The Best (And Worst) Peppers Of 2022 - Pepper Geek

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In this video, we talk through some of our favorite pepper varieties that we grew in 2022, along with a few that were not great. We also go into a few of our most anticipated peppers for next season!
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Timestamps:
0:00 Best Peppers
0:41 New Mexico chiles
1:44 Jimmy Nardello
2:35 Ninfadora pepper
3:19 Cayennetta
4:08 KS peach starrkist
4:37 Quintisho
5:27 Jalapeño(s)
6:20 Candy Cane pepper
Disappointing peppers:
7:07 Pippin's golden honey
8:04 Rocoto manzano
9:02 Yesil Tatli
Most excited for 2023:
9:27 Bell peppers
10:37 Goronong pepper
10:49 Ninfadora crosses
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Thanks for watching Pepper Geek!
#peppers #gardening #spicy

[@charliensam]

It is funny how so many aspects of growing peppers go into determining what we grow year to year. My sugar rush peach plants got a "yes" due to their looks. They were just beautiful and the color of the peppers popped in the green garden! Then, I decided "nope" when I was disappointed in the taste of the raw pepper. Not knowing what to do with all the peppers, I whipped up a batch of candied peppers with the fruits. I fell in love with the result, as did my family & friends. So... it's back to "yes". 🤔

[@davidniemi6553]

I find Sugar Rush Peach especially frustrating in their inconsistency. They have a very long ripening period, are susceptible to rot in wet weather, and change color in a very subtle and gradual way that is hard to judge by eye. Under the right conditions they are prolific producers of absolutely delicious pods -- sweet, fruity, and hot all at once; but they can also be sour or bland if they are not fully ripe or didn't get enough heat and sun.

[@charliensam]

@@davidniemi6553 Exactly! You summed up the dilemma of the Sugar Rush Peach.

[@jakebrouch2811]

My favorite this year was the Hallow's Eve pepper. We got some from Sherwood Seeds. We had them in pots on our North-facing balcony so we didn't get a ton of peppers from the plants, but the ones we did get were beautiful and very hot. I used them to make some hot sauce and it's delicious.

[@jasonnielsen4051]

Thanks for another great video together with interesting and useful info

[@cameronhuizinga]

A really great bell pepper variety I grew this year is the criolla de cocina pepper. It was very tasty and looked amazing!

[@lapk78]

Our Anaheim (Hatch) plant outperformed all of our other 11 types this year. It grew to be over 6 ft tall and just produced tons and tons and tons of peppers.

[@benf8706]

We have had very good luck with Red Knight X3R hybrid bell peppers. 50 plants, barely any staking, zero disease, and they tolerated the poor soil of our side garden well. We did start them with a slow release 10-10-10 after transplant, and once more mid season- zone 6a. Many of the peppers were incredibly large, and perfect for stuffing. The plants themselves had thick, woody stalks that supported the fruit load well. They had green peppers early, and finally ripened to red from August through the first frost.

[@kabuscobarrr]

9:02 it looks like Charleston Pepper as know as Talı Yeşil Biber(green sweet pepper) in Turkey. it is one of most consumed pepper kind. It is mostly preferred for breakfast. It is an indispensable ingredient in some recipes. When you eat it fresh it is very juicy and sweet. Also reallt delicous when grilled on barbecue. I recommend to you check these hot pepper kinds in Turkey. - Samandağı Biberi - isot biberi

[@imagesinbloom]

Jimmy nardello was a very low producer here in northeastern ohio, but I agree the flavor was wonderful. I grew LESYA, a heart shaped red bell pepper with exceptional flavor. They made wonderful addition in salads, and petite stuffed peppers for dinner.

[@davidniemi6553]

I love Jimmy Nardello peppers too, and have sometimes gotten great productivity from them most years (not so much this one). I also grew Lesya this year, which were fine, but I grow two peppers I prefer over Lesya: Kalugeritsa, which has the same shape but smaller and much more prolific; and Sweet Pimiento, which lack the point on the bottom but are the same overall size, and are more prolific and reliable, with at least as good a taste.

[@Gabe511]

I had good success for growing Hatch in NJ. I was in New Mexico and had a hard time finding some locally so decided to grow my own.

