My Fish peppers

These little devils are HOT!!!- the plant is very pretty-lots of white foliege, and the peppers too are variegated. An unsuspecting friend bit into one and nearly came out of his shoes!

They are beautiful and HOT as Hades! I've grown these too - what are you doing with the fruit?

I haven't used any yet- I may dry some and use the flakes. That's an awful lot of heat!

I love the plants. Do I just look for fish peppers at my local nursery next year?

I had not ever seen them until this year, and none of the local garden shops had them. I just Googled and they are heirloom, so if anyone wants seeds I will share- just Dmail me for my address and send me a SASE. When I harvest them I will send them out. The plant is very pretty and only 2 feet tall.

This message was edited Aug 23, 2012 6:55 AM

Jo,
I would love some seeds! Would you like me to send you some cushaw seeds in exchange?

No thanks on the Cushaw seed- I have a very tiny garden, and can't do sprawling plants.

Are these the peppers you have? The article says when dried and crushed to a powder they are hot hot. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Grow-Cook-Fish-Peppers.aspx

Yes, Phyllis, I believe that is what I have.

My Fish peppers are turning red, and the plant is so pretty! I have picked several red ones and will dry them to send to anyone who wants them. Just Dmail me and I will send my address for a SASE. I plan to have a row of them in my front yard for color next year.

Apropos of nothing, I ran into a reference that asserts the "fish pepper" was originally adopted for use as a green seasoning pepper specifically for dishes where the color of red-ripe peppers was thought to detract from the effect. Sort of like using white (black) pepper in cream sauces I suppose. That was presumably from the days when people actually thought lighter color meant more refined. Me, I like bright colors, but I do pick some of my hot peppers early, before they "color up", to season the vinegar I put on my greens. I'm trying a white wine vinegar in one batch this year instead of just the usual distilled vinegar.

-Rich

There is a very interesting article on Fish peppers here- http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Grow-Cook-Fish-Peppers.aspx

I just made my first string of peppers- I think it is pretty!

I grew a few fish pepper plants for the first time this year. The plants are pretty, hardy, and fairly prolific. The peppers were just a bit too hot for my tastes. I'm going to stick with Jalapenos next year, and probably Mariachi peppers, which aren't quite as hot, but are much larger and have wonderful flavor, not just heat.

I have a limited supply of my Fish Pepper seeds for SASE- if you are interested Dmail me.