Melrose Sweet Pepper Seeds - (Capsicum annuum)

Melrose Sweet Pepper - A Melrose Park Legend

A treasured sweet Italian frying pepper, 3 - 4" long, turns from dark green to rich, crimson red. Joseph and Lucia Napolitano brought a handful of their beloved sweet pepper seeds to Melrose Park, IL in 1903 from their little community of Nocera Inferiore, just southeast of Naples, Italy. They’ve become the most anticipated and beloved sweet peppers each season for Italian-Americans in Melrose Park and their descendants.

Versatile in all stages, when grown in rich soil it is sweet as candy when red. Sweetness is present raw or cooked, and memorable when grilled. Plants are loaded with fruit to keep you supplied. Holds its own alone or can blend with other vegetables.

History

Indigenous to Central and South America, peppers were developed into a crop plant around 3,000 BC or perhaps even earlier. Columbus introduced Capsicum into Europe and it also spread to Africa and Asia.

Uses

Peppers are used fresh, dried, and cooked. Peppers contain vitamins A and C.

Learn More

• The Story of the Melrose Pepper
• Growing Peppers 101
• Chile and Pepper Growing Tips
• Grow Better Peppers with Shade
• Growing Quality Heirloom Chiles

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