Capsicum Chacoense

I found a source for several wild species of peppers and decided to order some seeds. One of the species that I ordered was Capsicum chacoense from the Gran Chaco of South America. Has anyone had any experience with this pepper? All of the capsicums are edible, just some more so than others. Since the climate there is similar to ours here in Texas, I thought it would be a good choice to start with.

I read up on Capsicum chacoense and found that it's called 'Tova' or 'Covincho' in Paraguay, and I don't know either of those words.

However it's called 'Aji ********' in Argentina, a not-at-all-nice Spanish term that I do know, and which refers to the way people often curse when they encounter this pepper's 50,000 to 75,000 Scoville units. Far too hot for me!

Whatever way you use those peppers, they'll need some watering down!

But, I'm a guy who's growing TAM (Texas A & M) Jalapenos instead of regular Jalapenos this year because they're 1500 S.U.'s instead of 5000 - so I'm kind of a capsaicin sissy.

"so I'm kind of a capsaicin sissy"

Hah! Sam/Ozark, if you're still enjoying the beloved Maui Purple's I wouldn't say you're a sissy! :>)

cactusman, friends of mine are bringing me back some pepper seeds from SA, little tiny things, they say, full of flavor and heat. I wonder if I'm about to receive the ones you're asking about.

Shoe (always looking for good peppers)

"Shoe (always looking for good peppers)"
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Hey, Shoe - it's good to hear from you. Yes, I'm still enjoying that pot full of Maui Purple Peppers.

I've been sending Sweet Ozark Orange tomato seeds out far and wide, and some nice folks in Slovenia (formerly part of Yugoslavia) asked if there were any seeds I'd like from them in return. I told them I'd be interested in any local variety of non-bell sweet peppers they might know, as that part of the world is famous for "paprikas".

They sent back seeds of Slonovo Uho (Elephant Ear) and Ljubov Dlan (Ljubov's Palm), both enormous red-ripening sweet non-bells. I've got seedlings of both growing, and I'm kinda excited about those.

I'm a big fan of the pequin, chiltepin, or bird peppers as they're often referred to and they generally come in at 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units. I'm growing about 4 different types this year including one called African pequin from the Sudan region of Africa. That's the one that I really can't wait to try. On the other end of the spectrum, I'm also growing Yummy Orange, which everyone raves about. I guess, to paraphrase Will Rogers, "I never met a pepper I didn't like." Shoe, the seeds you're getting from your friend in San Antonio are probably a pequin of some type.

This message was edited Apr 28, 2014 3:39 PM

This message was edited Apr 28, 2014 3:43 PM

Wow, Ozark, it sounds exciting to grow out those peppers from Slovenia. It sure makes gardening "funner", eh!? :>)

Just today I set out 6 plants of your now-named Sweet Ozark Orange, seeds I'd saved from your gift of F4's (or were they F5'?...I'll have to check my notes.) That one is a keeper. I still grow lots of toms out for Carolyn each year and she tells me she is getting to grow one of the Ozark Orange's this year at her house. Glad to hear you saved so many seeds of that one.

cactusman, the "SA" I was referring to was South America...do you think they'd still be the pequin types?

Shoe (so happy to see this winter weather gone for good, it's been rough here.)

Now that you've clarified the "SA" origin of that seed, then it could be something else. But "tiny and full of heat and flavor" is still a pretty good description of a pequin. So whatever it turns out to be, I hope you like it. Having lived the vast majority of my life in either central or south Texas, "SA" just means San Antonio to me. Sorry 'bout that.

This message was edited Apr 28, 2014 10:16 PM

No problem, cactusman. I'll take pics when it comes in. Maybe you can help identify it for me.

I'll do what I can. Pics of both flowers and pods would be helpful. I just picked and ate the first peppers of the year. They're Infernos but they probably would have been better if left for a few days longer. They tasted a bit too "green" to suit me and almost no heat. The next ones will be much better, I'm certain. I just got a little too anxious. However, the Padrons need about another week and they'll be ready. Now that 's a great tasting pepper. Sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with a little sea salt, it doesn't get much better.

"Sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with a little sea salt, it doesn't get much better."

Now that sounds delish!

Have you ever noticed if peppers are picked during the heat of the day they seem to contain more "heat" (capsaicin), vs the same pepper picked in the early morning/late part of the day? Just curious.

Shoe (planting and planting and planting)

It seems to me that it's not so much the time of day as it is how hot the weather has been peaking out at. The effect appears to be cumulative and once the hot weather has settled in, the peppers will be hot even if they're picked at midnight. The aforementioned Padrons are a very good example. Early in the season, they're pretty mild, but later on as the weather heats up, so do they. Another characteristic of this variety is that about every 12th pepper or so will be hot even when the weather is still mild. Eating Padrons is like playing "pepper roulette". You never know when you'll get a "live round" so to speak. So nibble them rather than popping the whole pepper in your mouth if heat is a real consideration. The occasional hot one will be HOT,and not just a little hot.

Heheheh, it sounds like a great parlor game, eating those peppers!

Shoe

Shoe, I hope my comments regarding the potential heat of the Padron won't discourage you from growing them. They really are well worth growing. Every year I have a select group of friends and relatives clamoring for plants left over after I've planted what I need.I also failed to mention the fantastic aroma they give off while being sauteed. The three minutes or so it takes to prepare them seems like an eternity.

I've already put Padron on my 'to grow' list for next year.

So far as the 'heat' in hot peppers, I think it has to do with hot growing temps as well as soil type and maybe low humidity.

I grew vegetable gardens for about 20 years in Southern California before we moved back here to Missouri. In that hot, dry, semi-desert climate with sandy soil my peppers turned out incredibly HOT.

Here in MO with clay soil, summer high temps that are 10-15 degrees less, and high summer humidity, the same hot pepper varieties have much less heat than if they were grown where we used to live.

I'm thinking HOT and DRY growing conditions, even though you irrigate, make peppers the same way.

Maybe the dry air conditions concentrate the oils that have capsaicin by evaporating some of the fruits' moisture. That would explain the small surface cracks on peppers that are said to be hotter than smooth specimens of the same pepper. Just a thought, no samples and moisture tests to confirm. : )

DTR

I believe stress of any kind has the effect of increasing a pepper's heat. I know when you see a jalapeno with stress cracks you know it's going to have some real heat.