PEPPERS « giantveggiegardener

A lot of people have been asking if they can pick the Jimmy Nardello pepper while it is green or wait for it to turn red. Answer: WAIT TILL IT’S RED.

This is one of my favorite peppers to grow and it isn’t hot at all but is a very sweet, red pepper. The Jimmy Nardello pepper is a fairly long, skinny, thin-walled pepper that is sweeter than a lot of other ‘sweet’ peppers. It’s an heirloom that “came to Seed Savers Exchange by Jimmy Nardello, whose mother brought the seeds to the United States when she emigrated with her husband, Guiseppe, from the Basilicata region of Italy in 1887.” It is a frying pepper but I like it on the BBQ as well. It is easy to grow here in Santa Fe and is prolific. But you let them turn bright red before picking them and eating them.

shishito peppers

Today I got some more holes ready for the Shishito peppers and a new variety for me called Padron peppers. Most are not hot but an occasional one might have a little heat. I don’t grow the famous green or red chili pepper famous in New Mexico in my garden as I’d have to plant my whole garden with chili peppers so I buy them from the Hatch chili farmers since I buy them by the bushel! The Shishito pepper is from Japan and is green and about 2-3 inches long and kind of skinny. I found it at the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market 2 years ago where it was $10/lb and thought I’d better grow my own at that price. The Padron pepper is from Spain and is also green and a little blockier in shape and used in Tapas. I like to sautee them in a good olive oil and sprinkle rock salt over them and serve them as an horderves.