[@davidniemi6553]

Great topic. I agree Pippin's Golden Honey is difficult to grow, though plants from saved seeds were healthier this year than the originals. They can have a lovely hearty sweet taste when perfectly ripe (a golden-orange color) but take several time-consuming color changes to get there and a lot can go wrong. I did not have problems with texture, but I had more wet weather than hot. Three of my favorites I grew for the first time this year were Corbaci, which looks like a longer narrower Jimmy Nardello and similar but earthier taste (in a good way). Santa Fe Grande is a NuMex pepper that is not a Hatch -- shaped more like a Jalapeno, very productive, healthy, and tasty, ripening from pale green to pale yellow to orange to red. And the Basque pepper Gorria (also called Piment d'Espelette) grows beautiful tasty red pods shaped like a big Jalapeno and moderate heat. For a runner-up, the Scotch Bonnets I grew this year were pretty successful too. A smaller bush than a Habanero but similar taste and heat, and quite healthy and productive even though I started them late. Under the influence of friends from New Mexico, I also grew 3 Hatch types, the most productive was "Sandia". "Rattlesnake" has bigger, hotter pods, and "Mirasol" tries valiantly to grow its pods upwards but they are often too heavy.

[@bbqribz570]

I grew a Big jim/numex a couple years ago that lasted through the winter outside with little to no help. Really hearty plant!

[@milenakukich3080]

I grew apple peppers for the first time this year. I'm happy to say, they are very productive and sweet tasting thick walls! Will grow them again. Also super cyanne is a great pepper to grow, long healthy peppers. Great for dehydrating!

[@ToxiicAsAyyy]

In Western Australia 🇦🇺 our fruiting season is just beginning all be it a little late due to a wet start to spring. So excited for the over 60 varieties i have coming and our over wintered ones are thriving bountifully. Love this channel, so informative and creative. Keep it up

[@PepperGeek]

That is amazing. It's always great to hear about the gardens down under when we're just starting to get snow!

[@peterthoms2725]

Very wet season in New South Wales Australia too. Still getting cold nights and soooooo much rain. Not an easy season for chillies. Thank god for the greenhouse. I’ve got a small hot sauce company “Felix Fiery ferments”. Fingers crossed I still get a good crop!!

[@jamesmccarthy9777]

@@peterthoms2725 not quite as wet here in Victoria where I'm from but still unseasonably cool and a slow start here as well this year

[@Vicariously_gifted]

Could you not grow peppers year around?

[@ToxiicAsAyyy]

@dennobrien4979 not possible, still get cold winters dropping to 0°c

[@gm7304]

Beautiful work Thank You.

[@donna7788]

I grew white peppers. I'm not one for eating peppers raw but this white pepper was the sweetest, most delicious pepper I have ever tasted, especially to eat raw. Also, I do serrano peppers that are absolutely delicious in Chili & salsa. Do bells too. This year was really dry in NY & the peppers didn't do as good as they usually do. We use a lot of peppers in this house & I love growing them. Good video.👍

[@iamGrowing]

Great video and glad you did it early so if someone wants to follow your suggestions they can still buy the seeds. Most channels do these type of videos a bit too late.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks, hopefully it can inspire some new additions to other gardens :)

[@dappledaylight2628]

I love Jimmy Nardellos!! They go hand and hand with tomatoes. I throw a few Jimmy Nardello peppers into the pot when I am canning up my tomato passata (pasta sauce) or pizza sauce. After they are stewed a bit, I put them through the tomato mill and it separates the skin and seeds just like it does with tomatoes. They are mild but add soooo much flavor to the sauce! Its kind of a long the same thought as putting a pinch of dried red pepper flakes in your marinara but its even better.

[@user-my2lh3mt5d]

Thats a great idea !

[@johndesrocher4289]

Fantastic video, just what I was looking for! First time gardener in Connecticut this past year, and my most successful crop was definitely peppers. Also my favorite, thankfully. I'm going to go 90% pepper next year, handful of tomato plants, and some salad greens. Oh, and some herbs. And pickling cucumbers. Probably throw in some eggplant, too. So maybe not 90% peppers, but a lot of peppers. Like, 89.5%.

[@jeffengland1862]

Jeff from East Tennessee. I’m kinda just getting into growing peppers. I have grown peppers off and on my whole life. The biggest single number one thing that I learned this season was watering!!!! It takes a ton of water for peppers. It’s very hot in Tennessee. The few peppers that I had just were not doing good!! So I started to watering them more. More and more water!! They started to do much better. With a very wet July and a ton of water I ended up with monster sized pepper plants. Lots of peppers!! Next year is going to be the best pepper year ever!!! Thanks.

[@davidniemi6553]

Depends on your location. I grow mostly in-ground in a part-shade environment and probably a wetter climate (northern Virginia) and I hardly ever need to water. It was very wet in July here too, the peppers were mostly OK but my tomatoes did not like it at all (2018 was even worse).

[@PlantObsessed]

I am growing the Jimmy this coming year. Good to hear it is awesome.

[@PepperGeek]

Heck yeah, genuinely want to grow more than 1 plant next year. It was so fast-growing, delicious, and productive. May be an every-year kind of pepper!

