New Gourmet Peppers—From Mild To Fiery Hot!

Seeds ‘n Such Has recently acquired the ‘Goliath’ Pepper Series, a rainbow of colorful mild and hot peppers that blend so well with the ‘Goliath’ Tomato Series, which has been a cornerstone of our seed business for years. “When I sold Totally Tomatoes in 1999, the ‘Goliaths’ consisted just of tomato seeds,” says Seeds ‘n Such owner J. Wayne Hilton, “But my successors extended the series to include an unbeatable line of “Goliath’ Peppers, both sweet (yellow-bell and elongated) and hot (mild and jalapeno) types. Try them to experience the best matched series of tomatoes and peppers in the industry.”

Goliath Griller Hybrid (Variety ‘Santa Fe Garden,’ 70 days). “The perfect amount of heat for a hot pepper!” says Hilton, “Mild enough to eat raw if you want just a bit of heat, but robust enough to be the ideal variety to roast or grill. Smooth fruits measure about 1-1/2 inches wide by 5 to 7 inches long and mature green to dark red. One of the most productive hot peppers for cool climates. Adapted to virtually all areas of the country, with superb disease resistance.”

Improved Goliath Jalapeno Hybrid (Variety ‘Tacana,’ 67 days). A goliath-sized jalapeno (as big as our popular ‘Mucho Nacho Hybrid’ featured on page 58) that measures 4 inches long by 1-1/2 inches wide, and ripens from a shiny, medium-green to a bright red,” notes Hilton, “Their thick walls with broad shoulders make them ideal for grilling, slicing or stuffing—or just for eating raw. Fruits pack typical jalapeno heat, with superb flavor and a crunchy texture. Great disease resistance allows for heavy yields all season long.”

Goliath Sweet Hybrid (Variety ‘Cabernet,’ 71 days). “’Goliath’ means gigantic, and this four-lobed beauty certainly is the biggest yet!” brags Hilton, “An elongated bell measuring 4 inches across by a whopping 7 inches long, with juicy, thick walls and a wonderful firm texture. Flavor is fabulous, with a sweetness that compares favorably to the sweetest bells ever bred. Fruits turn from green to dark red on plants that set fruits well under a variety of conditions.”

Goliath Goldrush Hybrid (Variety ‘Chardonnay,’ 73 days). “Want a bright-yellow, sweet bell with the quality and consistency of the respected ‘Goliath’ name?” Hilton asks, “Look no further than ‘Goldrush,’ with bright-yellow (almost fluorescent!), extra-sweet, flavorful fruits that are crunchy and firm, four-lobed and measure about 3-1/2 inches by 4 inches. Compact disease-resistant plants are productive and open for an easy harvest.”

Goliath Gentle Giant Hybrid Cubanelle Pepper (Variety ‘Key West,’ 69 days). “The most disease-resistant of all cubanelle peppers, including three separate races of Bacterial Spot,” notes Hilton, “The typical cubanelle shape, with early, large fruits measuring 2-1/2 inches across by 7 to 7-1/2 inches long. Fruits start out a pale light green, before maturing to a lovely deep red. Multiple ideal uses, like grilling, stuffing, as an ingredient in salads and pizza, or just eating fresh from the garden!”

Mad Hatter Hybrid Pepper (87 days) headlines our other featured new peppers for Spring 2018. “If you’ve read our booklet Growing Peppers from Seed (See page 2), you know that there are five species of peppers,” notes Hilton, This new 2017 AAS Winner, ‘Mad Hatter’ is a member of the Capsicum baccatum species and marks only the second baccatum variety I have offered since my Totally Tomatoes days in 1993 (the other variety is ‘Aji Rico,’ introduced on page 58). These peppers, from Bolivia and Peru, are among the most unusual ever, with disc-shaped, three-sided, sweet peppers with a light, citrus-floral taste. Rich flavor intensifies as fruits mature from green to red, occasionally developing mild heat around the seed cavity. Crunchy, crisp texture. Huge harvests, up to 50 per plant, of 3-inch by 2-inch fruits on big 3 to 4-foot plants, with nice branching. Use them raw in salads, pickled or stuffed with cheese. Can be grown in pots, but best in the ground with support.”

Carolina Reaper Super-Hot Pepper (95 days). “Now the World’s Hottest Pepper!” vows Hilton, “The Guinness Book of World Records recently proclaimed a South Carolina-grown cultivar named ‘Carolina Reaper’ as the world’s hottest pepper, registering 1,569,300 Scoville units of heat (a measure of heat intensity) at a South Carolina university, about 7% hotter than the 1,463,700 Scovilles when Guinness tested the previous hottest pepper, ‘Trinidad Moruga Scorpion’ (page 60), back in 2011. Bright-red, gnarled and lumpy with a scythe-like tail, ‘Carolina Reaper’ is a cross between ‘Bhut Jolokia’ or ‘Ghost Pepper’ (page 60) and a red habanero. The fruity flavor has a hint of citrus, with sweet, chocolate-cherry undertones. Mature fruits are about the size of a ping-pong ball. Requires bottom-heat to germinate. 55% germination.”

Majestic Red Hybrid Sweet Bell Pepper (78 days) “A new standard for sweet bells, with gigantic 6 to 7-inch, 4 to 6-ounce, blocky smooth fruits that turn bright green to a rich, shiny, candy-apple-red that looks almost as if it has been varnished, says Hilton, “Huge yields of juicy, meaty, thick-walled fruits that taste crisp and sugar-sweet. Plant offers superior foliage cover to protect from sunscald and an impressive disease resistance package, including Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Phytophthora and 7 races of Bacterial Spot. Widely adapted.”

Garfield Hybrid Sweet Pepper (75 days). “Big, blocky, vivid-orange peppers on compact to medium plants!’ notes Hilton, “High yields of smooth, uniform, four-lobed, thick-walled fruits that ripen from dark green to a near fluorescent-orange. Particularly mellow, sweet flavor that’s well suited for the best stuffed peppers you’ll ever taste! Resistant to Tobacco Mosaic Virus.”