Description
Key Facts
- Adds heat to soups, meats and even desserts.
- Moderately Hot
- Takes about 2 to 3 months to grow
- Available from Amazon
Easy to grow and looks lovely. Great for adding heat to recipes
Background
- Originally from South East Brazil.
- Moderately Hot with a floral aroma
- Ideal for adding heat & flavour to recipes, such as soups, meats and even desserts. .
- Days from seed to harvest – about 70 (2 to 3 months)
- About 30 to 60 cm high
Example Cayenne pepper recipes
The Cayenne pepper is the ideal pepper if you want to add some heat to soups, meats and even desserts.
Example recipes
- Homemade cayenne pepper sauce (see video)
- Spicy Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon & Cayenne Pepper
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
How to grow Cayenne pepper at home
Cayenne pepper can be grown from seed at home with germination taking 5 to 7 days.
How to grow the peppers outdoors (garden, balcony, etc.)
The peppers prefer direct sunlight, well drained soil and need to be frost free.
If you want to grow them outdoors then the best option is to start them indoors about 4 to 8 weeks before the last frost and then transfer them when the nights are warmer.
Seedling requires a higher temperature, 25-30 degrees during the day and night 15-18 degrees is best.
It is best to re-pot in stages before their final pot size. Once in final pot size plants may need staking for support. Water regularly but be careful not to over water, surface of compost can be allowed to dry out slightly between watering. Please note that germination can be slow and erratic on some open pollinated hot peppers.
Fully grown they can be upto 30 to 60 cm in height i.e. an individual pot might be the best option.
How to grow the pepper indoors (hydroponics or aquaponics)
Because of the importance of moisture and light the peppers are ideally suited for hydroponics with additional lights.
Not only are they easier to grow, but you will also get fast results.
For best results it is advised to grow the crop indoors with heat. This means that crops can be grown all year round with the correct temperatures. A very hot pepper extremely pungent plants reach up to 1 meter under cover.
Minze Vries –
Great pepper to grow & very versatile.