[@angekfire]

Poblano & Scotch Bonnets have been 2 of my standards to grow, they've done really well and been really productive over the last 2 years. The poblano this year though the tops start to accumulate water and rotted out before I got to harvest some of them, not sure if it was from the rainfall or a different watering method or something. From this year's varieties though, I grew Gochugaru peppers which are the peppers used for making kimchi, and while I didn't really get enough to dry, they had a really nice heat level I didn't really expect when eaten fresh, and the plants were still pretty productive. I also had great luck with my Aleppo peppers this year. Tried growing Khang Starr Lemon Starrburst and similar to your Peach Sunkist, they just weren't very productive, and most of the peppers I did end up getting had pest issues. I maybe got a handful of usable peppers over the season, which was disappointing.

[@fishlovme]

I grew early jalapeno this year. I was impressed with how many peppers and also how long the plant lasted. Size though was a bit small. I think I will try those Goliath Jalapenos and the lemon ones too next year.

[@PepperGeek]

Good to know, yep we'll be doing goliath again for 2023, they were incredible!

[@J0HN01DATA]

That cayannetta looks like a prosperous solid cayanne. Am doing a reset on Cayannes this year. The yellow cayanne have been solid. My reds have blended to purple cayanne from a purple flash that was fun with black leaves, very table worthy, yet watch out that purple spreads. This year's 4 favorites were, Aji Fantasy, White Marumbii, Uganda Red and Red Devils tongue were both high yield and great hot Sauces. Next year is a Bohemian Goat experiment to get a higher yield, it was such a great hot sauce, just looking for more. All the best in the new year 2023!

[@magarna1545]

My favorite this year was the orange Freeport scotch bonnet. Coming in second was peach Thor’s hammer. It is a little hotter for my taste but it was such a neat shape and the it turned green to purple to peach.

[@greensfarmland]

I have recently been watching your channel, and just subscribed. I have a plant nursery on the Big Island of Hawaii. I also have a love for hot peppers, and I can keep pepper plants alive for many years, so my collection of peppers is always expanding. So appreciate what your doing. It is always nice to find people that enjoy hot to very hot peppers. Always love to see people come to my both at the farmers market to buy plants, yet those that get excited at the pepper varieties is always awesome. It's like having a feeling of finding your people. Lol The number one pepper I enjoy is the chocolate Habanero. Probably not everyones favorite, but I really love the taste of it, and always mix it in to my mixed pepper ferments to be made into hot sauces. Even a small plant will yeild a lot of peppers. Also I would recommend a Hawaiian chilli pepper, it is somewhat small, but consistent. The heat is compatible to that random jalapeno pepper that catches you by surprise. Also has a very good flavor. Very popular in making spicy water. The Hawaiian chili pepper does tend to attract white fly, but if you prune the lower growth to create air flow between the ground and lower branches it will do much better. This same technique works on all pepper plants that attract problems. With the Rocoto pepper, I would recommend trying a soil that doesn't drain so well at the bottom of the pot, like a third. So that it can have some roots that can pull up cooler water when needed. While the top two thirds of the soil remains as fast draining. I don't know how this will work for you where you ate at. But if you two like to experiment, which seems that you do. Than it's worth a try. You Two do an amazing job at growing, amd sharing your experiences. Thanks!

[@PepperGeek]

Wow, thanks for sharing! We visited Hawaii and are now growing the Hawaiian chilli pepper this season. I did taste one while I was there, and I thought it was _way_ hotter than a jalapeño (but maybe my tolerance was low at the time...). No fruits yet, but the plant is very healthy with lots of foliage and flowers. Can't wait to make spicy water.

[@freshhcorduroy9707]

Thank you for your list! Last year my favorite was jimmy nardello, very productive through the middle to the very end of the season. This year I grew then again and still enjoyed them, but I also grew lipstick peppers which was awesome. Great flavor, wider walls so even better for cooking, less messing around with seeds. I also grew a red cherry pepper, which had great flavor (sweet), but wasn’t worth as much effort to cut and clean. I mostly ate them raw. Shishito was also a favorite this summer. I live in Zone 5b (NH) and I have been enjoying finding sweet varieties that are really productive and happy in this area.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for the recommendations - shishitos were another favorite, nice compact plants, though we did get some disease.

[@davidniemi6553]

I've grown Lipstick too. I found them lower than average health and productivity than others of the same size (I don't really remember their taste). I only grew them one year so they might have had bad luck. Generally, though, I prefer elongated pods to short wide ones, as they are easier to cut up for cooking.

