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Need thick-fleshed, prolific pepper suggestion

B

Bigoledude

My own hot sauce has been a great success for my tastes and, some of my friends keep after me for more of my sauce. I have enough hot and super-hots planted to make drums-full of hot sauce. I'd like to pickle a lot more peppers and, I prefer the thick fleshed ones also for pickling. The Manzanos and Rocoto types would be perfect with the heat, flavor and thick flesh but, I've been reluctant to plant them because I hear that hate the heat. And, down here in this South Louisiana cauldron, we have hades heat and humidity!

What I need is some great tasting peppers that are not sooo hot but, that have thick flesh to provide me with plenty of bulk/substance so I can make more sauce. I use mango, apples, bananas, and lots of garlic but, to keep the pepper-flavor that I like so much, I need more pepper flesh.

Bell-type peppers have failed for two years running in our area. My back and my space constraints limit me to about a total 20-30 pepper plants, including the super-hots. That's why "prolific" is so important.

Please give me some suggestions for prolific, thick fleshed, can-take-the-heat plants. I know this is a tall-order but, it's what I need.
 
I have some red chilis that are a bit hotter than jalapenos, but not by much. They put out plenty of pods that ripen to red with a typical serrano/jalapeno flavor. Very thick flesh. Want some seeds? I have some pods that I've been drying that could serve you well. They are PERFECT for drying, btw.... and each one has tons of seeds, as is typical with that type of pepper.

I have a red chilis post in Pepper I.D. forum that has some pics if you wanna check it out.
 
RedtailForester; You probably know much better than me how many peppers it takes to make sauce. I created the problem to a certain degree by giving bottles away in the beginning, for friends to try.

We cook with peppers a lot and eat lots of fresh and roasted peppers. I know it sounds crazy, but me and the grandchildren go through about a gallon of pickled stuff every week. We pickle in each gallon, a combination of onions, garlic, carrots and whatever peppers we have. My 4 grown sons are pepper lovers to a lesser degree. So, yes we do use a lot of fruit. I'm glad I can grow them.

I have some 2 year-old seed of Congo Trinidad and, based on your advice, will now start some. I never knew they were thick-walled or prolific. I don't have any Scotch Bonnet seeds and, thought they were head-blowin hot. Shows-ta-go-ya! Thanks for the advice!

megahot; I often see those giant Yellow 7 Pot's here. They always flip me out with their size. I might have a trade happening for some of those soon. They'd have a spot for sure!

SanPatricio: I have just planted Tobago Seasoning, Bishop's Crown, Trinidad Perfume and Aji Dulce. Waiting to see what pops. The St. Lucia Seasoning seems to be hard to find nowadays.

Phil; Sounds good to me lil Bro! Do you need my address? What's the shape like?
 
Pickling, thick flesh , super early & prolific? Banana & Hungarian peppers, true workhorses. No need to wait for them to turn red, they are excellent when yellow. Mix them in with a couple of super-hots to jack up the heat level in the jar. They respond well to manure compost + ferts. I would try both types next year. In my experience with annuum peppers, the earliest types "tend" to be the most prolific.
 
Amazon Chile Roma is turning out to be a prolific mild Chinense for me, more so than the Tobago Seasoning. Only issue with them is the longer Chinense growing cycle. A good three or four weeks longer than Banana/Hungarian types, just got to start them earlier.
 
Average size:
 
8854530813_30b2eb02e9_b.jpg

 
some sun drying:
 
9386047188_be9cbc11dd_b.jpg

 
cut open to show thickness of the flesh:
 
9386050280_785de5e95b_b.jpg

 
Again, these are about 20K SHU, so they're not crazy hot. Not even as hot as a habanero or scotch bonnet [those are a couple of hundred thousand SHU]
 
These are maybe tabasco hot.
 
I should still have your address somewhere. I'll send you a couple of those dried ones. Should be full of seeds ready to go. They're not quite all the way dry yet, but close enough.
 
^^^ Phil, I found the thread you were referring to, Everything about those pics scream Serrano's, except the larger size and slightly longer ripening time.
 
Are the plants productive?
 
Imho, since it is Serrano-like, and jumbo sized, that's reason enough to hold onto seed for next year. Thick flesh, big enough to roast, right shape for pickling...
 
They are very similar to serrano in almost every aspect, except they're noticably hotter. And yep, they are very productive. I can't wait to see what they do next year. I plan on overwintering them. I will have plenty of seeds available, They grow to about 2 feet tall.

I'd be more than happy to share with anyone who wants some.
 
Phil; They are really large for a Serrano type. The thickness sure will help out with the sauce issue. I never grew Serranos before because they were always available and cheap at the supermarkets. The problem is, they don't always have them red/ripe. And, everyone here prefers them when ripe, regardless of how I am preparing them.

Is the flavor very similar to Serrano? Do you dry them in the sun? Any idea if they are a hybrid?
 
