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Posted: 9/17/2023 6:37:28 PM EDT
I grew some Cajun Belle peppers in my garden this year, and some Anaheim chilis, among other assorted types of peppers.  

The Cajun Belles are small, only about 1/4 the size of a regular green bell pepper, but if you let them ripen to red they are very sweet, but have a nice heat.  I used 3 of them along with a regular bell pepper to make a gumbo recently and I was really happy with the outcome.

I made some "chili" today (that purists wouldn't like) and I used more Cajun Belles and about about 5 Anaheims since mine grew pretty small, and one long thin red Tabasco pepper, and it is one of the best batches I ever made. It also had some dried chili powder and some cayenne powder as part of the recipe, but all of the fresh peppers came from my garden.

I am definitely planting more Cajun belles and more Anaheims next year.

Anyone have any recommendations for peppers in the same heat class as these that would be good to grow?  Maybe some of those Hatch chili's everyone makes green chili out of?
Link Posted: 9/20/2023 5:48:32 PM EDT
[Last Edit: wildearp] [#1]
Hatch.  

Some batches of jalapenos can be mild after cooking.

Pulled birria with jalapenos on top, the chopped ones are Hatch:

Link Posted: 9/20/2023 10:35:11 PM EDT
[#2]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By wildearp:
Hatch.  

Some batches of jalapenos can be mild after cooking.

Pulled birria with jalapenos on top, the chopped ones are Hatch:  

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/41996/mexican_beef_JPG-2864378.jpg
View Quote

That looks good!
Link Posted: 9/21/2023 7:30:08 PM EDT
[#3]
Originally Posted By Jambalaya:
I grew some Cajun Belle peppers in my garden this year, and some Anaheim chilis...
View Quote

This year I planted:
Habaneros
Mammoth Jalapenos
Cajun Belles
Anaheims
Shishito
Sweet Banana

I second your assessment of the Cajun Belles, delicious.
I had great quantities of all six varieties right up until we had our stretch of 105+ days. Then they just stopped blooming in early August.

Now its less than 100 and I'm seeing blooms on every plant. I expect I'll still be picking peppers right up to mid December if we don't get a freeze.

I don't think I'm going to plant the Shishitos or Sweet Banana next year, but go back and do Cayenne, Thai or Pepin.
Link Posted: 9/23/2023 8:59:51 PM EDT
[#4]
Poblano peppers are used in a lot of cooking, these are the variety that you 'roast' - i.e. char the skin and then peel it off.
Link Posted: 9/23/2023 9:04:39 PM EDT
[#5]
Serrano peppers are my current favorite mild heat pepper. Good flavor and a little bite, goes good with almost anything.
Link Posted: 9/23/2023 9:26:14 PM EDT
[#6]
I'll have to try some of these posted.

..And the only thing that grows good here (every time) are hot peppers.. Everything else gets ravaged over by everything. But the hots usually survive.
Link Posted: 9/24/2023 5:34:46 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Ndenway1twicetimes] [#7]
Serrano and cayenne aren't a bad mild to medium kick.

My woman chops them up and cooks in her traditional Puerto Rician meals.

and we also throw them whole on the griddle with burgers, grill with chicken thighs, burgers, steaks and in the rotisserie oven when got a whole chicken or roast on the spit.
Link Posted: 9/26/2023 6:58:51 PM EDT
[#8]
Poblanos are the pepper I use most that I feel falls into your category. But they are what is generally available around here.
Link Posted: 9/26/2023 8:40:33 PM EDT
[#9]
Always awesome to find other chile-heads online.

I grow a variety of peppers, ranging from mild Bell and Banana peppers all the way to Carolina Reapers. Most of the peppers I grow I use for making hot sauce, as I'm slowly working to start and build up my own hot sauce company. Been creating and refining recipes for going on 3 years now. But I absolutely love peppers and cook with them regularly too.

