This homegrown vegetable comes in a wide range of colors and flavors

They’re sweet, they’re hot, they’re the coolest things around. I’m talking peppers. Big peppers, small peppers, red, orange, purple, yellow and, of course, green.

With so many kinds of peppers on the market, you might be surprised to learn that all domestic culinary peppers are variations on a theme. All are Capsicum anuum, an annual in the nightshade family, which also includes tomatoes, eggplant, potato and tomatillo. Capsicum anuum is thought to have originated in South America. Columbus took peppers when he returned to Spain. From there, they spread worldwide.

As with most edibles that have a long history of human use, every culture and region selects for its own “types” or styles of peppers: sweet bells, hot peppers, Asian peppers, Italian peppers, and so on.

When it comes to hot peppers, the heat comes from a compound called capsaicin, which stimulates nerve endings in skin and mucous membranes (in your nose, eyes, mouth, etc.). Around 1912, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville devised a scale to rate the heat of different peppers that we know as the “Scoville Scale.”

The scale ranges from bell peppers on the bottom (mild) end, to law-enforcement-grade pepper spray at the hot end. Not all hot peppers are hot, however. Their heat depends in part on your garden conditions: soil, climate, etc.

Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of peppers, some for Organic Gardening magazine, some just for myself. Here are some of my favorites:

Hot peppers

‘Spanish Padron’ are wonderful little peppers harvested both green and red. Red are slightly sweeter but still have a bit of a bite. Plants are extremely prolific. Try these sautéed in olive oil and garlic, with a glass of red wine on the side.

‘Gusto Purple’ peppers are narrow but only 2 or 3 inches long, yet deep purple when ripe and incredibly productive. They’re surprisingly hot. Excellent for adding heat to salsas and other foods.

‘Fish’ peppers are African-American hybrids with beautiful variegated leaves and even more beautiful variegated fruits with an odd pattern of being hot in some spots, not in others Plants are super productive.

‘Mustard Habanero’ peppers are HOT. Really hot. Ripe peppers are small — just a few inches tall — but multicolored in shades of yellow to orange. Plants are only a foot tall but very productive.

Sweet peppers

‘Flamingo’ are “wow!” peppers. Wait until fruits are yellow before you harvest, then get ready for wonderful, crisp, sweet peppers with the characteristic pepper taste.

‘Roumanian Rainbow’ heirloom peppers are sweet and colorful when ripe. Bells are 4 to 5 inches long and golden yellow to orangy red. Very sweet, very productive.

‘Cajun Belle’ look like miniature bell peppers and are pop-in-your-mouth good. Ripe Cajun Belles are orangy red and have just a touch of heat. Great little peppers.

‘Pritavit’ is a deep red, boxy and very lobed fruit that has excellent, rich flavor. Peppers are 2 inches tall by 4 inches broad. Great for roasting; they keep their texture even when roasted. Plants are moderately prolific.


