2024 Pepper Collections

Several green and red chile peppers. ©UC Regents

 

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Pepper descriptions are grouped as Sweet Peppers (19 varieties) vs. Hot Peppers (15 varieties).

Note: Assume all varieties will be available at all three sale locations unless otherwise noted.

 

Sweet Peppers

Description Photo

Ace Sweet Bell / Red / 55-70 days.

Ace is an extra-early, highly productive standard bell pepper with heavy yields of medium sized fruit. It is widely adapted, but performs particularly well in cooler climates where bell peppers are difficult to grow successfully. Its medium thick walls are sweet and tender - a good all-around, reliable bell pepper. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds johnnyseeds.com

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Ajvarski Sweet Non-Bell / Red / 80 days.

Here's a truly outstanding pepper from eastern Macedonia. This pepper is thick-walled, with a broad wedge shape. It reaches 6" to 7” long. A unique feature of this pepper is its fragrance: under the right conditions, it can be smelled from 10 feet away! Let it ripen to deep red for maximum flavor. Exceptional for roasting, and it's unsurpassed for making the traditional sauce called “ajvar”. Available in Walnut Creek only. *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds rareseeds.com

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Alliance Sweet Bell / Green to Red / 70 days.

This bell is known to be one of the best for disease resistance, allowing for a healthy yield of large 4 ½” blocky fruits with thick walls and smooth skin. Peppers mature from an attractive green to deep red and can be used at any stage. These strong, sturdy plants have good leaf canopy, offering protection from sunscald. Available in Walnut Creek and Antioch only.

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Bridge to Paris Sweet Non-Bell / Green to Red / 83 days

NEW FOR 2024! This sweet Italian type offers huge yields of big, elongated fruit with very few seeds and excellent flavor. Emerging green and ripening to red, the peppers can reach 7–9 inches long with a pleasing fruity taste. Enjoy the harvests fresh, fried, dried or smoked. The plants can grow up to 30 inches tall, with lots of fruit per plant. Available in Walnut Creek only. *Photo courtesy of Territorial Seed Company.

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Cornito Giallo Sweet Non-Bell / Yellow / 75-80 days. A 2016 AAS winner.

Yellow “half-sized” version of the Corno di Toro Giallo pepper. These new peppers are earlier and smaller but with the same sweet, fruity flavor. Good any way you eat them – raw, roasted, fried, or grilled! Available in Walnut Creek only.

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Cornito Rosso Sweet Non-Bell / Red / 75-80 days.

Red "half-sized” version of the Corno di Toro Rosso pepper. Expect a heavy crop of 5" long by 2” wide peppers on strong plants. Brilliant red when ripe, these are early, sweet and very attractive. Ideal for roasting, frying, and grilling. While they are also delicious raw, their flavor intensifies when cooked.

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Etiuda Sweet Bell / Orange / 75 days. 

Originally a Polish commercial variety, Etiuda is equally great for the home garden. Its rich, sweet, citrus flavor has won over many growers. Can produce large fruits up to 8 ounces on large plants. The fruits are blocky and thick walled, and sugary sweet when ripe. Noted as being easy to grow. A lovely choice! Available in Walnut Creek and Richmond only. *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds rareseeds.com

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Flavorburst Sweet Bell / Yellow / 60-80 days. Flavorburst is a stunning pepper with excellent flavor. The early color is lime green, turning to golden yellow when ripe. This medium to large bell type pepper is always a winner in salads and mild stir-fries. Available in Walnut Creek only.
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Gourmet Sweet Bell / Orange / 85 days.

This pepper produces vibrant orange fruit. The strong, compact plants produce prolific yields of medium to large fruit, with thick walls and very sweet flavor. This pepper has a reputation for being easy to grow under a wide variety of conditions, and has good resistance to tobacco mosaic virus.

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Jimmy Nardello Sweet Non-Bell / Red / 80-90 days.

