Anciently Cultivated Manzano (Apple) Pepper Rocoto from South America, Unique, Rare- Tolerates Lower Temps
This Red Manzano Pepper is a great pepper if you want something sweet with a kick! The Manzano Pepper has a sweet, tangy, and juicy taste (a unique citrusy fruitiness) mixed with some heat. It is firm and thick in consistency and will take a while to build until the spice suddenly kicks in and burns you.
This sweetness makes the manzano taste like a richer, spicier bell pepper. Manzanos are often consumed in their fresh form in fresh salsas and sauces, and the larger pods can be stuffed with meat or cheese and baked or for making a sauce or paste, or sprinkled over your dinner.
The Manzano Pepper has thick walls, resembles a golf ball-sized apple. The Manzano ripens from green to red when mature. Black seeds, furry leaves and purple flowers are characteristics of this species.
Scoville rated at 30,000 to 100,000
history The center of origin for this species was in the higher Andes altitudes of Bolivia, and it was probably domesticated about 6,000 B.C., making it one of the oldest domesticated plants in the Americas.
Latin name: Capsicum pubescens
Other names: The common name for this species in South America is rocoto or locoto. In Mexico, it is also called CHILE MANZANO.
Fun Fact: The Manzano Pepper Plant is resistant to low temperatures, adapting well to 45-60 degrees Fahrenheit and performs well in partial shade. If protected from frost, the Manzano Plant can grow up to ten to fifteen feet long.
Start seeds early- needs time to ripen.