Anaheim Hot Pepper Seeds - (Capsicum annuum)

Anaheim Hot Pepper - Stuffing Pepper

Fairly sweet, only slightly spicy, this pepper is a good producer. It is the most dependably mild, large stuffing pepper. Broad shouldered thick fleshed fruits that taper to a blunt, rounded tip and ripen from dark green to a true red. Classic chile for chile rellenos. 

History

In 1884, Dr. Fabián García, the first horticulturist at New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts — now New Mexico State University (NMSU) — began breeding the first improved New Mexican chile. He released the stable variety as ‘New Mexico No. 9’ in 1913, after 29 years of breeding and selection. This was the first New Mexican-type chile pod and the first cultivar from the new breeding program at NMSU.

Dr. García began his chile breeding career by improving the local chiles grown by Hispanic gardeners around Las Cruces, NM. He crossbred Mexican cultivars like the pasilla chile, chile negro varieties, Colorado chiles, and New Mexico landrace chiles like the widely popular ‘Chimayó.’

The New Mexican pod type is often mistakenly called ‘Anaheim,’ but is the reverse.

In 1894, a farmer named Emilio Ortega encountered the early breeding of the New Mexico No. 9 that Dr. García was working on and was enthralled with the mild, distinctive flavor. He learned how to fire roast and preserve the peppers by canning and brought seeds back to his home garden in southern California. He later developed the first commercial food company in Anaheim, CA, known as The Ortega Chile Packaging Company, where Anaheim Chile developed its specific traits and became a variety of its own.

Uses

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

Learn More

• Growing Peppers 101
• Chile and Pepper Growing Tips
• Grow Better Peppers with Shade
• Fermented Pepper Sauce
• Fermented Chile Paste

From the soil to the seed to the food you eat - we'll help you grow your best garden!