I use my serranos and hatch chiles the most, as I make fresh salsa almost weekly, and those are my go to peppers. I also grow a variety of pepper called Sugar Rush Peach, which is a medium heat pepper. Its sweeter than a bell, but has the kick of a cayenne, and an amazing citrus-like taste. Its my favorite pepper to slice up fresh and put on sandwiches, salads, etc. I also make my own pickled banana peppers (both hot and mild). Pretty much anything hot, I'm down for. And I love to create new spicy products too.
Link Posted: 10/2/2023 1:46:27 PM EDT
[#10]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Make_Mine_Moxie:
Serrano peppers are my current favorite mild heat pepper. Good flavor and a little bite, goes good with almost anything.
View Quote


A man of culture and distinction, right here.
Link Posted: 10/4/2023 7:06:32 PM EDT
[#11]
I like poblanos
Link Posted: 10/4/2023 10:53:58 PM EDT
[#12]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By DogtownTom:

This year I planted:
Habaneros
Mammoth Jalapenos
Cajun Belles
Anaheims
Shishito
Sweet Banana

I second your assessment of the Cajun Belles, delicious.
I had great quantities of all six varieties right up until we had our stretch of 105+ days. Then they just stopped blooming in early August.

Now its less than 100 and I'm seeing blooms on every plant. I expect I'll still be picking peppers right up to mid December if we don't get a freeze.

I don't think I'm going to plant the Shishitos or Sweet Banana next year, but go back and do Cayenne, Thai or Pepin.
View Quote


Yeah the peppers seem to like a certain range of temperatures.  Once it starts to get below 60 degrees at night, they really slow down.  We had a really long winter and late spring this year so my plants really didn't produce for long.
Link Posted: 10/4/2023 10:56:44 PM EDT
[#13]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Hooligan_91:
Always awesome to find other chile-heads online.

I grow a variety of peppers, ranging from mild Bell and Banana peppers all the way to Carolina Reapers. Most of the peppers I grow I use for making hot sauce, as I'm slowly working to start and build up my own hot sauce company. Been creating and refining recipes for going on 3 years now. But I absolutely love peppers and cook with them regularly too.

I use my serranos and hatch chiles the most, as I make fresh salsa almost weekly, and those are my go to peppers. I also grow a variety of pepper called Sugar Rush Peach, which is a medium heat pepper. Its sweeter than a bell, but has the kick of a cayenne, and an amazing citrus-like taste. Its my favorite pepper to slice up fresh and put on sandwiches, salads, etc. I also make my own pickled banana peppers (both hot and mild). Pretty much anything hot, I'm down for. And I love to create new spicy products too.
View Quote


Those Sugar Rush Peach peppers sound good.  If you like those you should try the Cajun Belles. Let them go fully red for maximum sweetness and heat.
Link Posted: 10/4/2023 10:59:06 PM EDT
[#14]
I like poblanos.  Good flavor, not much heat.

I made an easy version of chili rellenos the other day.  I roasted a bunch of garden poblanos, then skinned and deseeded.  I stuffed them with a fiesta blend cheese, refried beans, and thin ham pieces I'd julienned, then put in a pan and sprinkled with cheese.  Into the oven to heat and melt/brown the cheese on top.
Link Posted: 10/4/2023 11:01:40 PM EDT
[#15]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Ndenway1twicetimes:
Serrano and cayenne aren't a bad mild to medium kick.

My woman chops them up and cooks in her traditional Puerto Rician meals.

and we also throw them whole on the griddle with burgers, grill with chicken thighs, burgers, steaks and in the rotisserie oven when got a whole chicken or roast on the spit.
View Quote

The couple of times I bought Serranos, they seemed hotter than a lot of Jalapenos I've had.  But then again I've had Jalapenos that were super mild, and some that were uncomfortably hot.  

My chili tolerance is way higher than it used to be though so maybe I need to grow some next year and see how it goes.

