A Colorado garden that has consistently produced good tomatoes and bell peppers should also produce good chile peppers. Chile peppers can be harvested when immature and green or they can be left on plants longer and allowed to mature to a red color. Both green and red chiles are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, along with potassium and calcium.
The pungency or hotness depends on how much of an alkaloid called capsaicin is produced. Capsaicin level varies with chile variety and is genetically determined, but is also influenced by air temperatures and cultural conditions, such as the amount of fertilizer and water provided to plants. Capsaicin appears as a yellowish band along the inner walls of the chile pod; the more yellow the inner walls, the hotter that chile will be. In choosing which variety to grow, keep the degree of pungency in mind. Examples include:
Very mild: NuMex R Naky, NuMex Conquistador
Mild: Anaheim, TAM Mild Jalapeño
Medium: Rio Grande 21, NuMex Big Jim, NuMex Joe E Parker, New Mexico No. 6-4, poblano
Hot: Sandia, Española Improved, serrano
Very hot: Barker’s Hot, jalapeño, cayenne
If you didn’t start your seeds indoors in March, purchase transplants this month at garden centers, where several varieties will be available.
Harden off plants over a week’s time and transplant to well-prepared garden soil about May 15. Set transplants 18 to 24 inches apart. Fertilize with a weak solution of water-soluble fertilizer or manure tea after transplanting. Fertilize again about four weeks later. Water regularly through the growing season. Hot, dry weather, minimal irrigation and minimal fertilizer promote more capsaicin production.
Green chiles are ready for harvest beginning in late July, when pods become firm, thicker- walled, glossy green and resistant to squeezing pressure. Remove the thin outer skin of green chiles by blistering or roasting them on an outdoor grill. Place on hot grill and turn chiles frequently, so all sides get blistered. Peel off blistered skins with gloved hands.
Leave some green pods on the plant to fully mature — red chiles can be harvested when a red color develops over the whole pod (August-September).
Use red chiles directly in foods or tie stems onto wire strands for drying. These “ristras” are very decorative, and should be hung outdoors in an area with good air circulation and full sun.
Dried red pods can be ground up into powders or more coarsely ground pods can be used in sauces.
Robert Cox is a Colorado State University Extension horticulture agent in Arapahoe County.