Phil said:
They are very similar to serrano in almost every aspect, except they're noticably hotter. And yep, they are very productive. I can't wait to see what they do next year. I plan on overwintering them. I will have plenty of seeds available, They grow to about 2 feet tall.

I'd be more than happy to share with anyone who wants some.
Click to expand...
 
I'd take you up on that---drop me a PM if you want.  They sound like a seriously useful pepper; I've given up planting serranos for the same reasons Bigoledude mentioned, but the sort of "turbo serrano" you described is something I'd change my mind for.
 
-NT
 
Bigoledude said:
Phil; They are really large for a Serrano type. The thickness sure will help out with the sauce issue. I never grew Serranos before because they were always available and cheap at the supermarkets. The problem is, they don't always have them red/ripe. And, everyone here prefers them when ripe, regardless of how I am preparing them.

Is the flavor very similar to Serrano? Do you dry them in the sun? Any idea if they are a hybrid?
Click to expand...
 
Yes, the flavor is similar to serrano/jalapeno. The heat is a bit higher, but not habanero hot. They do take awhile to ripen, but no longer than others. They go from green to almost black, to maroon, to bright red seen in the pictures. I do dry them in the sun partially. II like to start them off in my "hot house".... that's a name I just gave my outdoor utility shed. lol. It's very hot in there and helps start the dehydration quickly.  find that leaving them in the blazing sun while the flesh is still tender sunburns them and turns them white..... also effects their flavor. So I start them in the hot house and finish them in the sun. No clue iif they're a hybrid, but my gut says they are.
 
 
ntenny said:
 
I'd take you up on that---drop me a PM if you want.  They sound like a seriously useful pepper; I've given up planting serranos for the same reasons Bigoledude mentioned, but the sort of "turbo serrano" you described is something I'd change my mind for.
 
-NT
Click to expand...
 
Turbo serrano! I LIKE that! Sounds about right, too.... These pack a punch and make plenty of peppers. The only thing that ticks me off is that since they are still early in their first year, they make a ripe pod here and a ripe on there. Next year should be bountiful by bulk! I'd be glad to send you some seeds!
 
I second the trinidad seasoning suggestion if you're looking for a flavorful prolific thick-walled pepper. Tastes like a habanero but mild like a bell pepper and the pods are pretty decently sized. I'll grab a pic of mine tomorrow.
 
Finally remembered to get pics of that Trinidad seasoning for you:
 
Producing heavily even in full Texas sun & 100+ degree heat:
dD3riGT.jpg

 
Makes decent sized pods:
 
2CiLqt7.jpg

 
Not super-thick walls but the pods have a decent bit of weight to them. Really tasty too:
 
74HseRA.jpg
 
Bigoledude said:
I often see those giant Yellow 7 Pot's here. They always flip me out with their size. I might have a trade happening for some of those soon. They'd have a spot for sure!
 
 I don't have any Scotch Bonnet seeds and, thought they were head-blowin hot. Shows-ta-go-ya! Thanks for the advice!
 
Click to expand...
 
You ever had a yellow 7? If Scotch bonnets are head-blowin hot to you, you might have a rough time with yellow 7's. I grew both last year and they both have a great taste, yellow 7 is very fruity to me almost like pineapple and scotch bonnet fruity/citrusy. Pumpkin habaneros are pretty thick and  can be as big as yellow 7's but not nearly as hot. 
 
7 pot yellows are superhot! I think the suggestion of the Trinidad seasoning might be good. I'm not sure what you consider very hot. Jalapenos are thick and prolific. I know there are some hotter varieties out there that might be worth looking into. I make a lot of sauces with jalapenos for their flavor. Another good pepper imo is Scotch bonnets.
 
TXCG; Man, thanks for the photos! I was dying to know what they really looked like. The fact that they continue to produce in the heat makes this plant a great choice. Many of our peppers just shut down when the temps and humidity get high down here. Thanks!

Capt Poop; I never had a clue as to how hot a yellow 7 or Scotch Bonnet is. I meant to say that I had a preconceived notion that it was very hot. I use a few superhots to kick the heat up in my sauces and powders. I hardly use any in my pickling because the grandkids eat so much of my pickled stuff. In my gallon jugs of pickled stuff, I use mostly Jalapenos and a few Habaneros in with the carrots, onions and lots of garlic. I started waaay more superhots than we'll ever eat here. I should say I'll ever eat! Nobody else will touch them. YET!!

Silver_Surfer; I'm gonna do a search for them. Can you tell me a little about them? Can they take the heat? How big is the fruit and the plant?

Dulac; You are absolutely right! Jalapenos provide me with many of the needs for what I use peppers for. It's just fun to grow and eat all of the other varieties of peppers out there. I will have 6-8 Jalapeno plants. We all love them just about every way imaginable. I even started 2 of the Tam or Fooled-You for the lil ones. Are the Scotch Bonnets not as "super" hot? I might try and trade for some.

Edited due to stupidity and spelling!
 
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