An Ark of Taste winner, long considered to be one of the best frying peppers in the garden. It's a long, thin Italian-type pepper with thin skin that ripens to a deep, fire engine red. Sweet and crisp when eaten raw, or quickly grill or sauté with olive oil, fresh garlic and a sprinkle of sea salt for a great treat! It's very prolific and has the added benefit of drying easily. Available in Walnut Creek and Richmond only.

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King Arthur Sweet Bell / Green to Red / 60-80 days.

Extreme earliness combined with large size, super-sweet flavor and wide adaptability to a variety of growing conditions makes this a great choice! Plants produce thick walled peppers, picked green through red. Exhibits excellent disease resistance. Available in Walnut Creek and Antioch only.

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Lipstick Sweet Non-Bell / Red / 70 days

NEW FOR 2024! This 4-inch-long bright red pimento type pepper performs exceptionally well, even in cooler summer weather. These pointed peppers have super sweet, thick flesh, making them ideal for eating both fresh and cooked. It's earlier to ripen than many, and it will produce plenty of fruit. Available in Walnut Creek and Richmond only. *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds rareseeds.com

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Lunchbox Orange Sweet Non-Bell / Orange / 80 days.

These beautiful mini-sized peppers are remarkably sweet and flavorful. They are delicious sautéed, or used as an addition to salads. Of course, they are perfect for a healthy snack in the garden or a lunch box. Fruits average 2 ½” to 3" long by 1 ½” wide. These are tall, strong plants that yield well. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds johnnyseeds.com

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Lunchbox Red Sweet Non-Bell / Red / 75 days. 

These beautiful mini-sized peppers are remarkably sweet and flavorful. They are delicious sautéed, or used as an addition to salads. Of course, they are perfect for a healthy snack in the garden or a lunch box. Fruits average 2" to 2 ½” long by 1" wide, a bit smaller and earlier than the orange and yellow Lunchbox. These are tall, strong plants that yield well. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds, johnnyseeds.com.

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Lunchbox Yellow Sweet Non-Bell / Yellow / 80 days.

These beautiful mini-sized peppers are remarkably sweet and flavorful. They are delicious sautéed, or used as an addition to salads. Of course, they're perfect for a healthy snack in the garden or a lunch box. Fruits average 2 ½” to 3" long by 1 ½” wide on tall, strong plants that yield well. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds johnnyseeds.com

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Orange Bell Sweet Bell / Orange / 75 days

This one promises lots of good-size blocky peppers that are reported to be among the best tasting of all peppers. Plants produce large yields of thick-walled, super sweet, brilliant orange fruit. Available in Walnut Creek only

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Orange Marmalade Sweet Bell / Orange / 75 days. This bell pepper has produced well in multiple locations across the U.S., making its reputation as a top performer. Sturdy, compact plants produce high yields of very sweet 4” peppers that ripen from green to orange. Glowing reports from pepper trials show Orange Marmalade to have superior disease resistance. It is ideal for eating fresh and great for stuffing. Available in Walnut Creek and Antioch only
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Sweet Bella Sweet Bell / Green to Red / 73 days. 

The plant produces good yields of large 4 ½" long by 3 ½" wide sweet bell peppers. These peppers have thick walls (perfect for stuffing!) and turn from green to red when mature. Developed to be very disease-resistant. An excellent choice for home gardens! Available in Walnut Creek only

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Topepo Rosso Sweet Non-Bell / Red / 80 days

This is the type of pepper you see pickled in large jars in Italian delis. The round fruits are 2" tall x 2" wide, with a sweet, succulent flavor. With smooth skin and EXTRA thick walls, they can be eaten fresh, roasted, or pickled. Their brilliant scarlet color resembles a tomato (hence the name combining tomato and pepper). Plants have a strong upright habit and good leaf cover to protect against sunscald. Available in Walnut Creek only.

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Hot Peppers 

Description Photo

Aleppo Hot / Red / 85 days / SHU 10,000. The

Aleppo pepper is a popular spice in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions. It is a small pepper that grows several inches long and up to an inch wide. Let this pepper mature to red before use. Traditionally used dried and crushed into flakes, it's moderately hot, with wonderful fruity undertones. Available in Walnut Creek only.

