Our Favorite Pepper Varieties

Photo: Johnny Miller

Peck of Peppers

Whatever a peck of peppers amounts to, it's safe to say we picked way more than that from our hugely bountiful crop, plenty for pickling, roasting, grilling, and slicing fresh. Some of ours delivered lemony tang along with searing heat, while others were sweet and apple-crisp.

See More: Cooking with Peppers

Photo: Randy Mayor

Lemon Drop Peppers

These dazzling hot peppers have fantastically complex citrus notes that aren't clobbered by their moderately high heat (between jalapeño and cayenne). Great for fruit salsas.

Photo: Randy Mayor

Fish Peppers

Perhaps slightly hotter than a serrano and about 3 inches long, they're an African-American heirloom popularly used in the 19th century for fish and shellfish cooking.

Photo: Randy Mayor

Korean Dark Green Peppers

Not quite as hot as Thai chiles, these are still spicier than serranos. One plant will yield hundreds of peppers, so think in terms of preservation: Pickle, or roast and freeze.

Photo: Randy Mayor

Thai Long Sweet Peppers

Don't let the name fool you—these are very hot! Thai Longs grow to about 6 inches. They're ideal for grilling or roasting until charred, then chopping up into spicy salsa.

Photo: Randy Mayor

Red Cheese Peppers

Glossy, brilliant red skin with sweet flesh that's thicker than bell peppers. They're small—about 3 inches—and flat, but gorgeous and worth the effort to stuff and roast.

Photo: Randy Mayor

Chocolate Beauty Peppers

This sweet bell pepper starts out green and then turns purple-brown as it ripens. Intensely sweet when ripe, it's versatile enough to eat raw, grill, roast, or sauté into pasta sauce.

Photo: Randy Mayor

Golden Treasure Peppers

A 9-inch-long sweet pepper that's a snap to prep: It has relatively few seeds, all located by the top stem and easy to slice right off. This Italian heirloom has thick flesh and tender skin.

Photo: Randy Mayor

Melrose Peppers

When young and green, it tastes like a green bell pepper; when red and fully ripe, it's sweet and richer. Hugely popular in Chicago among Italian-Americans.