Scotch bonnet pepper
Key Facts
- Ideal for Caribbean recipes, great in pepper sauce.
- Takes about 4 to 5 months to grow
- Available from Amazon
It is easy to grow and well worth doing, more details below
Background
Scotch bonnet pepper (also known as bonney peppers, or Caribbean red pepper)
- Originally from Jamaica but grown in many Caribbean Islands.
- Very Hot (Similar to Habanero pepper but slightly fruitier)
- Ideal for Caribbean recipes & pepper sauces.
- Days from seed to harvest – about 130 (4 to 5 months)
- About 100 to 150 cm high
Example Scotch Bonnet pepper recipes
This type of pepper is ideal for Caribbean recipes, ranging from jerk lamb or beef to tacos and pepper sauce. Any dish where you want to spice up the taste.
Typical recipes:
- Traditional Caribbean Pepper Sauce
- Jerk Chicken
- Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
This is our favourite kitchen tool
A food mill is ideal for making sauces, mash or puree
(And much better then using a food blender or whisk)
- Just add fresh ingredients and crank to purée!
- Use it to make deliciously smooth mash or lump-free sauces.
- You can even use it to make baby food
- For detailed description visit Amazon
How to grow the Scotch Bonnet pepper at home
You can grow it from seeds.
It is a very hot variety and we recommend that you wear gloves when handling the seeds.
How to grow the peppers outdoors (garden, balcony, etc.)
The peppers prefer direct sunlight, well drained soil and need to be frost free.
This is a well known pungent extremely hot variety of pepper originating from Jamaica producing mushroom shaped bright red fruit on 24-36 in plants. Best suited to cultivation under glass.
If you want to grow them outdoors then the best option is to start them indoors about 8 to 12 weeks before the last frost and then transfer them when the nights are warmer.
Seedlings emerge in 10-21 days at 70 degrees F+. Temperature is critical for germination. When 4-5 inches plant 18″ apart in greenhouse / conservatory with root ball 1/2″ below the soil surface.
They can be grown easily from seed but it’s very important to provide the right amount of moisture and to thin them out as they grow.
Fully grown they can be upto 100 to 150 cm in height i.e. an individual pot might be the best option.
How to grow it 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.
Yes you can buy scotch bonnetpeppers in shops, but if you grow them yourself they will be available all year round. And fresh ones do taste a lot better