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Datil Hot / Yellow-Orange / 100 days / SHU 100,000 to 300,000

Bursting with fruity, hot goodness! Think Habanero, but the flavor is more complex, sweeter, and more fruity. Perfect for spicy salsas, sauces, and fabulous jellies! This renowned pepper originates from St. Augustine, Florida, where it is plentiful and celebrated. Its roots may be in the old world or the new world - legends abound! These blunt little 3.5-inch fruits ripen to a brilliant yellow-orange. The compact bushes also make excellent ornamental plants - they are covered with peppers from early summer to frost. Also suitable for growing in containers. Available in Walnut Creek Only.

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Fatalii Hot / Yellow / 80 days

NEW FOR 2024! These fiery hot, wrinkled yellow peppers are related to habanero, and are at least as hot if not hotter. Heat lovers will appreciate their excellent citrusy flavor! Originally from Africa, these plants become 3 to 4 feet tall. Maturing earlier than habanero, they are 2 to 3 inches long with a wide top that tapers down to a point, and are shriveled all over. Available in Walnut Creek only. *Photo courtesy of superhotchiles.com

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Flaming Flare Hot / Red / 70 days / SHU 1,000.

An All-America Selections (AAS) winner. A Fresno style pepper that's sweet with mild heat, Flaming Flare offers a bit of spiciness and a whole lot of flavor. Cone-shaped fruits are thin walled, averaging 4" long. Best used at full maturity when ripened to bright red. Excellent for fresh use, stir-fries, sautéing, hot sauce, and DELICIOUS for chili sauce. High resistance to tobacco mosaic virus. Available in Walnut Creek and Richmond only. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds johnnyseeds.com

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Garden Salsa Hot / Green to Red / 73 days / SHU 2,500 –3,000.

A great salsa pepper usually picked green for salsa, but ripens to red. Medium hot, but can get hotter in dry weather. This one is a Tobacco Mosaic resistant hybrid. *Photo courtesy of HPS Seed

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Jalapeño, Jalafuego Hot / Green to Red / 70 days

A large, vigorous plant with an excellent yield of extra-large, very dark green fruits. Good resistance to cracking. This is the hottest jalapeño pepper on the market. If you want a really HOT salsa, this is the pepper for you! Matures later than El Jefe, but gives higher yields.

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Jalapeño, La Bomba Hot / Green / 56 day / SHU 5,000.

La Bomba has lots of flavor and mild heat with smooth, thick, juicy walls. They have a hint of sweet followed by a mild flavor with no bitterness and finish with a burst of true jalapeño heat. Highly productive, even in cooler climates. Plants have superior disease resistance. Perfect for nacho toppings, for adding some zip to soups and sauces, for pickling, and for jalapeño poppers. *Photo courtesy of HPS Seed

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Jalapeño, Tricked You Mild / Green / 90 days / SHU 0.

IT’S TRUE! This pepper is a TAMED jalapeño with NO HEAT! You will find excellent jalapeño flavor but without the heat of the traditional. Great for combining with hot peppers to customize the heat in homemade salsas and hot sauce. Excellent resistance to Bacterial Leaf Spot. *Photo courtesy of HPS Seed

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Krimzon Lee Mild to Medium / Red / 62-82 days / SHU 3,000-5,000.

This thick-walled frying pepper has mild to medium heat. Beautiful, big, 6" to 8" by 2" paprika type pepper holds heat in its ribs. Its thick, sweet and spicy flesh is choice for roasting, frying, grilling, salsa, and adventurous salads. Medium-size plant is upright and bushy. Available in Walnut Creek only *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds johnnyseeds.com

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Lemon Drop Hot / Yellow / 100 days / SHU 15,000-30,000.

