The Ultimate Hot Pepper Guide: Grow, Harvest, Cook & Preserve (With 50+ Recipes!)

Your ultimate HOT pepper guide where you'll find tips for growing and caring for peppers and the best varieties to grow, plus a treasure trove of recipes to preserve and cook with hot peppers.

This hot pepper guide is a part of a continuing series of Ultimate Guides where you can find all kinds of growing information and delicious recipes for cooking a specific fruit or vegetable (both fresh and  to preserve). See more fruit and vegetable guides here. Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

When I was writing The Ultimate Sweet Pepper Guide, it started out as just a general pepper guide that would include growing and cooking with all kinds of peppers. I didn't get too far into it before I realized that wouldn't work. Not only would it make the guide too long (who wants to scroll through pages and pages?), there were enough differences in growing and using sweet and hot peppers that they each needed their own guide.

The main differences? While the goal of growing sweet peppers is to bring them to maturity and full color (when they are at their full, sweet flavor), with hot peppers we routinely eat them in the green stage.

This makes hot peppers actually easier to grow and get a good harvest from, since picking fruit from a plant spurs it on to produce more. So their growing and harvesting season is longer (well, for us in milder climates) - I can start picking them whenever they reach a decent size, usually in July. In contrast, fully colored sweet peppers don't ripen until mid to late August (unless they're a mini variety).

The other difference is of course in cooking. You have to be very careful with the amount of hot peppers you add to recipes. It's safer to use more with the mild varieties, but there are really great recipes made just to highlight hot peppers - and you can't have salsa without them!

To know which peppers are mild, medium, or hot (not to mention blistering!), the heat of hot peppers is measured in Scoville units, named for Wilbur Scoville, an Englishman who first measured heat in peppers in the early 1900s. You can find everything from mild pepperoncini and anaheim (starting at 500 units) all the way up to one named Caroline Reaper at 1,569,383 units, who's name pretty much says it all, right?

Ultimate Hot Pepper Guide: Plant & grow

Types and Varieties of Hot Peppers

The varieties listed below are just a few of the hot peppers you can grow. They are the varieties I've grown and are used in lots of recipes.

• Pepperoncini - 100 to 500 Scoville Heat Units
• Anahiem - 500 to 2500 Scoville Heat Units
• Poblano - 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville Heat Units (note: this is sometimes called Ancho in seed catalogs, even though that is the name of the dried poblano - see below)
• Jalapeño - 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units
• Hungarian Wax Pepper - 5,000 to 10,000 Scoville Heat Units
• Cayenne - 30,000 and 50,000 Scoville Heat Units
• Thai Bird's Eye Chile - 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville Heat Units
• Habanero - 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat Units

Interesting fact: there are two peppers that are called something else when they're dried - chipotle peppers are dried jalapeño and ancho peppers are dried poblanos.

I always have lots of Anaheim and jalapeño plants growing in my garden to be sure I have enough for my favorite thick canned salsa. I often will grow a couple mild poblano plants since they pair well with Anaheims in salsas, too, especially green salsa verde.

Then I grow a few others for fun (one year I grew and pickled pepperoncini, another year I grew cayenne to dry) - but we found that habaneros and hotter peppers are too much for us, even though we like things spicy!

The thing with hot peppers is that there are all kinds with different heat levels (much more than listed here), so no matter the amount of spice you like, there's really something for everyone.

How to Grow Hot Peppers

Tips for Growing Hot Peppers:

