By Pritha Golden Steele

One thing to know about peppers is that they truly **love the heat**! While we don’t have the hottest climate in the Pacific Northwest, we can still grow beautiful peppers here. It simply takes more care to get a productive pepper crop in this climate than a warmer southern climate.
One way we like to improve our success with peppers is by being selective about our pepper selections and **choosing varieties that are early to mature**. It is also very important to **plant peppers at the right time** to maximize their growing season. Here in Portland, Oregon we aim to plant peppers around June 1st when night time lows are consistently 50º and above.

PEPPERS VARIETIES WE LOVE

Below is a list of 10 peppers varieties that have given us excellent results. Additionally, it can be helpful to know that sunlight and heat are what cause peppers to ripen and either get spicy or sweet. So as a general rule, smaller peppers will typically sweeten up or spice up earlier than lager ones. As well, peppers that are harvested green will often be ready earlier than peppers that we harvest red, orange or yellow.

Carmen – This red Italian pepper is sweet and very productive. It can be hard to get a nice bell pepper crop in our climate, so Carmen is a great replacement. It ripens more easily than a bell pepper and it can be used the same way culinarily.

Jimmy Nardello – This super sweet frying pepper is a favorite of chefs and gardeners alike. The fruit is long and thin-walled making it so you can throw whole peppers into a pan, blister the skin and serve them as a mouthwatering appetizer or a side dish.

Baby Bell Peppers – Baby bell peppers ripen early because of their small size, and they are a big hit with kids. Excellent for a little snack, these peppers are a fun and delicious addition to the garden.

Glow – If you want to grow a standard size bell pepper, this variety is one of the earlier ripening bells, which means you can still get a nice ripe fruit even in our climate. As well, they are fun to grow for their beautiful orange color.

Padron

earliest pepper, a little kick, absolutely delicious

Padron or Shishito – These small frying peppers are some of the earliest peppers we get out of the garden and some of the most delicious. Harvest peppers green when they are about 2”-3” long. Flash fry them in oil, generously salt and eat them whole. If you like some spice in your food, about 1 in 10 Padron peppers have some kick. If you are not a fan of spice, Shishito are milder and would be a great choice.

For more info on Padron Peppers check out this classic blog post dedicated exclusively to these favorites!

Joe Parker Anaheim Chili – These NuMex type peppers have a mild spice to them and are excellent for roasting, smoking, stuffing and canning. As a pepper that you typically harvest green, it is anther variety the is ready earlier in the season. This variety is very productive and reliable.

Tiburon Poblano – Tiburon Poblano produces beautiful large dark blue/green peppers with excellent flavor and a little bit of kick. They are typically harvested green but they will eventually turn a deep red color, slowly getting spicier the longer they hang on the vine. The plants can get tall and produce a nice heavy crop.

Habanada

all the flavor without the heat

Habanada – This pepper is packed with complex, fruity Habanero flavor but without the heat. These peppers are so flavorful that it only takes a couple peppers to completely transform a dish or salsa.

Lipstick – If you are looking for an earlier maturing sweet pepper, then lipstick is an excellent choice. This tapered fruit grows to be about 4” long, has a nice thick wall, and super sweet flavor.

Early Jalapeño – Hot peppers really benefit from the heat to get their spice. With our limited Summer in the pacific northwest, Jalapeños are an excellent choice for growing. They are quicker to mature than many other peppers and produce an abundance of fruits on a single plant!