Capsicum annuum
Anaheim pepper, Anaheim chili, California chile, green chile: selected in California at the end of the 19th century by Emilio Ortega from New Mexico varieties, it was named after the city where it was grown commercially. It is the mild pepper of Southwestern American cuisine—the one used for chiles rellenos, large enough to be stuffed and mild enough to be eaten whole.
Characteristics:
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Large, elongated horns: 15 to 20 cm, dark green, then red when fully ripe.
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Very mild: only 500 to 2,500 Scoville units—a gentle heat, far milder than a cayenne pepper, but still present, unlike the bell pepper, which has no heat at all.
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Fruity flavor: fragrant and slightly herbaceous, it develops mainly during cooking.
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Thick flesh: allowing it to be stuffed or grilled without falling apart.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun and warmth, sheltered from the wind.
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Soil: rich, loose, and well drained, enriched with compost. It is sensitive to standing water.
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Method: sow from February to April under cover, at 20-25 °C: below 18 °C, the seeds will not germinate. Allow 2 to 3 weeks for germination. See how to sow your seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant when nighttime temperatures remain above 12 °C, spacing plants 50 cm apart. Unlike tomatoes, do not bury the stem: peppers do not form adventitious roots, and a buried crown will rot.
- Stake the plants: the long fruits weigh down the branches.
Care advice:
- Water regularly at the base, avoiding both excess water and drying out. Mulch to space out watering.
- Note: in this variety, the heat level varies according to growing conditions. A hot, dry season produces noticeably hotter fruits than a cool, rainy summer.
- Bring the pot indoors before frost: the pepper is perennial and will grow again the following spring.
Harvesting advice:
- Harvest with pruning shears, green for chiles rellenos and green dishes, or red for a sweeter flavor and for drying.
- Red and dried, they can be stored threaded into a garland in a dry, well-ventilated place.
Beneficial companions:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its white flowers are visited by bees and bumblebees throughout the summer.
- A rarely grown, seed-saving variety in France, its cultivation broadens the diversity of the vegetable garden. See our rare and unusual seeds.
Uses:
- Stuffed and gratinéed as chiles rellenos, grilled and peeled, in green sauce, canned, or dried. Its mildness allows it to be eaten as a vegetable in its own right, something few peppers permit.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Allow one fruit to turn completely red on the plant, open it, remove the seeds, and dry them flat. Be careful: peppers cross-pollinate easily. Isolate your seed-bearing plant if you are also growing hot varieties, or their heat may appear in the next generation. See how to save your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, test them for germination rates, and carefully sort and package them without any chemical treatment. Our conviction: to restore gardeners' ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Mild enough to be stuffed and eaten whole: the Californian vegetable pepper.
