Best pepper varieties: sweet, hot, and short-season
I don't grow peppers at home -- same deer and space constraints as tomatoes. The cultivar comparisons and performance data in this guide come from university Extension variety trials and published USDA breeding program.
I don't grow peppers at home — same deer and space constraints as tomatoes. The cultivar comparisons and performance data in this guide come from university Extension variety trials and published USDA breeding program results.
Peppers are warm-season crops that require a longer growing season than most northern gardeners expect. In zones 3—5, choosing varieties with 60—75 days to maturity is not optional — it is the difference between harvest and a frost-killed plant still covered in green fruit.
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Understanding Scoville units
Per Penn State Extension, capsaicin — the compound responsible for pepper heat — is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Reference points:
- Bell pepper: 0 SHU
- Banana pepper: 0—500 SHU
- Jalapeño: 2,500—8,000 SHU
- Serrano: 10,000—25,000 SHU
- Cayenne: 30,000—50,000 SHU
- Habanero: 100,000—350,000 SHU
Heat level varies within a variety depending on water stress, soil temperature, and ripeness. Per Penn State Extension, water-stressed plants of the same variety produce measurably hotter fruit.