When and why you started growing peppers

[luvmesump3pp3rz]

i`ve been growing tomatoes for about 35 years. way back in my early days i bought a couple of bell pepper plants and 1 jalapeno and the bells only produced 3 or 4 peppers each. pitiful production i thought. the jalapeno however popped out many pods but i had no experience eating spicy foods. i found them too hot to eat and gave them to some mexican neighbors just to pass them on. cut to the last five or ten years where i discovered buffalo wings, salsa and nachos and realized i love hot and spicy food. about 4 years ago while buying tomato seedlings i picked up a jalapeno. scarfed them down and the next year had 5 plants. following year 10 plants. now this year i have 14 plants going now with 3 more plants on the way from a member here. all my peppers are grown in containers. this year i expanded on the types of peppers i`m growing with some superhots. 

 

[kayjay]

"Because I want to!" is a good enough reason, if you really need a reason to grow peppers.
 

 
Thanks for this piece of wisdom; it makes me feel better about my slight hoarding tendencies.  
 
So, when did I start? I guess around 2007 when I lived in a house and first tried veggie gardening. The yard was too shady, though, and my container Jalapenos did the best out of everything I attempted. I restarted in 2014 after a few years in a basement apartment. I have my own little yard now with more sun.
 
Why? Because they're fairly easy, critter-proof (at least in my area) and low maintenance. Who doesn't want success? 

 

[Kennylay]

Ive grown since before i can remember with my mother, but it was never "pepper growing" as it is now.   My first solo grows were solely marijuana.  Marijuana was stolen yearly, so i gave up on that. I got tired of growing stuff that didnt light peoples eyes up(jalapenos and tomatoes get hard to even give away.) and started to grow less and less yearly  Then ed curry comes along, reaper catches my eye, and here we are a year later, growing more superhots than my entire town can eat.

 

[ThePickler]

My interest in peppers started a few years ago, it (maybe just gardening in particular) was a distraction from some problems I was dealing with.  I needed a new hobby as I had lost interest in my previous ones.  I started with a raised bed as just something to do.  A neighbor took me out to an organic farm outside of town for free compost.  I had some habs, a few reapers that never took off, and a scorpion plant.  I only ever got a few peppers, but it was a good distraction anyways.  I enjoyed learning about the plants and liked how many varieties there were.  Each day I'd like to come home and putter around, see what was new and maybe pick a few things.   
 
Peppers are my main interest still (tomatoes are a #2 as far as things to grow) but it seems like gardening has become my new 'main' hobby.  It used to be cycling and climbing, but it seems that I've slowed down a bit.
 
I hope to learn more about hydro as our growing season is short here in MT, and to get more into taking care of our soil to encourage good yields.  
 
Thanks 
 
edit:  My coworkers really like hot sauce and spicy foods.  In addition, its a fun thing to share (gardening - the produce grown and how the gardens are doing) with other people.  There's always something to talk about.