• If you can't find a "Hot" category that fits, post it here!

First time trying Manzanos

Jubnat

Jubnat

So I went the the local Hispanic grocery store to get some cotija cheese...and when I saw they had some Manzanos, I had to get some.

FX2Kso1.jpg


They were just labeled "Manzano Hot Pepper."
I tasted a few slices and noticed no heat until I ate some of the placenta/membrane.
The flavor was a bit vegetal/grassy like a bell pepper, nice thick juicy flesh, but not much sweetness, and no real flavor...very watered down.

I wanted to save these seeds to try to grow later, but the flavor was so unimpressive that I don't plan on it. I'm hoping this is just some mass produced pepper with no flavor, but if I actually got the right seeds and grew them in some good soil, I would get some good tasting peppers.

I don't really know much about pubescens, is this normal? Or do I need to try some better expamles?
 
 I grew a manzano plant this year. It had orange fruit not the red I ordered. I like the taste of them but I only had five or so turn ripe so far. Freezing weather not far away here in neb. My plant needed some shade for blossoming and takes forever for the peppers to turn color. My wife brought me home some manzanos from the hispanic store also. They were about three times the size of mine and had just a little bit of heat. Not as good as mine and didn't look very fresh. I think you have to start these peppers early and get those blossoms going before the summer heat. 
 
Thanks for the replies.
I think I'll just have to order some seeds to grow out next year. Anyone have recommendations on some great pubescens varieties?
Hopefully I can get them to grow, it may get a little hotter down here than they like.
 
Check out AZ1000's, Comptine's, and Thegreenchilimonster's glogs...They grew alot of C.pubescens this year.
i think i read that Rocoto San Isidro is suppose to be hot.
I'm going to try my hand at a couple of yellows, Aji Oro and a yellow Rocoto from the Miraflores market in Peru (from Dale thegreenchilemonster)
They were just a little vegetal but there was a fruitiness there that I liked with a nice level of heat for me. (i wouldn't call myself a chilihead yet...)
 
2/4 of my pubes are fruiting right now. One is a rocoto and the other a manzano. I picked up the manzano from Juanito as a small plant so I'm not sure what color it will be. Hopefully I have enough time left in my season to ripen, if not I might throw it under some lights this winter. In fact I might just overwinter both of them under grow lights to give me a head start on next season. 
 
I just read something from a poster from Daves Garden who lives in San Francisco and leaves his outside year round and it tolerates the cold. So maybe I will roll the dice and leave mine outside for the winter and on the coldest nights just cover them since they are in containers. 
 
Jubnat said:
So I went the the local Hispanic grocery store to get some cotija cheese...and when I saw they had some Manzanos, I had to get some.
FX2Kso1.jpg

They were just labeled "Manzano Hot Pepper."
I tasted a few slices and noticed no heat until I ate some of the placenta/membrane.
The flavor was a bit vegetal/grassy like a bell pepper, nice thick juicy flesh, but not much sweetness, and no real flavor...very watered down.
I wanted to save these seeds to try to grow later, but the flavor was so unimpressive that I don't plan on it. I'm hoping this is just some mass produced pepper with no flavor, but if I actually got the right seeds and grew them in some good soil, I would get some good tasting peppers.
I don't really know much about pubescens, is this normal? Or do I need to try some better expamles?
Click to expand...

Home grown definitely taste better than store bought.
I see you're in Lafayette. If you went to the same Mexican grocery store I usually go to for manzano's I'm a bit surprised. The ones I've gotten from there have always had a decent flavour to them. Not as good as homegrown, but better than what you described.
 
Pubescens are some of my favorite peppers. As with any species of peppers, there are a few bland, non spicy Pubescens cultivars though. I particularly like most of the rocoto cultivars from Peru and Bolivia, due to the flavor and heat.

I haven't had much luck growing the Mexican manzanos in my area, due to the climate here, but I'm still able to get a handful of pods from them.

If you are looking for very heat resistent and tasty Pubescens, try out Guatemalan red rocoto, Red Mini Rocoto, Aji Oro, and Ecuadorian red rocoto. All of those can set pods in 90-95+ degrees no problem. Just make sure wherever they are planted, they get a few hours of shade during the day.
 
SavinaRed said:
2/4 of my pubes are fruiting right now. One is a rocoto and the other a manzano. I picked up the manzano from Juanito as a small plant so I'm not sure what color it will be. Hopefully I have enough time left in my season to ripen, if not I might throw it under some lights this winter. In fact I might just overwinter both of them under grow lights to give me a head start on next season. 
 
I just read something from a poster from Daves Garden who lives in San Francisco and leaves his outside year round and it tolerates the cold. So maybe I will roll the dice and leave mine outside for the winter and on the coldest nights just cover them since they are in containers. 
Click to expand...
 
Mine usually ripen pods right thru jan. and feb. in Sonoma. If and when we have a hard freeze, they go under my porch awning up against the house or as close to, as possible. I think you'll be surprised how much they don't mind the cold as long as its not freezing. SF has a micro climate that almost never freezes, I wouldn't be surprised if the poster doesn't  need to cover at all in winter. Just be sure to protect on nights under 33f and from overwatering when it rains heavy and you'll be fine.
 
Good luck SR!! I hope you gets lots of pube pods this winter.  :P
 
hogleg said:
 
Mine usually ripen pods right thru jan. and feb. in Sonoma. If and when we have a hard freeze, they go under my porch awning up against the house or as close to, as possible. I think you'll be surprised how much they don't mind the cold as long as its not freezing. SF has a micro climate that almost never freezes, I wouldn't be surprised if the poster doesn't  need to cover at all in winter. Just be sure to protect on nights under 33f and from overwatering when it rains heavy and you'll be fine.
 
Good luck SR!! I hope you gets lots of pube pods this winter.  :P
Click to expand...
 
Thanks bro I have a covered porch in the backyard that shelters from the winds so it will be the perfect spot for my rocoto and manzano.
 
MeatHead1313 said:
Home grown definitely taste better than store bought.
I see you're in Lafayette. If you went to the same Mexican grocery store I usually go to for manzano's I'm a bit surprised. The ones I've gotten from there have always had a decent flavour to them. Not as good as homegrown, but better than what you described.
Click to expand...
I got them at El Ranchito on Cameron St. I can't remember what peppers they had at La Morenita, but they seem to have a decent produce section. I need to check there again.

And thanks for the recommendations, all. I'll be ordering some seeds for next year.
 
Jubnat said:
I got them at El Ranchito on Cameron St. I can't remember what peppers they had at La Morenita, but they seem to have a decent produce section. I need to check there again.
And thanks for the recommendations, all. I'll be ordering some seeds for next year.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried El Ranchito yet. I always go to La Morenita. They always have yellow manzano's when I go, and occasionally reds as well. They can be a bit hit and miss on quality though. A few times I've gone and they've only had a handful of good pods and the rest were starting to rot, but thankfully most times they've all been good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top