This season, we decided to include peppers in our trials, primarily because one of our longtime favorite bell peppers is soon to be discontinued. To find a worthy replacement, we planted 11 varieties of sweet bell peppers.
Five of these stood out for their impressive sweetness and good size: Double Up Hybrid, Red Bull Hybrid, King of the North, Galileo, and Zavory. While the other varieties we tested—Bell Boy Hybrid, Touchdown Hybrid, Bayonet Hybrid, Cutlass Hybrid, California Wonder, and Chocolate Beauty—weren’t bad in taste or size, the first five were clearly the top performers.
In addition to sweet bell peppers, we grew several other types to give our employees the opportunity to see and taste the wide variety of products they’re selling. Among them were the long, narrow varieties Red Belt Hybrid and Mama Mia Giallo Hybrid, both of which produced large, beautifully colored peppers. We also tried two snack-size varieties: Orange You Sweet Hybrid and Yes To Yellow Hybrid. These small, apple-sized peppers were exceptionally sweet and flavorful.
For those who enjoy a little heat, we planted several hot pepper varieties: Mosquetero Hybrid (Poblano type), Cheyenne Hybrid (Cayenne type), Mexibell Hybrid (a hot bell pepper), Early Jalapeno (a low-heat jalapeno), and Black Olive (an ornamental with plenty of heat). Several of our employees eagerly sampled the hot peppers, embracing the challenge with enthusiasm.