[@oskarkilo9033]

My Rocoto Red was very good and had a good yield. I started very early to grow them (November 2021) because they are very slow growing. Average fruit size was ping pong ball size and tasted delicious and fruity. And yes, I had them in the shade where it is cooler (only afternoon sun in summer!) and they were sucking up fertilizer (especially mico nutrients) like no other of my chili plants. Oh, and I put them inside in September and harvested the last pods in November 2022. As I said, very slow growing. Btw, I recommend an F1 chili called Shakira. Big pods, enormous harvest, taste really good, medium heat and easy to maintain. And I have the same climate as you.

[@Z-GRADT]

I grew a couple Pippins this year I didn't mind the texture, but they didn't have much flavor. I also had problems with my yellow jalapeños, but the orange spice ones did great. The summer here was really hot and dry this year.

[@jeffreygrant817]

I grew Numex Lemon Spice this year and had pest issues as well.. Southern Indiana. Going to try the Goliath variety next year!

[@FC-cz6zd]

Amazing production and varieties. Can't imagine. Down here in zone 9b, the Anaheim varieties (and many others) don't do well due to the heat and, primarily, humidity. Again, incredible harvest!

[@willsolarski8550]

I am doing Bell Pepper experimentation as well this year-excited to see your guys results!

[@stevenoneal8499]

Love the Carolina Reaper and a chocolate ghost. Requires more growing and attention than I had researched and have learned a lot from all of this years first growing of super hot peppers.

[@davidgoen2295]

I empathize with your desire to want to grow more sweet peppers for the purpose of sharing with friends and family. My wife and I had to move this past year in mid May unexpectedly due to a health crisis. When I started the seeds, we were living in the south where a lot of people like spicy food, however I moved back with family in an area where people will squirm at the mention of "Jalapeno" or "spicy". (Luckily, I had someone who was willing to drive my plants 300 miles to our new home). Every time I wanted to show off my Sugar Rush Stripey or my striking Fatalli peppers or Pockmark Orange, I was always asked "is that a sweet pepper"? Or If there were kids that liked "hot peppers" I didn't really have much mild peppers to share with them without shocking their system. This next season I'm really focusing on sweet, mild and medium heat peppers and minimizing on the hots and super hots for the sake of sharing with those around me. I also had an incredibly difficult time with rocoto peppers in the heat we had. I also put them under a shaded tree and they didn't bloom one flower. So it wasn't just you guys struggling with rocotos. My ultimate goal is help people in my area slowly grow to appreciate hot peppers as I have.

[@daytonaexpress7160]

I brought the numex lemon and orange to grow in Costa Rica. And wow, my soil was crap but every pepper had so many issues but them. Hordes of whiteflies too but then only thing that has CONSTANTLY produced and handled everything are them too. The lemon was deeelicious even right off the bush the orange.... the orange will F you up 😂 its sooooo hot i couldn't even tell you what the flavor even is but well death lol. Perfect for adding 1 for heat in any dish though.

[@lettucesalad3560]

King of the North Bell Peppers are worth trying - first time I've been able to grow a full size Bell Pepper.

[@Sam-lj9vj]

I grew quite a few Goronong peppers this year. Give's a good instant heat, which lasts around 10-15 seconds. The plants don't seem to get very tall, mine grew only about 12" high, but loaded with fruit.

[@jessieconejo8636]

Thank you for sharing!! I’m growing the rainbow color of bell peppers next year as an experiment (no blue bell peppers though 😢). Excited to see what your bell pepper experiment brings

[@PepperGeek]

So far, haven't found a pepper that has any shade of true blue to it, but pretty much any other color! Good luck with the (partial) rainbow

[@thomaslohse5896]

This year here in Wisconsin the garden is just starting to produce. I started Anaheims from seeds and I also have a pablano.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

jalapenos are my favourite peppers i think they are just so good. I like them fermented, or stuffed with cream cheese. yum yum yum! i love the corking, i think that it improves the look greatly. Im sure most dont eant them but they make me happy! im excited when they cork. i have wabted to try the candy striped one!

[@planetzing7796]

I grew Anaheim chilies this summer and they did incredibly well

[@herodaysaver9032]

"Red knight" red bell (disease and pest resistant) was awesome for me, it was slow to start but mid season it boomed and started throwing out pods like crazy (some small some pretty decent sized) and they ripened at doublethe speed as other bells I was growing in the exact same conditions (literally the next pot over). Candycane stripped chocolate sweet was awesome too, it has larger pods than the regular Candycane stripped and they turn brown (obviously) before red giving it an even more complex and cool look (also variegated) they're also a little more round and easier for stuffing with thicker walls and slightly thicker skin.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for sharing, we have seeds for the Ninja S10 bell which has a similar disease package to red knight - hoping for better results.

[@rafael.s]

I can really recommend the Madame Jeannette, grew it for the first time this year and a single plant give me over a kilo of peppers. The flavor is also really unique while packing a punch with a lot of spice.