I want to grow some bird's eye peppers too.  They are surprisingly hot for their size.
Link Posted: 10/4/2023 11:37:50 PM EDT
[#16]
Typically, the mildest serrano you will eat is still hotter than the hottest jalapeno. Although, with all the cross/selective breeding they do for commercial farming now, and how they generally focus on the size of the peppers, it can be hit or miss. My home grown jalapenos and serranos hit so much harder than store bought, along with a more intense flavor. Definitely a lot smaller though.

I much prefer the flavor of the serrano to that of the jalapeno.
Link Posted: 10/6/2023 2:01:05 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Jambalaya] [#17]
This is the last of my peppers this year.  I had to pick a lot of them early because the deer got into my garden and ate all the leaves off the plants. The ones in bags I ran in my dehydrator, and there are some more Tabascos in the middle.  I'm keeping those in a box with some ripening bananas.  The bananas give off a gas that should stimulate the peppers to ripen as well.  If these turn red I will dry them too and have enough dried Tabasco peppers to make my own chili flakes.

Attachment Attached File

Link Posted: 10/6/2023 2:24:00 PM EDT
[#18]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Make_Mine_Moxie:
Serrano peppers are my current favorite mild heat pepper. Good flavor and a little bite, goes good with almost anything.
View Quote



This
Link Posted: 10/10/2023 11:45:50 AM EDT
[#19]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Hooligan_91:
Typically, the mildest serrano you will eat is still hotter than the hottest jalapeno. Although, with all the cross/selective breeding they do for commercial farming now, and how they generally focus on the size of the peppers, it can be hit or miss. My home grown jalapenos and serranos hit so much harder than store bought, along with a more intense flavor. Definitely a lot smaller though.

I much prefer the flavor of the serrano to that of the jalapeno.
View Quote


I've found regional differences, too. Serranos are probably my favorite peppers to use fresh, though jalapeños are more popular and easier to find, so I use them too.

The ones I buy here in Ranch-dressing-land are about half as spicy as the ones I got back home, on average. I usually taste the peppers while chopping them before cooking, so I know how spicy they are before they go into the food (wife and boy have a lower tolerance than I do for spicy). I often get jalapeños here that are so bland I can eat an entire one raw without reaction.
Link Posted: 10/11/2023 3:46:18 AM EDT
[#20]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By gearjammer351:


I've found regional differences, too. Serranos are probably my favorite peppers to use fresh, though jalapeños are more popular and easier to find, so I use them too.

The ones I buy here in Ranch-dressing-land are about half as spicy as the ones I got back home, on average. I usually taste the peppers while chopping them before cooking, so I know how spicy they are before they go into the food (wife and boy have a lower tolerance than I do for spicy). I often get jalapeños here that are so bland I can eat an entire one raw without reaction.
View Quote


A lot of it has to do with where the stores source their peppers from, along with the time of year. In winter, most of the peppers you see in the stores are most likely grown in Mexico down through Central America, where the climate can support pepper growing year round. Also, with most store bought peppers, they are specifically bred to produce larger pepper pods, often at the cost of taste and heat. When I grow jalapenos at home, they are a lot smaller, but they can pack a punch. Often my jalapenos are on par heat wise with store bought serranos.
Link Posted: 10/28/2023 12:28:54 PM EDT
[#21]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Hooligan_91:


A lot of it has to do with where the stores source their peppers from, along with the time of year. In winter, most of the peppers you see in the stores are most likely grown in Mexico down through Central America, where the climate can support pepper growing year round. Also, with most store bought peppers, they are specifically bred to produce larger pepper pods, often at the cost of taste and heat. When I grow jalapenos at home, they are a lot smaller, but they can pack a punch. Often my jalapenos are on par heat wise with store bought serranos.
View Quote


Yes indeed. I learned that bigger is definitely not better for peppers. I'm kinda stuck with the store selection. I've found some better stores to shop at, but this is just not a part of the country where peppers are widely appreciated.

