Fish Hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum) This chili pepper was brought to the mid-Atlantic region from the Caribbean in the late 1870s. The African-American communities of Baltimore and Philadelphia utilized the pepper at its unripe stage in culinary staples of oyster and crab houses, hence the name 'Fish' pepper. This is an extremely flavourful, productive, and attractive variety that makes a spectacular hot sauce. The foliage of the 2 foot tall plants is often variegated white and green, as is much of the unripe fruit. 2-3" long fruit turns from white with green stripes, to orange with brown stripes, and finally a bright red. The fish pepper was nearly extinct going out of circulation by the mid 1940's. Luckily. SSE was gifted a revived portion of the seeds from Ralph Weaver's grandson William Weaver who found a baby food jar in a freezer after Ralph passed on. Ralph initially acquired the seeds from the famous painter, Horace Pippin in the 1940's. If you have ever had Pippin sauce from the DC or Baltimore area, this is where the name comes from and naturally the pepper is still used in the manufacturing process. We are excited to offer this once endangered heirloom in limited quantities for 2022.
Scoville heat units (SHU): 5,000 – 30,000
75 - 80 days to maturity
20 seeds per packet $4.45
Planting Instructions: Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Sow 1/4 inch deep and keep soil warm. Transplant into 1 inch cells or 2 inch pots at 1-2 leaf stage. Harden off plants for 4-5 days after risk of frost has passed. Transplant outdoors once day and night temperatures are consistently above 10 degrees Celsius.
