Hey all! After reading all your posts and soaking up your enthusiasm for hot chiles, I've decided that next year is the time I'm going to grow some Baccatums. The first thing I look for in any chile is the taste, so I was wondering what you all would consider the best tasting of this variety. I don't have a lot of storage space, so I'll probably dry and powder the bulk of the harvest. Which Baccatum varieties taste good both fresh and dried? My second concern is that I live in Zone 5a, and have a roughly 120 day growing season. Sometimes we get more, but we can't ever count on that. I can start seeds ahead in my basement, but it's a pretty constant 50 degrees f down there unless I turn on an expensive electric heater. Cool temperature germination and growth would be a big plus for me. Thanks to all who chime in! Cheers
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baccatum What is your best tasting Baccatum?
- Thread starter stickman
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Hello, Well I overwintered 3 Aji Limons 2 were killed by Spider Mites. My Aji Colorado and Bishops Hats and Guyana survived. My Colorado and Guyana are now proflic and the Bishop Hat is starting to flower. I had 5 or 6 Bishops Hats out of 8 go dorment and are growing very nicely. The Colorado was wonderful in Balsamic Vinegar. The Bishop Hats will be the only pepper we will use for poppers. The Limons I kinda just snacked on doing garden chores. They all smoke very well. I did not get enough of the Guyanas to be objective.
Mites suck. My Aji Limons and Guyanas are pumping out the flowers now...
I enjoy a wide variety of baccatums. However, my favs are probably the Kaleidoscope for sweetness, the Aji Omnicolor for all-purpose snacking and salsa, and the Criolla Sella for drying and sheer volume. I am growing others, and still experimenting, but these are particularly rewarding in their respective categories, IMO.
Have fun with them, they are definitely different than the other two major species.
Have fun with them, they are definitely different than the other two major species.
I heard about the Criolla Sella from a commercial grower in the PacNW, and they say it grows well in cool temps, very tasty citrus flavor and they agree with you on volume and drying. How does the Aji Omnicolor compare to it for flavor? Can anybody speak about the Aji Colorado and Aji Amarillo?
In my limited experience, Aji Omnicolor is king. It has a sweet, crunchy juiciness to it like you're biting into a celery stick (minus the celery flavor, of course). Quite hot as well. Not a good drying pod, though. Best fresh. Killer salsa maker.
Hi Kevin, could you please expand on that a little? What do you like about the flavor of these chiles? Do they grow well in cool conditions? Are they best used fresh or dried? Thanks!I absolutely love Yellow Bouquet!
But I think the Inca Red Drop may be a tie because of its heat level!
Kevin
Thanks Eephus Man! that's quite helpful.
I love having Aji Amarillo as it makes for an excellent condiment. Very unique flavor and a must if you want to try Peruvian food.
I'm also growing Aji Habaneros, which are similar to the Criolla Sella, with a nice crisp texture and the typical baccatum floral/fruity aroma and flavor. Can't really compare it to other varieties as I haven't done many baccatums...
Sure Stickman!
The Yellow Bouquet looks like an Aji Limon, but tastes and smells very different!
It has a very floral smell and a sweetness that seems to linger in your nose!
I love em fresh but used them dry in my Yummy Yellow powder! It was Yellow Bhuts, Yellow 7's and Yellow Bouquet.
It really made the powder!!
The Inca's I grew had a great baccatum crispness, with alot of heat!
The bush grew compact, but they may be the hottest Baccs I have tried!
Kevin
Thanks Kevin, I appreciate it!Sure Stickman!
The Yellow Bouquet looks like an Aji Limon, but tastes and smells very different!
It has a very floral smell and a sweetness that seems to linger in your nose!
I love em fresh but used them dry in my Yummy Yellow powder! It was Yellow Bhuts, Yellow 7's and Yellow Bouquet.
It really made the powder!!
The Inca's I grew had a great baccatum crispness, with alot of heat!
