Q: Dear Dave,Where can I get 1/2 bushel of fresh Rocoto (manzano) peppers? I live in suburban Chicago, IL.–Phil A: Hello Phil:Offhand, I would say that’s impossible. However, let your fingers do the walking and contact specialty produce distributors, especially those carrying Latin or Mexican produce. The best source would be from Mexico or Peru. They are not grown commercially …
Light Cycle for Indoor Chiles
Q: Hi Dave!I’m going to grow chile peppers in containers indoors using artificial lighting. I was wondering what would be the best light cycle for the plants during their respective periods (vegetative, flower)?–Ronald A: Hello Ronald:Chiles benefit from the long days of summer, so use a cycle of 18 hours on, 6 hours off. Unlike some plants, chiles are not …
Seeds vs. Veins
Q: Dave,About six months ago I saw a T.V. program on chile peppers. One of the things that stood out was that the seeds were not the hottest part of the pepper. As well as I can remember, they said that the veins in the pepper were where all of the hot came from. Is this true?Thank you, Sam A: Hello …
Habanero Taste-Alikes
Q: Hello Dave,I am growing lots of habaneros (orange and red savana) and just love the flavor. Can you tell me which other pepper varieties have similar flavors? I’m interested also in what varieties produce very bushy plants with lots of pods. Thanks again for such great advice.Regards, Mark A: Hello Mark:Habaneros are members of the Capsicum chinense species, and all …
Capsaicin Sensitive
Q: Hi Dave,I love chiles–all kinds–but at times, when I eat spicy foods, I get an instantaneous reaction which is a bit difficult to describe. Most accurately, it makes my head "swim" and my eyes want to close. This happened in a very pronounced manner this evening at a Thai restaurant. We had a very spicy soup, and I have …