[@PepperGeek]

Awesome, we will look into it

[@MB-co6qj]

@@PepperGeek It's the staple in Surinamese food. Be aware that many sellers brand Yellow Habaneros or Adjumas as MJs, but they are not the same!

[@mvv1408]

Yes, Madame Jeanette is a great pepper, very popular in Suriname and the Netherlands. It has a wonderful lemon-citrusy taste, a great base for a pepper sauce (Madame Jeanette, onion, garlic, vinegar, salt)

[@lawrencehilaire1763]

Great video! I love the NM varieties but have trouble sometimes growing them in northeast PA - wet weather, cool weather, cloudiness. I usually get my seeds right from NMSU Chile Pepper Institute.

[@51rwyatt]

I'm doing some more habanero types this coming season (a favorite), plus some new species in pubescens like Manzano. Overwintering 4 plants, going well so far (I'm in zone 4 in Maine).

[@staceyfaulkner1915]

I cant wait for pepper season to start in zone 9b again. Although my mad hatter pepper has started to produce again. I thought it was dead but it keeps coming back.

[@brielambley3466]

Im growing two sweet peppers from seed - Big Jim and an unamed sweet round chilli. Im planning to give most of the seedlings away at Christmas to friends at work. Im in Australia so we are coming into summer. I cant eat hot chillis but thought I would give sweet chillis a try. Im growing them in pots on my front stairs where they get full sun until 12pm and then shade.

[@albertfisher4265]

My favorite sweet pepper to grow is the Giant Marconi pepper. It is very productive and delicious. My dog, Carlos, is especially fond of them.

[@johnbooth001]

The Rocoto Giants were great for me this year in the UK. Admittedly we probably get cooler weather than you. I had it in full sun and it gave pods throughout the season. They are very thirsty plants. Maybe you could try it in a reservoir pot / wicking pot to see if that improves it, having a constant supply of water when needed without being sat in wet compost.

[@kayakdan7013]

This was the first year I grew a bunch of different peppers, thanks to your videos and your book. My wins were the Dorset Naga (nearly 250 pods from 2 plants), Chocolate Habanero, and 7 pot primo orange (although only got a few pods). Misses were Trinidad chocolate and Trinidad orange, and large orange thai. I really didn't like the flavor and/or consistency of those. I fermented a couple batches of hot sauce, made a lot of salsa, made powder of a lot of the Dorsets, dried others, pickled some, and froze the rest. I had over 1500 peppers, so next year will be scaled back a bunch to just a few new ones and some old favorites.

[@PepperGeek]

Good luck scaling back 😉 That's a great season though!

[@haels5139]

For the Rocotto, sure its used to cooler mountain regions, but the sun is more intense in the mountains. I would see if you have a spot that only gets partial shade in the hottest part of the day, like under a tree. Like give it as much sun as possible until that heat hits.

[@chili7425]

Candy cane peppers were my favorite this year. My first year of growing them, and there are just a perfect size to make a meal. It might have been the name, but I found that there were a little sweeter than the bell peppers.

[@PepperGeek]

They were _very_ sweet, no doubt

[@alfonsomunoz4424]

Got me some NuMex Big Jim seeds and some lemon spice jalapeños. I live close to NMSU. BTW, Hatch chilies are Anahiem peppers... from Hatch. Around here they're called "long green" or Anahiem. And I LOVE them.

[@paulcarey3009]

Really enjoyed growing Buena mulattah. Small purple flowers turn into purple fruit which eventually turns to red. High yield. Loved my little pequins, they explode in uour mouth. Also high yield. Also great were Portuguese hot pepper. Duds/ low yield this year, probably because weather in Chicago was odd: Anaheim, Trinidad Scorpions.

[@PepperGeek]

We great one buena mulata over last winter, and one outside this summer! Great looking fruits, but weren't huge fans of the flavor. Still very cool to look at :)

[@mtndan6969]

I have 3 Bell peppers Just starting to flower in my grow tent. Two in one 3 gal fab and One in another 3 gal. I haven't topped or pruned anything since I am going 24/7 indoor ( I don't have outdoor to grow). I am growing in a mix I made of coco coir, Gaia green and worm castings. I am also growing tomatoes. Silly me let 3 grow in one 5 gal fab. Missed a watering (daily 1/2 to 1 gal) at some point an got end root on one plants first 4 fruit but the last two seem okay ad all the others in the other two in that pot look good. So I also dosed with calmag and molasses to be on the safe side. Ginger as well that I have companion growing with a jalap and 2 hungarian, these are just in the establishing stages. Everything but the jalap and hungarian (from a friend) are from the grocery store. :D

[@jobmen1992]

Great list you guys, excited to see which bell pepper comes up top this year! Had a lot of fun growing the Aurora pepper last year, super colorful and abundant harvest too! Such a cute little plant, suitable for indoor growing :) Not sure which varieties to start growing this year, which would be (on of the) tastiest peppers you've come across throughout the years? Cheers!