From Peru, where it’s a popular seasoning with a distinct citrus note. Bright yellow, crinkled, cone- shaped fruits are 2" long by ½" wide. Dense plants grow to 2 feet tall and wide, and are typically covered with neon-bright fruits, making this an excellent choice for container gardening.  A MUST use for this pepper is making up a batch of hot pepper sauce. It's slow to mature to its brilliant, yellow color but worth the wait! Available in Walnut Creek and Richmond only *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds rareseeds.com

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Leutschauer Paprika  Medium / Red / 85 days / SHU 1,000. 

A lovely drying pepper that comes from Hungary. The short, erect plants grow fast and are loaded with medium-hot paprikas sporting a sweet aroma and crisp texture. Its great flavor, uniform shape, and thin walls make it terrific for smoking, drying, and grinding to a delicious spicy powder. Very rare and not often found outside of its native Hungary! Available in Walnut Creek and Richmond only. *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds rareseeds.com

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Padrón Mild / Green / 60 days / SHU 100-1,000.

If you want an authentic regional pepper from Spain, this is it! Used when small for mildest flavor, these peppers are a favorite in tapas bars across Spain. They are traditionally picked green, sautéed in olive oil and finished with coarse-ground sea salt for a delectable appetizer. Note this pepper is humorously referred to as “Spanish Roulette”: although 90% of them are mild you will occasionally come across an unpredictable hot one. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds johnnyseeds.com

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Poblano, Baron Mild / Green to Red / 65-85 days / SHU 250-1,000.

Green poblanos are the unripened fruits that are used when making chile relleno. When ripened to red and dried, it is known as an ‘Ancho’. Baron has thick-walled, mildly hot fruit with a rich, mellow flavor. It has proved to produce well under a wide variety of conditions. These two lobed peppers are large, averaging 5" long by 3" wide, making them easy to stuff and cook in their signature dish, chile rellenos. Superior disease resistance.

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Poblano, Trident Mild / Green to Red / 69-85 days / SHU 250-1,500.

Extra-large ancho/poblano peppers grow to 7" long by 3 ½” inches wide, maturing from mid-green to deep red. Fruits are glossy, firm, straight and often two-lobed. Good used fresh or dry. Vigorous plants set continuously in a wide variety of soils and climates. This hybrid is highly resistent to Tobacco Mosaic virus. *Photo courtesy of HPS Seed

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Serrano Tampiqueño Hot / Green to Red / 78 days

NEW FOR 2024! This little pepper packs a big kick! It is crisp, bright and notably hotter than the jalapeño it resembles. Serranos are typically eaten raw, so no need to roast or peel. Popular for pico de gallo, salsas, and soups. This Tampiqueño variety has superior flavor compared to other serranos. *Photo courtesy of Sandiaseed.com

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Shishito Mild/ Green to Red / 60 days

This mildly spiced pepper is popular in Japan where its thin walls make it particularly suitable for tempura. It’s also very good in stir-fries or sautés. In Asia, this pepper is always cooked green, but they also may be used red, thinly sliced into salads or coleslaws. Medium, upright plants produce a good yield over an extended harvest period. The heavily wrinkled fruits are thin walled and 3 ½ to 4” long.

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Sriracha Hot / Green to Red / 93 days

NEW FOR 2024! This 5 inch long hot and spicy red pepper is commonly used to make the famous Sriracha sauce. It has a high heat level and is great for fresh salsa. It's typically eaten raw and can be used in many of the same ways as serranos and jalapeños. The large Sriracha peppers turn from green to red while maturing on the plant, and mature red will have the best flavor. The tall 36” plants produce all summer long. *Photo courtesy of sandiaseed.com

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Thai Dragon Hot / Red / 70-80 days

NEW FOR 2024! Also know as the Thai Culinary pepper as it's one of the most frequently used peppers in Thai restaurants. A small compact bush 1 to 2 feet tall produces clusters of one inch fiery red peppers that point up on the plant (as many as 150 per plant!). The heat is immediate with fruity flavor tones. These are great for seasoning powders, sauces and stir fry, plus they can be frozen or dried. 

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