Pepper, Piquillo

Capsicum annuum

Fantastic Basque heirloom roasting pepper, with big, thick fleshed fruits.

A superior variety for roasting and stuffing, these 4" long, heart-shaped peppers are quite heat and sun tolerant, with thick flesh and skins. Fruits borne prolifically on compact 18" tall plants. The name Piquillo means "Little Beaks." An heirloom from the Basque Country that has taken a very circuitous multi-oceanic journey to find its way to Boise (see below). We originally got the seed from Canyon Bounty Farm in Nampa, Idaho.

Seeds grown by Carrie Jones in Boise, Idaho.

30 seeds.

Indigenous people in modern-day Mexico domesticated chiles from their wild crop ancestor the Chiltepin thousands of years ago, adapting it into so many unique and delicious varieties. When the European colonizers came, they took chiles back to Europe, referring to them as peppers because of their spicy flavor, which reminded them of peppercorns. Now chiles are beloved and cultivated by cultures all over the world, and despite the devastating legacy of colonization, the descendants of their original seed stewards continue to persist and cultivate them today. Sweet peppers are a relatively modern concoction, but one we are very grateful for!

Directions: Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before last frost. Use bottom heat to aid germination and be patient. Transplant after frost.