NJChilehead's Semi-Retroactive Rocoto-Heavy GLOG 2024

This past season was too good to not have at least started a GLOG! A little late in the game for 2024, but here goes!

In the fall of 2023, I decided to break out of my old habits of growing the same C. chinense types (which I've been growing for over 10 years) and rotate in some Hungarian Wax Peppers for pickled banana pepper rings (my son loves them) and also some Sugar Rush Peach just to get the C. baccatum back into the rotation after not growing them since growing some back in about 2015. I also wanted to try the Yellow Scotch Brains after reading so much good stuff about it, plus save seeds from my original Trinidad Scorpion seed line (that I shared with Butch T and eventually went on to win the Guinness Book of World Records). My original list looked like this:

Hot Sunset Hybrid (banana pepper type)
Shishito
Sugar Rush Peach
Antillais Caribbean Habanero
Caribbean Red Habanero
Jamaican Hot Chocolate
Yellow Scotch Brains
Yellow Scotch Bonnet (Baker Creek) (2 plants)
Scotch Bonnet, Big Sun (failed)
Trinidad Scorpion

After looking this over, I felt that something was missing. I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, and it dawned on me that maybe I should try to grow some C. pubescens. I remember years ago how people would throw their hands up in frustration with them, and looking back over my notes in 2005, I actually did try to grow them and failed. So I made this thread: https://thehotpepper.com/threads/questions-about-growing-c-pubescens.77436/

With thanks to the generosity of quite a few members on there sharing tidbits, I came up with a loose plan to try to grow a C. pubescens. My endeavor was to grow them and get to taste at least one ripe fruit from it. I figured if I could do that, I'd call it successful. Worst that could happen? I fail and learn.

Following @CaneDog 's recommendation of looking into Semillas La Palma as a source, I ordered Rocoto Turbo, Rocoto de Seda, and Ecuadorian Red Pepper from Hell. I figured since so many issues arise with germinating them, I would hope for the best and just grow the ones that germinated.

On March 12th, I started pepper seeds for the 13 varieties using the paper towel method of seed starting. By March 22nd, all types had germinated, including all three Rocoto types, which surprised me. To be continued! (attached pic for GLOG cover).

 

[MarcV]

(double post)

 

[NJChilehead]

Seeing these pictures make me want to give rocotos another try! I have very little experience with rocotos myself... had a beautiful plant growing once with lots of pods on it. The thing was... the (large) pot it was growing in was on a table. At some point the plant got out of balance and the pot tipped over and fell on the ground, which broke the stem at soil level didn't get to tasting any pods...

Do it! After so many years of growing almost strictly annuums and chinenses, these are a really interesting change and an enjoyable challenge. I'm as excited about these as I was about the other ones when I first started growing. It's funny because I have no idea what they taste like yet, it would be quite ironic if I didn't like the taste of them, but just about everyone speaks highly of their taste and versatility. I'll have seeds at the end of the season, although I don't know if I'll have isolated seeds. If you're willing to take a chance on some crosses, I'd be happy to send some seeds your way! What kind of Rocoto were you growing?

 

[MarcV]

Do it! After so many years of growing almost strictly annuums and chinenses, these are a really interesting change and an enjoyable challenge. I'm as excited about these as I was about the other ones when I first started growing. It's funny because I have no idea what they taste like yet, it would be quite ironic if I didn't like the taste of them, but just about everyone speaks highly of their taste and versatility. I'll have seeds at the end of the season, although I don't know if I'll have isolated seeds. If you're willing to take a chance on some crosses, I'd be happy to send some seeds your way! What kind of Rocoto were you growing?

I believe it was a yellow rocoto, grown in the 2021 season. I believe seeds came from THSC. And now that I'm thinking of it... I did grow a red rocoto also but don't remember what season that was in. Seeds came also from THSC and I did get to taste a couple of ripe pods from that one but it's too long ago to remember what they were like...

