Re: [CH] No Heat Habs
Susan Byers (chilewmn@bluemarble.net)
Mon, 8 Feb 1999 09:52:31 -0500 (EST)
I grow 2 low to no heat chinense peppers: the Venezuelan sweet habanero
and the sweet datil. They are both HUGELY popular, both as bedding plants
and as fresh chiles. Even my regular customers who want only the hottest
stuff, also want these beauties. I use them all the time when I have
company and am unsure of the acceptable heat level. The flavor is
delicious.
After all that build-up, I don't have enough seed of either to share.
Since I am trying to save pure seed strain for the 350-400 or so types I
am growing, I can usually only manage to save 75 types per year. I rotate
the seed saving and after losing most of my crop to flooding last year, my
seed bank is really hurting. I will, of course, be isolating both these
varieites for seed saving this year. Please feel free to contact me about
seed swapping after the 1999 harvest season.
ORIGINS: the Gustoso came via an IU biology professor's Venezuelan
graduate student. I have grown it for several years in my sweet pepper
field which is in a completely different area than my chile field. Last
year, I did have one VERY HOT plant appear in the sweet hab row. It didn't
even look like a chinense at all. Boy, was it hot. Why did this happen? We
are checking it out and I will be growing it out this year to see what
happens.
Sweet datil: this came from a list member who visited me a few years ago
and we had a great seed swap. I've heard you can get this seed from
Exoticus nurseries. I've tried to get in touch with them several times and
have never had any messages or calls returned. Does anybody have any
information about them? It sounds like they would be a great local source
for Floridians.
AJI DULCE: I first grew this some years ago when a Puerto Rican student
brought one back for me. IT was hot, however and I have been searching for
a true mild one. ANother list member (thank you Jesse Guadiana) shared
some Aji Dulce seed but these all were drowned in the flood. I recently
received 2 more Aji Dulce types from the USDA so I will be growing these 3
out this year and am anxious to see what their heat level will be.
I'll keep you all posted.
Susan Byers
The Chile Woman