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chinense I'm confused about the Datil pepper

From my understanding, and even back in Andrews first book, the "truest" Datil is the second pic from the OP, that pointy one. Now, like all of us, I don't know for sure. I grew some in 2014 and they looked like the dimple bottoms. Even the image in Chasing Chiles (great book about tracking down heirlooms) is that smooth pod. If I had to be subjective I'd say that the pointy c. Chinense is what I would prefer to grow.

Now that I read this before I post it I am no help whatsoever. 🌶️
 
Pulled a handful of pods off my outdoor Pure Florida datil today - shout out to tybo, who shared his seeds with me. It's a small plant so I won't get much from it but I tried a pod and the flavor was dead-on for me. I have an indoor PF datil too, which is just starting to bloom, so hopefully more pods and confirmed true isolated seeds for next season from that one.

Pure Florida datil
20230924 PFDatil.jpg
 
My "datil" seeds turned out to be early jalapeno seeds. Will have to order some from the Pure Florida link that was posted.
 
Well finally, my "datils" ripened. But I am confident I don't have legit datils. I cut one open - nothing coming close to a Chinense aroma. It was more green/vegetal - what I would expect from an Annuum. The taste: there was heat around 50K-60K SHU but within a minute or so there was no trace of heat. There really was no other taste. Whatever this is, I won't be growing it again next year.
Datils maybe.jpg
 
This year, I grew datils both from a lineage I got while on a trip back to St. Augustine and the Baker Creek free datils. My experience was that the Baker Creek datils were better than I had feared, definitely worth using in hot sauces, but I'm going to stick with my true datils. The Baker Creek datils were about as hot as the true datils and tasted similar, but nothing that would make me give up garden space for them next year.
 
I ended up decided that the flavor from my Datil peppers is typical chinense.

The flavor does not strike me as
better or highly unique compared to other chinense varieties.

The pods are small, full of seeds, and they are lot of work to pick and process. I enjoyed growing, but I will not grow Datil peppers again.
 
Bou said:
Hey @Grass Snake any update on your quest to find the best Datil?
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I never did get Datil peppers to make any comparisons. I started these plants way too late in the season. By the time the plants were big enough to start flowering the Texas heat had already set in not allowing them to set any fruit. The Ebay Datil did try hard and set 1 decent pod but then something came and ate it. The quest will continue into the 2024 season.
 
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Grass Snake said:
I never did get Datil peppers to make any comparisons. I started these plants way too late in the season. By the time the plants were big enough to start flowering the Texas heat had already set in not allowing them to set any fruit. The Ebay Datil did try hard and set 1 decent pod but then something came and ate it. The quest will continue into the 2024 season.
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It's a shame... Let's hope for better weather conditions next season🤞
 
My first time growing Datils in 2019 were from Baker Creek and most peppers had the blunt tip (seen here on the bottom left.
49069886492_2a71de100a_c.jpg


Grown again in 2020 - blunt
50196252991_4ac824b98e_c.jpg


In 2021, I had a bunch of volunteer Datil-esque pop up but these were all red over three or four plants. Other than the colour, they looked and tasted just like the orange ones I had. Since I only had orange seeds, the fact that the second generation were red tells me that they may be an unstable cross.
51715640966_7fe5a12e71_c.jpg
 
Siv said:
My first time growing Datils in 2019 were from Baker Creek and most peppers had the blunt tip (seen here on the bottom left.
49069886492_2a71de100a_c.jpg


Grown again in 2020 - blunt
50196252991_4ac824b98e_c.jpg


In 2021, I had a bunch of volunteer Datil-esque pop up but these were all red over three or four plants. Other than the colour, they looked and tasted just like the orange ones I had. Since I only had orange seeds, the fact that the second generation were red tells me that they may be an unstable cross.
51715640966_7fe5a12e71_c.jpg
Click to expand...
Funny you should mention that...
I had the same thing happen to me. I saved seeds from datils I grew from Baker Creek and the next generation peppers were red and smaller. Cant be a cross because the only other peppers around them were pubes.
 
Hello, I found this thread through Google while researching why my Baker Creek datils looked different than others online.

I couldn't find if anyone had actually just contacted them, so I did, and got a prompt response.

Hi XXXX, thanks for reaching out. You're not wrong: our Datil seems to be a bit different from other types with the same name. We got our original line from a Florida grower nearly fifteen years ago. We feel confident that that ours is a correct type, and we attribute the variation to variations in the preservation of this variety, which has been keep for many years by a number of individual growers and small commercial farms.
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That more or less agrees with the more charitable explanations in this thread.

Anyone who has tried both types -- worth it to order seeds for a "true" non-Baker Creek datil? I am pretty sure I'll do it.
 
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LOUDPACK_MASTERCHEF said:
Hello, I found this thread through Google while researching why my Baker Creek datils looked different than others online.

I couldn't find if anyone had actually just contacted them, so I did, and got a prompt response.



That more or less agrees with the more charitable explanations in this thread.

Anyone who has tried both types -- worth it to order seeds for a "true" non-Baker Creek datil? I am pretty sure I'll do it.
Click to expand...

Man I love this part: "We got our original line from a Florida grower nearly fifteen years ago. We feel confident that that ours is a correct type"

1701265865233.png
 
We enjoyed growing the Free Baker Creek Datil seed, the plant was stocky & loaded with pods.
Flavor :hot:heat range :hot:I get more flavor from a Rayado & they are really :hot:
Will not grow the BC datil again. Maybe I will try some real Datil's from Fla someday.

1701273572805.png
 
LOUDPACK_MASTERCHEF said:
I find the explanation totally plausible, but I do think it would be a bit more honest if they called it the "Baker Creek Datil" or named it after the farm they got it from or something. Either way, I appreciated the prompt and earnest reply.
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Maybe... but as this community is already plagued with renames thus making it harder, if not impossible, to track things back changing the name won't help! If they care, they really should go back to their notes, investigate, see from who they got their seeds in the first place and compare if what they are selling now is still looking like what it used to be/should be. Their pods don't look much like other so called Florida Datil out there but at the same time, the shape varies a lot between sellers, adding to the confusion! According to most of those who have grown it and shared in this thread, the taste also seems a bit off. This BC Datil may be as good or superior to real Datil (a matter of personal preference here) but is it the real deal? I don't believe so🤷‍♂️
 
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Bou said:
Maybe... but as this community is already plagued with renames thus making it harder, if not impossible, to track things back changing the name won't help! If they care, they really should go back to their notes, investigate, see from who they got their seeds in the first place and compare if what they are selling now is still looking like what it used to be/should be. Their pods don't look much like other so called Florida Datil out there but at the same time, the shape varies a lot between sellers, adding to the confusion! According to most of those who have grown it and shared it in this thread, the taste also seems a bit off too. This BC Datil may be as good or superior to real Datil (a matter of personal preference here) but is it the real deal? I don't believe so🤷‍♂️
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Yea I agree with you. I will order seeds from another supplier to grow next year and see how they come out
 
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