UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa

Pepper Collections for 2021

Several green and red chile peppers. ©UC Regents

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Pepper descriptions are grouped as Sweet Peppers (19 varieties) vs. Hot Peppers (11 varieties).

Sweet Peppers

Description	Photo
Ace (red—55-70 days): An extra-early, highly productive standard bell pepper. Heavy yields of medium sized 3-4 lobed fruits. Ace has good tolerance to blossom drop. This pepper is widely adapted, but performs particularly well in cooler climates where bell peppers are difficult to grow successfully. A good all-around, reliable bell pepper. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Ajvarski (red—80 days): Here's a truly outstanding roasting pepper from eastern Macedonia. This pepper is thick-walled, with a broad-wedge shape; it reaches 6-7” long. A unique feature of this pepper is its fragrance; under the right conditions, this pepper can be smelled from 10’ away! This pepper should be used when it ripens to deep red. It makes an exceptional roasting pepper and is unsurpassed for making the traditional sauce called “ajvar.” *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek HeirloomSeeds/rareseeds.com
Alliance (red—70 days): This bell pepper is known to be one of the best for disease resistance, allowing for a healthy yield of large 4 1/2" 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. New for 2019. *Photo courtesy of Totally Tomatoes
Canary Bell (yellow—75 days): What an exceptional bell pepper! This pepper is brilliant yellow in high contrast to its deep green foliage, a beauty in the garden. It is crisp, sweet and renowned for its exceptional flavor. With high productivity, what’s not to love about this pepper. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Cornito Giallo (yellow—75-80 days): 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, grilled! 2016 AAS winner. Sweet Non-Bell. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Cornito Rosso (red—75-80 days): Red ‘half-sized” version of the Corno di Toro Rosso pepper. 5" long x 2” wide, this pepper bears heavily. Brilliant red when ripe, these are early, sweet and very attractive. Ideal for roasting, frying, grilling or just eating fresh. While they are delicious raw their flavor intensifies when roasted or grilled. Strong plants that will bear heavily all season long. Sweet Non-Bell. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Flavorburst (yellow—60-80 days): Flavorburst is a stunning yellow/orange pepper with excellent flavor. The early color is lime green, turning to yellow, and then to glowing orange when ripe. This is a medium to large, bell type, pepper with 3 lobes, it will often be slightly elongated. Always a winner in salads and mild stir fries. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Gourmet (orange—85 days): This pepper produces vibrant orange fruit. The walls of this pepper are thick and the flavor very sweet. The fruit is medium to large with a blocky shape. This pepper has a reputation for being easy to grow under a wide variety of conditions. The plants are strong and set plentiful fruit. The Gourmet pepper has high resistance to tobacco mosaic virus. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Jimmy Nardello(red—80-90 days): A long Italian-type pepper with thin skin, ripening to a deep, fire engine red. Jimmy Nardello peppers are sweet, crisp and light when eaten raw. This pepper is very prolific and has the added benefit of drying easily. An Ark of Taste winner this pepper has long been considered one of the best frying peppers in the garden. A quick grill or sauté with olive oil, fresh garlic and a sprinkle of sea salt is all you need. Sweet Non-Bell. *Photo courtesy of Totally Tomatoes
King Arthur (red—60-80 days): One of the earliest bell peppers to produce. Widely adapted to varied growing conditions, it's a good foundation plant in the pepper garden. Plants are large and early to bear a crop of thick walled peppers, picked from green thru red. This is a fine salad pepper and a beauty on an appetizer platter. Plan on staking this plant early. Exhibits excellent disease resistance. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
King of the North (red—70 days): An exciting bell pepper for short-season growers that produces nice, blocky fruit. Nicely flavored when picked either green or red. Plants are very productive. Good for cool or short season. *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek HeirloomSeeds/rareseeds.com
Lunchbox Orange (orange—70-80 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. Tall, strong plants that yield well. Sweet Non-Bell. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Orange Blaze (orange—70 days): These vigorous plants bear gorgeous 2- to 3-lobed bell peppers that turn bright orange very quickly, providing an early harvest. In addition to the fabulous color you will find the flavor does not disappoint. This pepper is just right for cutting into salads or for use in cooking. Not only are the plants vigorous they are highly disease resistant. All-America Selections Winner (AAS). *Photo courtesy of Harris Seeds
Orange Marmalade (orange—75 days): This bell pepper has performed well in multiple locations across the U.S. making it a top performer for the garden. In addition to a high yield this pepper has good resistance to bacterial leaf and Tobacco Mosaic Virus. Fruit will ripen from green to orange very quickly, measuring 4”. And did we mention, it’s a sweet treat to eat?
Paradicsom (yellow—80 days): This is one of the truly great peppers to come out of Hungary. The pepper is unique in that it has the ribs and shape of a pumpkin, a bit squat and flat with a bright yellow coloring. It is known in Hungary for its exceptional flavor. This is a rare but winning variety. Sweet Non-Bell. *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek HeirloomSeeds/rareseeds.com
Shishito (green—60 days): This 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. Average 3½ to 4" heavily wrinkled fruits are thin walled. Mild Non-Bell.
Topepo Rosso (red—80 days): This is the type of pepper you see pickled in large jars in Italian delis. Round, ribbed fruits are 2" high x 2" wide with a sweet, succulent flavor, they have a smooth skin with EXTRA thick walls. Eat 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. Sweet Non-Bell. *Photo courtesy of Totally Tomatoes
Yellow Sweetie (red—62-75 days): Great snacking pepper. Juicy, sweet fruit reach 1 ½” wide and 3 ½” tall, ripening to vivid yellow with few to no seeds. Uniform plants produce high yields for lots of healthy munching. This mini pepper is a perfect snack to eat while tending the garden. Sweet Non-Bell. *Photo courtesy of Territorial Seed Company
Yum Yum Mix (mixed colors—72days): This pepper produces a high yield of nearly seedless 2 ½” peppers in a mix of orange, red and yellow. They keep well and maintain their crunch once harvested. Very sweet— perfect for snacks, on kebabs or stuffed for appetizers or enjoy these gems fresh. Sweet Non-Bell.