The bush grew compact, but they may be the hottest Baccs I have tried!
Kevin
Hi Dan, What did you like about the flavor of the Aji Colorado and the Bishop's Hat peppers? Are they hot? sweet? crunchy? fruity? It looks like the Aji Colorado might have the shortest growing season of the Baccatums but I don't know if it's worth it to grow here if it doesn't taste good. Thanks
Hello, I found the Colorado to be sweet ocassionally a 2 heat perhaps. I would pick them in the Am dice it and marinate in Balasmic for salads that night. Seemed better paired with Balsamic and garden fresh tomato than cooking. The Bishop Hats were medium hot. We ended up using as a Goat Cheese stuffed popper as they ballance upright ! . The Aji Limons very hot and I snacked on them while gardening. I will try them in Ceviche as they have a slight citrus hint on the pallet. All smoked and dehydrated very well.During the past holidays we discovered the Smoked/dried Limon went really well with baked chocolates. I would sprinkle 1 ground pod accross the tops of the Ghiradelli Cookies as they went into the oven. I only harvest 5-6 from my Guyana last year but it is covered in pods currently. We will always grow a Bishops Hat ! I hope this helps ! Dan
Just re-read your OP and wanted to let you know that both the Criolla Sella and the Omnicolors *should* give you plenty of fruit in 120 days. I'm assuming you're starting indoors? Man, you need to move! 
No hurry... I'll be starting them inside in early February... Just wanting to do the research in a leisurely fashion. I'm fully extended this season with what I have in the ground anyway. I live in a Condo association and the most space I could wrangle from my neighbors was fifteen by twenty feet for all my vegetables, so I can't just take a "scattershot" approach and plant some of every variety to try them all out.Just re-read your OP and wanted to let you know that both theCriolla Sella and the Omnicolors *should* give you plenty of fruit in 120 days. I'm assuming you're starting indoors? Man, you need to move!
my favorite baccatum this far is the bubba. fatalii got good pics of it at http://www.fatalii.net/chile/?u=g&word=Bubba
my 6 plants of bubba in the ground were the last plants to have good pods and lasted past Xmas last year. it handled colder temps well, but didnt handle the coldest times, but all 6 over wintered nicelly to this spring outside with no aid., and with lots of vigour. very fruity, sweet and tasty, thick meat and very productive - and even with some individuals that get nice heat.
i think dried its amazing the amount of tasty chili powder you get just from a few pods. i litterally use them on everything. also i agree they take on flavour well when smoked.
brazilian starfish is the least intersting baccatum i tried - not for taste, but of extremelly low yield compared to the bubbas. the bubbas yield a few pounds of pods a week in peak season.
the incaberries were very good yielders too, but very sour tasting. nice to mix with other chiles, but using it alone in a sauce makes it taste like sour apple sauce with no sweetness to talk about. wich might be interesting maybe?! fatalii writes its one of his faves??!
my 6 plants of bubba in the ground were the last plants to have good pods and lasted past Xmas last year. it handled colder temps well, but didnt handle the coldest times, but all 6 over wintered nicelly to this spring outside with no aid., and with lots of vigour. very fruity, sweet and tasty, thick meat and very productive - and even with some individuals that get nice heat.
i think dried its amazing the amount of tasty chili powder you get just from a few pods. i litterally use them on everything. also i agree they take on flavour well when smoked.
brazilian starfish is the least intersting baccatum i tried - not for taste, but of extremelly low yield compared to the bubbas. the bubbas yield a few pounds of pods a week in peak season.
the incaberries were very good yielders too, but very sour tasting. nice to mix with other chiles, but using it alone in a sauce makes it taste like sour apple sauce with no sweetness to talk about. wich might be interesting maybe?! fatalii writes its one of his faves??!
So far I will agree my 3 fav bacatums are inca red drop aji lemon, and criollos sella, the aji Amarillo is very tasty also!