Rocoto relleno: de la semilla a la mesa

I recently received a most generous gift of seeds from our friend CaneDog.  Thanks CaneDog!  Included were some Rocoto Arequipa Giant Red seeds which I now have in my little germinator.  I mean to grow some nice large pods and cook up some Rocoto relleno; this glog will document the process, the ups and downs, and will end with my ultimate success or failure in the attempt.  This photo is my inspiration at the start.  It looks absolutely delicious and I hope to produce something similar in the end.  I will be looking for and mulling over ideas for recipes for the stuffed peppers themselves, accompaniments, and general information on Peruvian cooking and cuisine along the way.
 

 
 
The plan is to provide the plant a swing in temperatures between day and night as I am able by moving it inside and outside - I'd bring it in for cool air-conditioned nights in the summer and take it outside to spend the night in the chillier months.  I've had good results overall with Kratky and can't remember having seen any Kratky pubes, so I'll be going with a jar for this.  I picked up this 135oz pickling jar a couple days ago.  Next steps will be removing the wire, painting the jar black, and 3D printing an adapter collar to fit the net cup to the jar.
 

 
 
Here's the model of the jar collar.  I'll have the printed object soon.  I can have these made iteratively as necessary to dial in the fit, but I have high hopes for the first one.
 

  
 
 
 
Any and all comments or criticisms are very welcome and I thank you all most warmly for having me and schooling me and reading my noodlings!

 

[Uncle Eckley]

Lots are set, I've counted four growing. The plant seems to be hitting its stride. 
 

 

[HeatMiser]

Awesome!
 
That should be enough for a meal for a couple of people if you're going to stuff them... This glog caught my eye since my wife likes to make stuffed bell peppers similar to the ones you posted, I wouldn't mind adding a bit of heat to them, I think we'd love them even more.

 

[Uncle Eckley]

They might do, but I'm hoping for a bunch more. 

 

[CaneDog]

They might do, but I'm hoping for a bunch more. 

 
No reason to take your foot off the gas now! 

 

[Uncle Eckley]

 
No reason to take your foot off the gas now! 

 
Hell no!  I may be firing on fewer cylinders this year, but it's still pedal to the metal! 

 

[skullbiker]

 
Hell no!  I may be firing on fewer cylinders this year, but it's still pedal to the metal! 

Since we are dealing with plants, maybe it should be PETAL to the metal!

 

[Uncle Eckley]

This pod is the largest on the plant, about the size of an egg. Three others are a little better than half this size. Everything else has dropped so far. 

 

[Uncle Eckley]

Still getting lots of new growth and flowers, but no pods setting. I can't seem to make this guy happy, dunno what his deal is. Leaves are sort of cupped. Growing well, will see what he does.

 
I've still got the four pods growing. The large one in the foreground is just smaller than a billiard ball now.

.

 

[Uncle Eckley]

Found two more pods growing yesterday afternoon.

 

[Uncle Eckley]

I'm finding more and more pods growing lately.
 
New guy

 
 
This one's still growing

 

 

[Uncle Eckley]

The jar wasn't cutting it anymore. They'll have to be for indoor use only. 

 

[PtMD989]

Dang, that’s impressive [emoji106][emoji16].


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[Uncle Eckley]

¡Estamos cambiando de colores!
 

 
.

 

[ahayastani]

Make me feeling hungry

 

[Uncle Eckley]

Going to have to give up on rocoto relleno for now, I'm afraid. They just wouldn't ripen; conditions are too poor, I guess.   I left them on the plant so long hoping they'd ripen that they're wrinkling. The plant is just a mess. Will have to come up with a new strategy for growing these guys. The heat index has been over 100° here for a solid month. Hotter every year. 

 

[Tybo]

Going to have to give up on rocoto relleno for now, I'm afraid. They just wouldn't ripen; conditions are too poor, I guess.   I left them on the plant so long hoping they'd ripen that they're wrinkling. The plant is just a mess. Will have to come up with a new strategy for growing these guys. The heat index has been over 100° here for a solid month. Hotter every year. 
 

 
Sorry to hear about the relieno plans.  My rocotos have been suffering also so I put a shade cloth above them and they don't seem to droop as bad now.  
It has been a long hot spell here in VA.  Looks like at least another week of it coming up.  
I've heard that the rocotos don't like this hot humid weather but then see SkullBiker in Florida growing bumper crops and the weather there is, well, Florida!
Hopefully they'll acclimate and give you enough for that relieno.

 

[ahayastani]

 
Sorry to hear about the relieno plans.  My rocotos have been suffering also so I put a shade cloth above them and they don't seem to droop as bad now.  
It has been a long hot spell here in VA.  Looks like at least another week of it coming up.  
I've heard that the rocotos don't like this hot humid weather but then see SkullBiker in Florida growing bumper crops and the weather there is, well, Florida!
Hopefully they'll acclimate and give you enough for that relieno.

 
Perhaps the problem is the (sudden?) change of weather? 

 

[Siv]

I've been struggling this year without a single pod setting. I used to think growing pubes is witchcraft but now I know that it's relatively easy to grow the plant but getting them to fruit requires supernatural skills.

 

[Uncle Eckley]

I've been struggling this year without a single pod setting. I used to think growing pubes is witchcraft but now I know that it's relatively easy to grow the plant but getting them to fruit requires supernatural skills.

 
I've certainly been humbled.  Got cocky, I guess.