I was told these were an heirloom variety when I bought them at the Memphis Botanical Garden plant sale this spring. They were not marked and I've never been able to identify them. Does anyone know what variety they are? I'm not sure when they are ready to harvest.
They appear to not get much larger than a good sized grape. Most are green or dark purple but there are a few red ones. The plant is very pretty. It has green and purple leaves with beautiful purple blooms. Does anyone grow these and, if so, how do you use them? Thanks!
Debra
The only thing I can think of is an ornamental (Venezuela) http://www.chileplants.com/search.asp?ProductCode=CHIVEN&ChileForm=&SizeID=&SearchMode=&LengthID=&WidthID=&HeightID=&OrientationID=&FoliageID=&FleshID=&UseID=&Color=&Location=&Keyword=&HeatID=&TypeID=&CategoryID=1&SeasonID=&NewProduct=&Letter=&SearchButton=Pressed
That does look like a possibility, Farmerdill. The pepper is described as both 'hot' and an ornamental. Forgive my ignorance, but does that mean you eat it or not?
That means you can eat it, but that it was not developed for flavor as much as looks. Some ornamentals are good hot peppers, others are just hot with little other taste.
Maybe they would make good pepper sauce and look pretty in the bottle, too.
Pretty pepper plant.
i bought this plant from a nursery here in south carolina...i was told the common name was "black pearl"...the sales lady also told me it was edible but was an hallucinogenic...i have never eaten one of the peppers so i can't say from first hand experience but they are beautiful...turning from very shiny black to brilliant red the more sun they get
Hmmmmm.....interesting, virginbred. (you're gonna have to explain that name!) We've had quite a few turn red. DH picked them and plans to make pepper sauce with them. I can see it now.......having hallucinations after eating beans and turnip greens with pepper sauce. LOL!
Seriously, I am a little concerned about eating them before knowing exactly what they are. We may just declare them pretty to look at and leave it at that.
virginbred, you are right! I googled 'black pearl pepper' and found lots of hits.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2006/060426.htm
It's not an heirloom as it was sold. My previous google attempts weren't successful because I was looking for 'purple' peppers! Thanks for your help!
DEbra, aren't those those black pearl peppers you got at the memphis botanical garden plant sale last spring? They kind of look like mine that I got there.
oops I just read the thread above, you figured it out already.
Ha ha! Kathy Ann.....you're funny. Did you get the same plant at that sale? Mine wasn't tagged. Was yours?
Mine wasn't but I knew what they were, saw them in the memphis botanical gardens, they had a whole bed of them, which is where they got the seeds from. Mine aren't doing very well. and i've neglected to collect seed so far. But it's not too late, I see a bunch of red ones out there.
When I was over at your house , I noticed you had them planted then, they grew up well. Save seed, as these are true to seed.
Anything I need to know about saving the see? Just collect from mature peppers and dry them?
Yes, I pick mine (the pepper) open it and remove the seeds and let them dry out on a paper plate./styrofoam plate. then bag them and stick them in the freezer. The pepper will turn red and then start shrinking shriveling up. when it starts turning brown, some wait till their "crispy" I pick them when their still plyable and peel them apart . easy enough. I don't know if they'll reseed themselves if they drop seed or not, but I know some of mine have dropped seed and haven't seen babies yet . But i've been busy elsewhere in the garden too LOL
What do you do with yours? DH wants to make pepper sauce.
these are ornamental peppers, You better do some research first on ifyou can even do that with ornamental peppers. I haven't a clue, Ijust grew them for their foliage and cute berry looking peppers. I'm not really up on peppers, so you may ask someone if you can eat ornamental peppers, I do't see why not. but not sure
According to the US National Arboretum the pepper is eatible but very hot.
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Research/BlackPearl.html
I'll let DH to the taste testing! LOL!
LOL I hear you there. Not for me for sure.
I grew these last year and they are hotter than He**!!! As FD stated above, they are bred to be hot, not necessarily flavorful. To my tastes, there was no discernable flavor - just pull the flesh off your tongue HOT! I do love the foliage, though, and will probably grow them again. I'm thinking I might squish them and steep them and make pepper spray for to keep the critters away!
That's a good idea sequee, that pepper spray is expensive, I have to use it when I walk or the dogs will maul me to death. but I buy mine from the store.
Pepper spray???! I would not have thought of that. Does it help repel deer from plants?
I don't know if it would work for deer, but it's supposed to work for small critters, like bunnies, and I KNOW it works on the kitties!
Hi Kathy, Debra
I grow this pepper as well, and when I was hunting for some caynene pepper the other day, couldn't find any so I thought I tried this. It's edible, it's hot but not supper hot (for me), the seedlings volunteered from last year out in the open, were found to be identical to that of the originally planted last season. I'm saving some seeds too this year.
Debra; haven't chatted with you since this early spring, how is your clematis doing interplanting them with grape vines? Mine turned out well, so far so good.
Kim
Hi Kim, we may have volunteers coming up all over the place next year. I do plan to try and save seeds from this year. I don't have any grape vines - you may be thinking of wisteria? I've got a couple of clematis growing up wisteria vines and they do very well. The wisteria provides a strong support. Glad to hear your grape vines worked well.
Sequee, how do you steep the peppers without burning your eyes? I can just imagine me trying to make pepper spray and end up being the one run out of the house!
hi fleurs...haven't been online lately but glad you solved the mystery of this wonderful pepper plant...i'm in zone 8 on the coast and left mine in pots over the winter under cover...they died back but came out again once things warmed up and were moved to a sunny location...also had a few come up in other pots as the peppers reseed easily, which i pulled out transplanted and gave to friends...probably the hallucinogenic thing is due to their being so hot you see stars after eating!!! the name thing is no biggy...back in 94 when i first signed onto the internet i tried to use the name of my farm...gingerbred (i was raising goats at the time)...said the name was taken so i tried virginiabred...said the name was too long...virginbred... shortened version but gets quite a few raised eyebrows...grin~~wasn't even thinking but was terribly frustrated when trying to sign on for the first time...there ya have it~
LOL! How disappointing........expected a real juicy story. Just kidding - that's a good explanation. Too bad you couldn't use gingerbred - such a cute idea.
I was just reading this thread and following the links. Some of you were thinking it might not be safe to eat or maybe not so good, but the USDA link says the breeders worked for years refining its flavor. That implies to me that it tastes good to at least somebody. As for hallucinogenic, I doubt that the FDA would call a hallucinogenic plant culinary! I do agree with the poster who said that the hallucination would be the stars you saw after eating such a hot pepper!
LOL! The stars are cool, but I hate waiting 2-3 days to get my taste buds back!!!
I agree about the heat. I prefer something of more moderate heat. I spent a month in Thailand once and many times I would cry through my meal it was so hot. But the flavor was fabulous.
pajaritomt, I agree the USDA site would have warned us if there was any hallucenagenic aspect to the pepper. We still haven't tasted them - I don't like peppers anyway. DH will eventually. I'll report back on his findings!
A report on the flavor and heat would be great. Some people like a really hot pepper. For me one habanero is good for a gallon of barbecue sauce.
Okay I'm growing this ornamental Pearl Black pepper plant. When is the best time to gather the seeds? AFter the red ones shrivel? Are the seeds viable at that stage or must I wait till the peppers dry up all the way?
Ladybeetle, I've never tried to save seeds but my guess is to wait until the peppers shrivel up. Mine reseeded themselves. I had little ones popping up all over. Have one now from last years dropped seeds.