[@PepperGeek]

We mentioned two of them in this video actually, the Nardellos and Hatch Green Chiles are now on our list of favorites for flavor. If you're looking to go hotter, try any of the yellow C. chinense types such as Jamaican scotch bonnet, yellow nagabrains, MOA scotch bonnet, 7 pot primo orange - they all have a wonderful citrusy flavor that is great for making hot sauce

[@ronk4073]

I had trouble with rocoto production last year, few flowers until the end of the season, and no pods before the first frost. I suspected they had *too* much shade. This year I planted them with a range of shade, and the plant with the least shade was the most productive. A few ripe pods and tons of green ones by the end of the season. So however much the plants want cool temperatures, they need to get enough light to be productive. If I plant rocoto next year, I'll shift the location so they get at least as much sun as the most productive plant got this year.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for sharing - it definitely didn't get as much sun as other peppers, so next time we'll try the same 🤞

[@davidmiles533]

I live in Western NY and our best peppers this year were Jalapeño and Anaheim with baby bells not far behind.

[@CameronTucker-xp2qj]

I actually love the Pippin! It grew great here in SoCal and I didn't experience any issues growing or eating them. They were a favorite of my family as well, so I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience.

[@PepperGeek]

We still ate most of them ,but the skin was just unpalatable - sounds like others enjoyed their plants, so ours may have been an off-plant genetically

[@tomreppert1722]

The best bell peppers I've been able to grow in SE PA are New Ace. Very disease resistant, no sun blight, and quite productive for me. I did have issues with them getting top heavy and falling over though, so I am caging them this year.

[@sethkellas9144]

Were those Buena Mulatas to the far left in your cayenne round up shot? I've been growing those for about four years now and am in love with their productivity and flavor!

[@Angie-ep2ij]

Pippens Golden Honey was a disappointment for me the first year, but I am so happy that I gave them a second chance! I let them ripen longer this year, and once they turned orange they were delicious!

[@demsrchildabusers7959]

You ever try fish peppers? Variegated foliage and white/green striped fruit that ripens to red. Famous for being able to hide it in white sauces like cream sauces.

[@kevinloignon7943]

I'm the next state over in RI. I seem to have fairly decent results with rocotos, so keep trying. A few years ago I bought a number of different varieties and try to get new types every year. I have built up a decent seed bank. Some do grow better than others, but they have turned out to be my favorite hot pepper. I found the Aleppo and Targu Mures peppers are my go to for paprika.

[@PepperGeek]

Thanks for sharing - I want so badly to have a huge harvest of rocotos 😭

[@MsFresh619]

3 of my favourites this year were Komodo dragon, Peter Pepper Yellow and Scotch Bonnet. Next year looking for to growing the Sugar Rush Peach they look great

[@MsFresh619]

Thank you. I wanna make hot sauce and seasoning with it. Good luck with whatever you grow.

[@loganflaherty7096]

I've been growing several c. pubescens varieties in a similar climate to you with varying degrees of success. I've definitely had a couple that looked just like yours at the end of the season, but others right next to them thrive. I think it's just luck of the draw with the seeds. Maybe they have more variability than other species? I wish I had the space to grow out dozens of plants to test that because they're some of my favorite plants. For the ones I've grown that were a success, I grew them alongside all my chinense varieties and treated them similarly in terms of location, watering, fertilizing, etc... I guess the only advice I have is keep trying and you'll eventually get a good one? And when you do, definitely overwinter it because they really take off season 2 and beyond.

[@PepperGeek]

I’ve been disheartened by our results. Last year one of ours up and died in April, some type of disease. Then the surviving plants struggled all season. You’ve given a bit of hope, maybe we’ll try another few this year after all!

[@aurelienhermant2242]

You should try aji charapita, they have such a good flavor and produces a lot. It's really pretty

[@catherinegoodrich7241]

My Pippin peppers were the most productive and I didn't notice they were too hard. Out of the peppers I grew they were the best flavorful kind and I grew mine from seeds. The plants got huge compared to all the others, very productive especially towards the end. We ate them at each stage of growth they were softer at orange tho I do remember that much. Our bell peppers didn't do very well and my habanadas didn't grow fast enough to beat the frost but that was my fault. So far I had fun with some of the peppers I grew I was super disappointed my Ozarks were not very big :/

[@PepperGeek]

Just goes to show, your results may vary!

[@lonnieatk9120]

Agree on Pippin's Golden Honey. However it does make for a nice dried flakes.

