Fish Hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum) - An extraordinary heirloom with deep cultural roots, Fish Pepper was brought from the Caribbean to the mid-Atlantic region in the late 1870s. It became an essential ingredient in African-American oyster and crab houses in Baltimore and Philadelphia, where the immature striped fruits were prized for seasoning seafood, giving rise to its name. The Fish Pepper was nearly extinct, going out of circulation by the mid-1940s. Luckily, Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) was gifted a revived portion of the seeds from Ralph Weaver’s grandson, William Weaver, who discovered a baby food jar of seeds in a freezer after Ralph passed away. Ralph had originally acquired the seeds from the renowned painter Horace Pippin in the 1940s. If you have ever enjoyed Pippin Sauce from the Washington, DC or Baltimore area, this is where the name originates, and the pepper continues to be used in its production today.
This highly flavourful and productive variety grows on compact 2 ft plants with beautiful variegated green and white foliage. The 2–3″ fruits are equally ornamental, maturing from white with green stripes, to orange with brown striping, and finally to bright red. Heat ranges widely from 5,000–30,000 SHU, making it excellent for hot sauce, seafood dishes, and fresh culinary use.
Scoville heat units (SHU): 5,000 – 30,000
75 - 80 days to maturity.
20 seeds per packet.
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.
