Banana peppers confusion....

[Jason L]

Ok last year I tried to grow hungarian hot peppers which I thought were mild banana peppers you get in a jar in the store that are yellow and mildly spicy. They turned out to be spicier than jalapeno peppers. This year I asked someone at my local greenhouse (where I bought my seedlings from) where the banana peppers were. I was directed to ones labeled sweet banana peppers. To which I though ok maybe these are what I wanted. Despite them looking the same as the hungarian hot peppers when taken off the plants. They have absolutely no bite to them at all. In fact they are sweeter than a green bell pepper. So what the heck kind of banana pepper am I looking for so next year I can grow the kind I am wanting? Thanks

[ElizabethB]

The ones you buy in the jar are usually sweet bananas. The degree of heat depends on the pickling spices used. I grow the sweet bananas. Jalapeno peppers are as hot as I want to go.

[Meatburner]

Maybe pepperoncini? They are the ones I usually see in Italian salads and on sub sandwiches.

[Jason L]

Oh is pepperocini a type of pepper? I thought it wa just banana peppers made a special way? Ok so I got the right kind of pepper but it is in how they are pickled that makes them spicy. Interesting as I thought it was the pepper itself that was spicy? I always thought it was the pepper itself just like all other spicy peppers. I was basically wanting to cut them up fresh for putting on sandwiches or salads to add just a little mild bite to them. I still used them that way but would have liked that bite to them. And since they were sweet I have also used them in some stir fry (or similar) dishes. I'm working on an improved garden plan for next year and may have room for another type of pepper. As I found I do like these ones I got and would like to also get a mild spicy pepper as well.

[JayPoc]

...Ok so I got the right kind of pepper but it is in how they are pickled that makes them spicy...

Maybe, but it's also possible you're looking for these:



I got these from my local Lowes, who got them from Bonnie Plants...our regional big seed starter that supplies all the box stores here. They were labeled "hot banana pepper". They had the "sweet" variety as well. I LOVE these. Typical super productive pepper, and the heat is about 60% to 70% of your typical jalapeno. We've pickled a bunch, and use them fresh in salads and any dish where we want a little kick. Maybe these would fit your need?

[Jason L]

Perhaps they are. They look just like the sweet banana I got this year and also the hungarian hot peppers I had last year. So it's still not a certainty I guess unless they are distinctly a different variety of "banana pepper" than the two I have already tried. None of the seed or seedling sources I have been to in the last two years provide details. Everything is generically labeled for the most part. For example the cucumber plants I got were labeled simply cucumbers and pickling cucumbers. Though I'm sure there are probably a dozen varieties between the two. Neither of the ones I got was I happy with the results. And one of the two varieties of tomatoes I got I was not happy with. At least they were specific enough. The ones labeled bonnies best produced much better than the ones labeled heinz. Though aside from that the tomatoes look identical. I've yet to sample both for flavor. But anyways I guess I need to research banana peppers along with cucumbers for next year.