[@InfiniteQuest86]

This was my first year doing Jimmy Nardellos. Man those are amazing. I'm definitely keeping them despite mostly loving hot peppers.

[@PepperGeek]

Agreed! They're just too delicious and grow so well that we can't not plant them again

[@petezahutt5174]

I grow sweat Alba peppers and Marconi this year they had tough skins I think because of the drought. my Aji orange Dulce were fine.

[@EnemyBikeCo]

On the topic of Rocoto peppers, the plants are super slow growing and live 10+ years. It will take at least 18 months to get a decent harvest from one plant. But if you can keep a rocoto alive multiple years, they grow to the size of a forsythia bush.

[@jasonpeters9934]

Yellow Monster Pepper from Baker Creek might interest you. I grew lemon spice this year in Central Indiana and I had absolutely no issues. They were also my favorite pepper this last year.

[@PepperGeek]

That's great - might have just been the climate this season, or the particular pest pressure we had

[@kenhughes009]

I tried the Goronong, and none of the seeds sprouted. But from the same company the Lesya is a great sweet pepper. Also I have an Aji Mango that looks like it will make 100 peppers. Thanks for the great videos and Aloha.

[@HyperactiveNeuron]

Great video. I definitely want to try to grow different peppers next year and plan to start sprouting soon. Just out of curiosity, the varieties that you didn't like or didn't produce well, do you think it could be soil difference and fertilizers? I know some varieties like a loose soil with sand and others like lots of "top" soil and others like loamy soil. I know fertilizer can greatly affect flavor and absolutely productivity.

[@PepperGeek]

In the case of the rocotos, yes it likely had to do with the environmental factors, but the other 2 disappointments were grown in the same field/conditions as some of our favorites, no different treatment (Pippin's and Yesil Tatli). Could have been an off-phenotype plant since we only had one of each going, but otherwise they were grown the same

[@EmpressG]

The Quintisho kinda looks like the Biquinho Sweet Chili pepper. That is one of my favourites. Got into it on my pizzas in the UK. Sweet with a very mild heat.

[@johnstilley5063]

Awesome! Which one of these would you recommend for a newbie growing indoors? I don't have a full grow closet, just an okay grow light and a good window.

[@PepperGeek]

If you want to try one of these, either the candy cane for sweet, or maybe the Quintisho for hot. Either would produce some fruits in a 2-3 gallon pot, or go larger if you want a bigger plant

[@user-nh9vl8gp7p]

The place to grow rocotos in the USA is the Bay area of San Francisco; it's a cool oceanic influenced climate - even during the summer....

[@MEAT_CANNON]

Speaking of, I have 3 Aji Charapita plants growing so far. From Kansas here.

[@user-my2lh3mt5d]

I love Poblano peppers, not sure of how many varieties there are. Drying them into Ancho, then making pepper sauce is great. Also, dried Ancho pepper and dried morita jalapenos (chipotles) are the star of the show in a pepper base i make every year to add to my world-famous chili!! Id love to see some vids on Poblano, Ancho, Morita, and even Pasilla Nego (another one that goes into making my chili base) THANKS!! 🌶 🌶

[@timavery3912]

Thanks for the review video; I've been sold on trying out the Cayennetta, since the taste-testing video you did, previously. My faves from this season were the Sugar Rush Peach (which we used to make an incredible, sweet-hot salsa, with actual peaches, red onion, and cilantro), and the Lemon Drop Peppers (basically, a compact, citrus fire, with a lingering pepper finish). Both excellent peppers, no pest or mildew issues, and both varieties were quite productive, for us, in Rochester, N.Y. Highly recommended!

[@PepperGeek]

Oh sugar rush peach peach salsa sounds SO good.

[@timavery3912]

@@PepperGeek It was an excellent balance of sweet heat. Definitely wort making, at some point!

[@montrealdan]

The Aloha pepper is the size of a Bell pepper with the colours and stripes of the Candy Cane pepper. My absolute favourite pepper of 2021 was the Fish pepper.

[@blasermann1994]

I just got some seeds from Obsessive Gardener that's called California love burn which is starracha hornet x ninfadora. Hopefully I'll get some variegated. The f1 didn't but he has 1 of the f2 that is variegated. I have it started now.

[@williamalexander6658]

I grew solar flare space chilis, this year. I thought the story behind the Chinese space chilis was pretty cool. Very nice pepper, pretty hot, and produced alot. In the 80s, the Chinese sent seeds into space. The result was larger, better tasting, and healthier plants.