Hot Peppers

Description	Photo
Aleppo (red—85 days) [SHU 10,000]: The Aleppo pepper is a popular spice and ingredient in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions. It is a small pepper that grows several inches long and up to an inch and half wide. Let this pepper mature to red before use. The peppers are traditionally used dried and crushed into flakes. Though the flavor is moderately hot, this pepper has a fruity undertone. This pepper is a rare find and our supply very limited. *Photo courtesy of Artisan Seeds
Anaheim Chili (green/red—75 days) [SHU 500 – 2,500]: This is a big, meaty and mildly hot chili pepper. Medium-thick, dark green flesh ripens to bright red. The vigorous, high yielding plants reach 24 – 30” tall. They are bushy and provide good leaf cover that protects the fruit from sunscald. This abundant producer is excellent for roasting and a good pepper for stuffing, stews and sauces. Anaheim’s are best when used green; they can be allowed to ripen to red but be warned they will be hotter. *Photo courtesy of Totally Tomatoes
Flaming Flare (red—70 days) [SHU 1,000]: A Fresno style pepper with good adaptability. Their flavor is sweet with mild heat, Flaming Flare offers a bit of spiciness and a whole lot of flavor. Conical-shaped fruits are thin walled, averaging 4" long. This pepper is best used at its full maturity when it ripens to bright red. Excellent for fresh use, stir-fries, sautéing, hot sauce, and DELICIOUS for chile sauce. High resistance to tobacco mosaic virus. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Jalapeño, Felicity (green—70 days) [SHU 0]: IT’S TRUE! This pepper is a TAMED jalapeño with NO HEAT! You will find this pepper rich in flavor but without the pungency and heat of the traditional jalapeno pepper. A great choice for those who love the flavor of a jalapeno, but can’t tolerate the heat. The 4” peppers will be uniform in shape, fruiting over a long season with a high yield. Grilling, stuffing and mild salsa are ideal uses for this pepper. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Jalapeño, Jalafuego (green—70 days) [SHU 6,000]: A large, vigorous plant with excellent yield of extra-large, very dark green fruits. Good resistance to cracking. This is the hottest jalapeno pepper in the market. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds
Jalapeño, La Bomba (green—56 days) [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 jalapeno 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 Territorial Seed Company
Lemon Drop (yellow—100 days) [SHU 15,000 - 30,000]: The country of origin for this pepper is Peru, where it’s a popular seasoning with a distinct citrus note. Bright yellow, crinkled, cone-shaped fruits are 2" long x 1/2" wide. Dense plants grow to 2’ high x 2’ 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. This pepper is slow to mature but worth the wait! *Photo courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds/rareseeds.com
Padrón (green—60 days) [SHU 100-1,000]: If you want an authentic, regional pepper from Spain, this is your pepper. Use when small. These peppers are a favorite in tapas bars across Spain. The peppers are traditionally picked green. Sauté these peppers in olive oil and finish with coarse-ground sea salt for a delectable appetizer. Note that this pepper is humorously referred to as “Spanish Roulette”; about 20% of them may be very spicy! Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds*
Poblano, Baron (green/red—65 days) [SHU 250-1,000]: Green poblanos are the unripened fruits that are used as a stuffing pepper 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 better than other ancho peppers under a wide variety of conditions. These two lobed peppers are large, averaging 5" long x 3" wide, making them easy to stuff and cook in their signature dish, chile rellenos. This pepper has proven more disease resistant than other Poblano type peppers.
Poblano, Caballero (green/red—79 days) [SHU 1,000-2,000]: Reliably uniform, deliciously mild, and very high-yielding, these classic poblanos have a strong flavor topped with a mild spice. The ideal relleno pepper, Caballero is big with thick walls and smooth, deeply pigmented skin. Allow the 6” long fruit to ripen to a rich red with a complex flavor profile, and then dry for Ancho perfection. Dry and crush the red peppers to make your own Ancho pepper flakes or powder. *Photo courtesy of Territorial Seed Company
Serrano Hot Rod (green/red—70-80 days) [SHU 16,000]: Hot Rod is a traditional serrano with 3" fruits. This pepper bears over a long harvest period. The dark green fruits are traditionally picked green, but also make fine chipotles (smoked, dried pepper) if allowed to ripen to red. *Photo courtesy of Johnny's Selected Seeds

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