Hot and Savory Peppers

Add depth and earthiness to recipes—or a fiery kick

A few weeks back we talked about sweet peppers, but with Cinco de Mayo on the horizon some spicier varieties are in order. Our large selection of hot peppers ranges from fiery specimens to a number of tasty varieties that fall somewhere between sweet and hot—we like to refer to them as savory. They add depth and earthiness to a recipe without blowing steam through your ears and setting off the fire alarm, although they do have a little bit of a kick. Here are some new selections in both of these hot pepper categories:

‘Serrano del Sol’

‘Serrano del Sol’ is Mexico’s first hybrid Serrano pepper, with nearly 3-inch long fruits that are almost double the size of traditional Serrano types. This pepper is not excessively hot, with a unique flavor some people prefer to jalapeños. It’s often used fresh and green in sauces, salsa, or a number of fiery Mexican dishes. Scoville heat rating: 4500 to 5500 units

‘Caribbean Red Hot Habanero’

‘Caribbean Red Hot Habanero’ blazes twice as hot as a typical habanero. Fruits ripen to a beautiful deep red and have a rich, smoky-citrus taste. We get a lot of peppers from this variety—it’s great for revving up chili or making some trendy hot sauce. Scoville heat rating: 445,000 units (extremely hot)

‘Ancho San Martin’

‘Ancho San Martin’ is a Mexican variety that produces higher yields than other poblano peppers. Mildly hot green fruits are 5-1/2 inches long and mature to brilliant red. When they’re green they’re delicious roasted or stuffed; when red they’re usually dried and often ground for chili powder. Scoville heat rating: 500 to 1000 units

‘Mariachi’

‘Mariachi’ produces high yields of 3 to 4-inch fruits. Peppers are fleshy and mature from yellow to red, with a mild, fruity flavor; they’re usually picked when yellow but are delicious at any point, right up until they turn red. We like them stuffed, grilled, pickled or in salsa. Scoville heat rating: 500–600 units

‘Sweet Heat’

‘Sweet Heat’ is a nice blend of mild heat and sweetness with a hint of smokiness to use on the grill or in salsa. These bell peppers are 3 to 4 inches long and mature from green to red, though they can be eaten at either stage. Compact, bushy plants crank out an abundance of fruit that’s packed with vitamin C. Scoville heat rating: 329 units when green and 235 when red

All of the varieties above come in the 4.5-inch pot. Please visit the availability section of our web site for a complete listing of our pepper selections.