[@PepperGeek]

We have yet to get our hands on any of the space chilies - one day for sure

[@BIGPROWLER]

My Rocotos fruit during winter here in New Zealand 4 -16 degress celsius... I find the heat very unpredictable from zero to day destroying SHU

[@Evil-Rod-Farva]

My favorites this year: Unknown New Mexico Variety - Seeds my grandfather got on a visit to the Hatch Valley in the early 90’s. I suspect they’re 6-4’s. Scotch Brain - Awesome look, production, and flavor. Thicker than most scotch bonnets which help with spoilage. Orange Thai - great pest resistance and heat tolerance. Makes killer sambal and stir fry dishes. My least favorites: Brazilian Starfish Red - Awesome size, yield, and aesthetics. To me the peppers taste like soap, which I’ve never experienced before. I’ve tried and tried to like this and can’t. Black Habanero - Beautiful plant that got very large and productive. Did not enjoy the flavor raw, but these make good chili flakes. One of the more violent habanero burns I’ve experienced. Note that these are the clavo cross and not a chocolate hab.

[@MaxFeken]

I'm in NC with alot of disease pressure. I tend to only grow F1 hybrids for big sweet peppers. For bell i've tried Johnny's X3R red knight which didn't work too well. I've had good luck with their Olympus (F1) but the early peppers take a while to mature; while huge they get some fungal spots and snails seemed to love them. Later season peppers were very tasty and clean. I'm trying Ninja next year which should ripen faster and have a broad disease resistance especially for bacterial spot. If you haven't tried a Corno di Toro sweet pepper i'd highly recommend Carmen (F1) - these i grow every year!

[@PepperGeek]

We have to try Carmen - one of our readers sent a picture of his *7 foot tall plant!* Here is the pic: peppergeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Carmen-sweet-pepper-plants-on-trellis-min.jpg.webp

[@Sharkdog11b]

I’m trying king of the north this year and lots of others of course

[@Grumpah]

Love the thumbnail, I too thought it was a Aji Charapita which I didn't get to germinate this year :( Excited to try again next year :D

[@PepperGeek]

They were very slow to germinate for us last year too. Took a lot of patience and re-misting with water to avoid them drying out

[@kimiyemlsmallgardendream8115]

I’ve had a Serrano pepper plant 7 years and it produces an abundance of hot flavorful peppers. I’m going to try hotter peppers but I don’t eat them, I make salsas and powders.

[@gp4708]

Jimmy nardellos are awesome, productive and easy, sweet peppers to grow.

[@wilddawgfarm]

As a pepper hoarder (300 pepper plants - over 60 varieties this year) I cant agree more! The Pippens are beautiful to watch their colors change, but they're meh. Grown them twice and will not be growing them again. I also will not be growing the fish pepper, the lemon drop pepper or the buena mulata. As for sweet, a new surprise for me this year was the ajvarski peppere which was amazing as well as the lesya pepper. Would love to see more content from the rest of your garden!

[@PepperGeek]

Yep, buena mulata was almost on this list as a disappointment, but the beautiful bright purples saved it. Underwhelming flavor in my opinion, and not as productive as other cayenne-types. I believe we grew the ajvarski 2 years ago, they were great! We will try to do more garden tour style videos next season. Would like to see your 300 plants too!

[@amandababineaux4441]

You should try the Whopper Bell Pepper and Whopper Jalapeño from Parkseed.

[@saturnative]

About that Ninfadora... Last season I had couple of plants of Aribibi Gusano and it looks just the same as the Ninfadora at the end. Verry little heat and sooooooo tasty... I used them for apple based sauce for my 6yrs old daughter who loves helping me out with chilies but don't like too much heat. Fruit looks exactly the same.

[@PepperGeek]

Strange - we grew aribibi gusano last season and they are more worm-shaped, and very hot!

[@saturnative]

@@PepperGeek Must be some mix-up or something. My seed shop misslabeled or some plants crossbreed. But the fruit looked identical. Almost White on one side and purple on other. So, what chilies would you recomend for children? Max taste and min heat?

[@brycelathrop1604]

My favorite pepper this year was Blott sweet peppers

[@adamgronvold8608]

I grew a full size bell pepper that has stripes on it last year. I can't remember the name but I know I bought it at Costco

[@merkox7857]

Goronong and Quintisho is also in plan, beside 72 other varieties.

[@russellmcbride1242]

Bummer you didn't like the Pippin. I love those peppers! So.... sweet! One of my favorites along with Charapitta. I had great luck with pippins.🤙

[@TheOmninovoi]

I loved the flavor of the Jimmy Nardello but was slightly bothered by their lack of crispiness... but they taste so great!

[@mongjedi244]

Chinese 5 Color are still my favorite all time. They're tasty and goegeous

[@SciaticaDrums]

I found an Asian Bell Pepper hybrid that produces like crazy and are really sweet even after freezing. I've been growing these for three years and LOVE them.

[@PepperGeek]

Very cool!

[@annehollier4632]

Is there a name?