bright red color, this pepper has firery flavor with smoky overtones and can be used anywhere that a habanero would be.
Status: Sown on 01/09/2018
2. Golden Cayenne Peppers
About: The Golden Cayenne Pepper is the same as the standard (red) cayenne pepper other than its color. They develop a smooth beautifully colored skin and the peppers can pack a bit of a punch. The cayenne pepper is the source pepper for “Red Pepper Flakes”, Cayenne Powder, most Louisiana Hot Sauces and much more.
Status: Sown on 01/09/2018
3. Monster Cayenne Peppers
About: The Monster Cayenne Pepper is the same as a standard Cayenne, just much larger. They develop a smooth beautifully colored skin and the peppers can pack a bit of a punch. The cayenne pepper is the source pepper for “Red Pepper Flakes”, Cayenne Powder, most Louisiana Hot Sauces and much more.
Status: Sown on 01/09/2018
4. Fresno Peppers
About: Fresno Peppers are very similar to Jalapeno Peppers when they are green, but once they ripen to a deep red color, they have much more flavor and a bit more heat. The smokey, spicy flavor that develops as the pepper ripens makes it a favorite in many Mexican recipes and a great substitute for many hotter peppers when looking to tame a recipe down a bit.
Status: Sown on 01/09/2018
5. Hot Bell Peppers
About: This Pepper looks just like a standard bell pepper, but once it is mature it has a little secret. The Hot Bell Pepper has all the flavor of a standard bell pepper but it also has a mild-medium amount of heat. The Hot Bell Pepper is perfect for dishes like Tacos to kick up the standard fare a notch.
Status: Sown on 01/09/2018
6. Bell Peppers
About: These are the standard bell pepper. Here are Zone9Garden.com we grow them in our garden for 2 reasons. The first reason is because my 5 year-old daughter loves to eat them as a snack or a side dish. Secondly, a fully ripped bell peppers is a good addition to a hot sauce to add body and a bit of sweet flavor.
Status: Sown 12/22/2017 – 80% Germination Rate – First true leaves not visible yet.
6. Peter Peppers
PICTURE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THIS WEBSITE
About: The Peter Pepper is a novelty pepper that has a rather phallic shape. This pepper is popular as an edible gag gift, and that is why we are growing it, to give away as gag gifts to friends.
Status: Not yet sown.
Conclusion
Some of my favorite type of crops that can be grown in Zone 9 are peppers. They range from Sweet to SMOKING HOT and they can be used is so many dishes or eaten raw. I use Cayenne Powder that I make in just about every meal, and when not using Cayenne I use a hot sauce that I make with other peppers. Follow along as we update this series
