Peppers in December: But Why?
- TheflavafulG
- Dec 17, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: May 25, 2024
Why peppers, why now?
The short answer: I want to get as many hot peppers out of this growing season as I can. The idea is to start these plants early and prune them to encourage branching. More branches means more peppers. (Is my hypothesis at least.)
The longer answer: I love a good meal and I love a well seasoned meal even better. One ingredient that gives a dish a little 'umph' is paprika. (Smoked paprika even more so). I've been wanting to try my hand at my own spice/herb blends and rubs. I've also wanted to try my hand at smoked peppers. In order to do these things, I need to grow a large amount of peppers. You'd be surprised at how little of a pile of paprika you'll have after the drying and grinding process. I have grown peppers in the past and have received harvests but they're often late into the season and I don't feel like I'm getting the most out of each plant. The one year I pruned my plants, the yields were higher. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to squeeze out another harvest because the plants were not started early enough. These past experiences have been teachable moments that have led me here.
The Line-up
Choosing what to grow is always so hard for me because I like to eat a lot of dishes and my garden space is limited. This year I'm growing a pepper I've grown before and 2 whose website descriptions caught my attention.
Fish, Hot Pepper
This hot pepper is one that I've grown before and at the moment is my favorite to grow. Fish is an African American heirloom that was popular in many fish-houses along the Chesapeake Bay. This variety was almost lost to history but was saved by Horace Pippin, a self taught African American artist and military veteran.[1] I remember reading the description and seeing photos of beautiful candy striped peppers with green leaves speckled with white. Even though I had no experience growing peppers, I knew I had to have it. I often use Fish peppers in my guac and stir-fry's. Perhaps this year I will use it in some homemade Yok, a local fusion dish between African American and Chinese American interactions that contains onion, ketchup, vinegar, meat and yakamein noodles.
What the website claims:
Compact plants that reach 2ft in height with leaves speckled with white and green.
What the reviews say:
Prolific and resistant to heat and pests. Retains its color after drying and freezing.
What I say: Plants have beautiful foliage, nice heat with a slight sweetness and the peppers have a decent amount of seeds to save. This variety is not bushy by nature and needs pruning.
Jimmy Nardello, Sweet Pepper
I love Italian food and I am always on the hunt for authentic ingredients that I can grow at home. This is a sweet pepper from Basilicata, Italy. It is an heirloom brought over to Connecticut in the late 1800's by the Nardello family. The pepper was named after their 4th son, Jimmy. [2] I did some digging and found out that the local cuisine of Basilicata uses pork, lamb, chicken and shrimp, and of course, pasta in their dishes. One interesting ingredient is called peperone crusco[3]. This is a long, sweet bell pepper that is thin skinned and dried to be used as a snack or is ground up as a spice. Perhaps these peppers are cousins? I'm interested in seeing if I can find some local dishes from Basilicata to try.
What the website claims:
These peppers are thin skinned, great for smoking, have amazing flavor and grow lots of peppers.
What the reviews say:
Amazing flavor but they taste best when fully ripe/red. Is generally container friendly. Needs a decent amount of space, should be supported/staked.
Txorixero, Sweet Pepper
While cruising a list of new pepper varieties I stumbled upon Txorixero. To be fully honest, the name got me because I wondered how to pronounce it. According to Rareseeds, it is pronounced cho-dee-share-dow. This pepper is a heirloom variety grown by the Basque people of Europe. The Basque people reside within the Pyrenees mountain region where the borders of France and Spain meet along the shores of the Bay of Biscay. Basque cuisine is a lovely mix of foods from the sea, river and countryside. Ingredients such as cod, squid and trout sit side by side with pork, lamb and veal. A versatile sauce made with Txorixero and peppers like it is called Biscaya Sauce/Salsa Vizcaina. The peppers are also used in chorizo making and dried for spice.[4] I can't wait to get my hands on this one.
What the website claims:
Is a thin skinned pepper that can be dried to make paprika and create Biscaya Sauce.
What the reviews say:
Great for smoked paprika and is tasty fresh and cooked.
The Plan
Since this isn't my first time growing pepper plants, I already have what I need to get started. The overall plan for me to BE CONSISTENT! Pepper seedlings don't really need to be babied, but I have to stay plugged in and make sure that I pay attention to the different stages of plant growth. Keeping up with a fertilizing schedule, pruning and transplanting have been things I've struggled with in the past. Sometimes I'm too tired, other times I just don't want to be bothered or I get super busy. Since I've never grown Jimmy Nardello or Txorixero, I will be experimenting with the effects of pruning. That means I'll have to pay attention to their growing habits and document the differences between the pruned plants vs not pruned. Once their second set of true leaves pop up, I will start a fertilization schedule.
I am excited for this 2024 growing season! With some effort and consistency I'm looking forward to some bountiful harvests this year!
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