I am not a gardener, and I don't really want to be. I know that's the real solution, just as learning to cook things I can't get in restaurants is the answer. However, I have limited time, money, and energy to devote to life (less as I get older). I'm already doing the husband/dad thing , trying to fix up an old house, putting some extra effort into my job so I can get promoted, and sometimes engage in hobbies I enjoy. I just don't have it in me to add gardening to the list.
Link Posted: 12/23/2023 3:44:37 PM EDT
[#22]
Poblanos and Serrano. Robust smoky flavor with a mild to medium kick that doesn't singe your tastebuds. Adds amazing depth.
Link Posted: 12/28/2023 1:48:14 AM EDT
[#23]
I really like Fresno. I like it better than Jalapeño in every way, except the skin is just a bit tougher so take that in to account for recipes.

I do have a shit ton of seeds this year, from ghost to Fresno to sugar rush stripey, Guam boonie, Peter penis, Moruga scorpion, a few others, I won’t be fucking with Reapers anymore. They just blow up the heat level and don’t do anything good taste wise. I’ve been dehydrating the ones I have to infuse in honey. But I’d rather put habaneros or ghosts in my jam recipes
Link Posted: 12/28/2023 2:08:51 AM EDT
[#24]
Anyone know when it's a good time to order seeds to ensure you get 2023 instead of 2022 seeds?  

I am going to start my seeds indoors a little bit earlier than I did last year.  I don't have a greenhouse but I do have a little room with a lot of windows and a couple of skylights that would probably work well for getting them started.  

Last year it was in the 40s at night all the way up to June and many of my peppers weren't really fully mature yet when the first freeze came back in the fall.  I want to get a big head start this year.
Link Posted: 12/28/2023 2:43:45 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Millennial] [#25]
Scotch Bonnet and Red Savina... easily the tastiest of the habanero clan.  Excellent medium-hot peppers. Poppers made with scotch bonnets stuffed with cream cheese, shredded cheddar, crumbled feta cheese, and crumbled bacon then breaded and fried are absolutely amazing.

For mild peppers I'm a fan of Serranos, but they are a bit tedious if you need to get the seeds out.  Another mild pepper I love are the Red Fresno's; meaty and not so many seeds to deal with.

For a no-heat pepper Pablanos are better than green peppers for just about everything, but they're usually like 3X more expensive, here.
Link Posted: 12/28/2023 2:47:38 AM EDT
[#26]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Hooligan_91:
Typically, the mildest serrano you will eat is still hotter than the hottest jalapeno. Although, with all the cross/selective breeding they do for commercial farming now, and how they generally focus on the size of the peppers, it can be hit or miss. My home grown jalapenos and serranos hit so much harder than store bought, along with a more intense flavor. Definitely a lot smaller though.

I much prefer the flavor of the serrano to that of the jalapeno.
View Quote

Typically... but sometimes a random Jalapeno will come out of nowhere and sneak up on you with amazing heat and flavor and it's a real treat.  Every time I get one of those, I wish all the jalapenos tasted like that.
Link Posted: 1/23/2024 10:51:34 PM EDT
[#27]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Millennial:

Typically... but sometimes a random Jalapeno will come out of nowhere and sneak up on you with amazing heat and flavor and it's a real treat.  Every time I get one of those, I wish all the jalapenos tasted like that.
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Amen!  Every once in a blue moon, I get some stuffed Jalapenos form my produce guy that are REAL spicy!  Those are a pleasure!!!!  
Link Posted: 1/26/2024 6:46:20 PM EDT
[#28]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Millennial:

Typically... but sometimes a random Jalapeno will come out of nowhere and sneak up on you with amazing heat and flavor and it's a real treat.  Every time I get one of those, I wish all the jalapenos tasted like that.
View Quote


Jalapenos are much more spicy and flavorful in the southwest. The ones I get here are almost universally boring and bland.
Link Posted: 1/28/2024 3:02:00 AM EDT
[#29]
Hatch or Serrano
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