Anyway, I'm already full for the 2025 season but I'd love to hear your experiences and preference

 

[NJChilehead]

Crazy week this week so not too much to report, but I did get a few ripe Ecuadorian Red Pepper FH fruit to try. My wife made some poppers with those and a few jalapenos that were given to us by a friend. I'll do a more comprehensive review on what I grew this year later, but I do want to say that these were delicious, and HOT! It was a neat experience because of how juicy they were. The burn wasn't localized, it felt more like my tongue had been carpet bombed with capsaicinoids. Regarding the flavor, I cleared my mind of any expectations beforehand, but comparing what I've experienced to what I've read, I'm wondering if these need to be riper to get the full flavor from them. They tasted like a nice, sweet bell pepper but I didn't really get any fruitiness or tomato-ey taste in there as described by others. I'll try ripening a little more to see if that further develops any more undertones. Still, a very nice pepper, prolific, not too hard to grow and definitely something to keep in my rotation over the years!

Rocoto (and Jalapeno) Poppers with cream cheese and bacon!

 

[CaneDog]

Nice. Those pods look great. I'm sure the poppers were hot!

 

[NJChilehead]

Keeping everyone posted on the progress! The harvests of the in-ground annuums, baccatums and chinenses has slowed to a crawl. With two light frosts setting them back, and rollercoaster temperatures slowing them down, it's definitely the end-of-season for them. I might get a few more here or there before a big freeze comes in and kills them off, but the in-grounds are nearing the end. The carnivorous plants are still maintaining, despite a few frosts and a historic drought. Sarracenia leucophylla is particularly stunning at this time of the year, because this is the time of year when its pitchers mature. Here are three deadly but beautiful traps of S. leucophylla.

Meanwhile, the pubescens are starting to ripen multiple fruit at one time. The Ecuadoridan Red Pepper from Hell is absolutely lovely while dripping with red chiles. My younger son (age 13) has fallen in love with this one, I think he likes saying the name, but he refers to it frequently. He also loves the poppers that we made from it a few weeks ago (more on this in a minute). He's excited about overwintering this one and getting a beast of a plant from it. I am too.

The de Seda and Turbo are starting to ripen now as well, 2 and 3 at a time.

Rocoto Turbo:

Rocoto de Seda, almost there!

We've decided to do some taste tests with them. We're currently more particular to preparations with the peppers vs. eating them raw, so I thought my first go-round with all three types could be with some poppers. Here is a pic of them cut in half on the tray, I removed the seeds and placenta and stuffed them with a mix of cream and cheddar cheeses with garlic powder, a hint of black pepper, and bacon on top. A preliminary taste test of the three was interesting, because there wasn't much difference between the Turbo and the de Seda as far as flavor. Ecuadorian Red PFH was a standout, it was the best tasting one according to all 4 of us in the family. Ecuadorian Red PFH on left, de Seda in center, Turbo on right.

I will do a more in-depth taste review of these as well as the others that I grew at a later time. In the meantime, we're going to do a pickling test with the 3 Rocotos and also try them in a few other preparations, as well as trying them raw in a salad. I will say that I'm not picking up heavy fruitiness in the ones that I've sampled raw so far, only a nice bell pepper flavor, so perhaps I need to let them ripen further? They are completely ripe as far as color, but does the flavor deepen as they ripen more? Interested in that feedback from experienced growers! Thanks for reading!

 

[NJChilehead]

The garden has been taken down, the frosty nights are here, and all of my annuums, chinenses and baccatums are gone. The pubescens are still ripening fruit left and right, and are even flowering and setting fruit despite it being in the low 50's during the day. They are shuffled into a garage at night and protected from frost.

I've always loved the movie Into the Wild, for the scenery, soundtrack, and for the philosophy. One of the lines in the movie that stuck with the the most was when Christopher McCandless wrote in his journal that "...happiness is not real unless shared". This year I've had the opportunity to share some new jellies and pickles with people, some fresh Rocotos with other spicy food afficianados who hadn't yet had them, and sharing bags of Rocotos with people whose culinary lineage includes the use of them but they are not accessible fresh in the area. Seeing people's faces light up really brings a lot of meaning to this hobby. I'll be closing out this year with a review of what I grew soon, which I may post in a separate thread or may just post here. Until then, thanks for reading and I'll start a new GLOG in January!

A bowl of Rocoto eye candy for the road!