Heirloom Seeds & Poultry
1878 230th Street, Calamus, IA 52729
(563) 246-2299
PEPPERS
(119 varieties to choose from) UPDATED FOR 2024
Plant culture similar to eggplants. Packets will contain 35 to 50 seeds (unless otherwise noted). Set out transplants about 1 foot apart in rows 3 feet apart. We plant ours indoors here in a heated greenhouse around April 1 then once they are up transfer to an unheated greenhouse to slow growth and set out in June. 2023 was not great for peppers the long dry spell meant no transplants set out until early July so many didn't quite have time to get good seed. Hopefully 2024 will be better.
Sweet Bell or Semi-Sweet Types
Ampuis
Ampuis - 60 days - Very early to turn red, thin walled, squatty and ribbed pepper, small to medium size, very prolific. These are very thin walled and are really excellent for using like a holder for tuna salad or egg salad or something as there is just enough pepper there to give a slight boost to flavor and a crunch but not too much to make it seem like all pepper. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed
Little Bells
Little Bells- A red, slightly elongated bell shaped sweet pepper. This pepper has excellent production in cool climate or short season areas. Medium thick walls hold up well for stuffing, seasoning, and salads. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed OSSI pledged variety developed by Frank Morton
Sweet Non-Bell Types
This group is still not hot, but in some cases a bit stronger pepper flavored. We find many of these to be excellent for cooking as the strong pepper taste mellows with cooking.
Mt. Etna
Mt. Etna - 75 days - Shorter, compact plants with medium sized, fatter, elongated, pointed sweet peppers with rather thick walls. I bred this one for a sweet, blocky, Italian type pepper. A 2014 Sand Hill Preservation Center introduction. Pkt. $2.50 Certified Organic Seed OSSI pledged variety
Sirenevyi
Sirenevyi - 75 days - A superb, sweet, non-bell pepper that is early and high yielding. It starts out a bright purple and eventually turns a deep purple red. Very thick walled and very mild and sweet. Donated to us by Kurt Wold of Alaska. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed UNAVAILABLE FOR 2024
Sweet Pimento Types
This group is best used to make preserved peppers. They, of course, can also be eaten fresh and have very thick flesh.
Sweet Paprika Types
This group is really mild flavored and has very dry flesh that dries easily to then be ground into the seasoning paprika.
Sweet Pickling or Snacking Peppers
This group just doesn’t fit any other group. Many of them make great pickled peppers or are great fresh for salad garnish.
Sweet Italian Frying Types
My favorite group for eating. They are sweet with no pepper aftertaste. While they are called frying peppers, they are excellent eaten fresh off the plant with a delightful fresh taste.
Giant of Italy
Giant of Italy - 80 days - I am very fond of the flavor and yields of the Italian type peppers. The only problem is with the sandy soil we have and with all of the wrinkly skin they have, they tend to collect particles of sand from the soil. This is especially in years when we have to irrigate by sprinkler. It appears to splash the sand up into the plant more than rain and this means a lot of washing or you get a gritty pepper. I have attempted to keep the yield and flavor and selected for a more smooth skinned variety. A 2014 Sand Hill Preservation Center introduction. Pkt. $2.25 Certified Organic Seed -OSSI pledged variety
Stocky Red Roaster
Stocky Red Roaster- A sweet cone shaped red pepper, 5 to 7 inches long with excellent production and good tolerance of cool spring temperatures. This is a very good pepper for kitchen food seasoning and for grilling or roasting. Unavailable for 2022 Certified Organic Seed OSSI pledged variety developed by Frank Morton UNAVAILABLE FOR 2024
Seasoning Peppers
We have broken these out of the main group of hot peppers as they are not incredibly hot and, when used in cooking, tend to add a bit of zip that is not horribly hot
Hot Peppers
Each variety has a different level of heat.
Aji Amarillo
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Aji Amarillo - 85 days - Very productive plants with 3 to 4 inch bright lemon yellow, pointed peppers of medium heat. Distinctive flavor pepper that is very common in Peru. I noticed as the fruits are mature the end of the pepper has an almost citrus taste until you hit the seeds and then wow the heat kicks in. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Andes Rainbow
Andes Rainbow- 80 days. I was always impressed with the color and beauty of Bolivian Rainbow, but the peppers are so small it was a pain to pick them. This is a cross to increase the size to about 8 times larger or about the size of a small chicken egg. All of the colors and beauty are still there just a larger fruit. Pkt. $2.00 Certified Organic Seed