• Plant where they will get at least 10 hours of direct sunlight. This is important - they need SUN and warmth.
• Plant peppers in well draining, loamy soil.
• Leave about 18-20” of space between plants (hot peppers need less room in between plants than sweeter varieties).
• Raised beds are a great way to grow peppers because they allow you to easily access your plants while ensuring they have high-quality soil that drains well. They also retain more heat than regular garden beds
• Avoid fertilizing with too much nitrogen which can cause lots of leaves but little to no fruit. Tip: add lime or bone-meal to the soil when transplanting, as peppers go through a lot of calcium during the growing season. A good all-around organic fertilizer at planting time is a safe bet.
• Stake or cage taller varieties so that the stems do not break in strong winds or due to a heavy fruit load. I use single stem stakes like these for tall plants like jalapeño and anaheim. For bushier plants I use grow-through supports like these.
• Using a black plastic mulch helps keep soil evenly moist for good growth (and heat the soil for early growth).
• Make sure your pepper plants receive at least an inch of water a week. Soaker hoses or drip systems make this easy, especially if using a plastic mulch - just layer the hoses under the plastic.
• Add about 1” of organic mulch around base of plant to help retain soil moisture and keep soil temperatures nice and warm (if not using a plastic mulch).
• Pinch off early blossoms, this will encourage larger sized peppers and a higher overall yield. This is hard, but really will help your plants get established and produce better for you in the long run.

For more hot pepper growing information, check out Gardener's Supply Company here and Growing Organic here. This book also has a lot of information on growing and using hot peppers: The Complete Chile Pepper Book.

Hot Pepper Guide: Harvesting 

Many hot peppers take anywhere from 70-130 days to produce ripe fruit after planting, though the majority of should be ready within 70 to 85 days of growth. Hot peppers are milder when picked early, becoming hotter when left on the plant to fully ripen. Maybe this is why we pick many of them when green?

Just like sweet peppers, always cut peppers from plant with scissors or a garden knife to avoid pulling which can damage the plant.

You can harvest hot peppers when green and immature - as mentioned, many are normally eaten this way like jalapeños and anaheim - but the flavors and vitamin content will approve as they ripen on the plant, turning color (usually red, though sometimes orange).

Peppers store well in unwashed ziplock bags in a refrigerator. You can also let them ripen further by allowing them to sit on the kitchen counter for a few days. Freezing is a great way to keep them longer.

Hot Pepper Guide Cook & Preserve Recipes

Hot Pepper Guide Preserving Recipes

How to Freeze Peppers (Freezer)

Pickled Sliced Jalapeño Peppers (Fridge)

Super Easy Fermented Pickled Jalapeños Recipe (Fridge)

Favorite Thick & Flavorful Salsa (Boiling Water Canned or freeze)

Tomatoes & Chilies {a Rotel copycat recipe} (Boiling Water Canned)

Honey Sweetened Jalapeño Jelly\Jam (Boiling Water Canned)

Roasted Tomatillo or Green Tomato Salsa (Boiling Water Canned or freeze)

Fermented Hot Sauce @ Mountain Feed (Fridge)

Candied Jalapeños @ Brooklyn Farm Girl (Fridge)

Homemade "Frank's" Hot Sauce @ Kitchen Stewardship (Fridge)

Smoky Homemade Hot Sauce @ Attainable-Sustainable (Fridge)

Pickled Hot Pepper Rings @ Serious Eats (Boiling Water Canned)

Southern Hot Pepper Sauce @ Home. Made. Interest (Shelf-stable vinegar)

Pickled Hot Peppers @ All Recipes (Boiling Water Canned)

Jalapeño Jelly Recipe @ Fresh Preserving (Boiling Water Canned)

Zesty Salsa Recipe @ Fresh Preserving (Boiling Water Canned)

Jalapeño Pepper Salt @ Instructables (Drying)

How to Dry Peppers @ Grow A Good Life (Drying)

Make Your Own Hot Pepper Flakes @ Old World Gardens (Drying)

Chili Powder Recipe @ Brooklyn Farm Girl (Drying)

Zesty Pickled Jalapeno Relish Recipe @ Reformation Acres (Boiling Water Canned)

Hot Homemade Giardiniera @ Daring Gourmet (Boiling Water Canned)

How to Can Peppers @ Simply Canning (Pressure Canning)

Hot Pepper Guide Cooking Recipes

Two Garden Fresh Salsas: Salsa Cruda & Pico de Gallo

Smashed Garlic Burgers with Jalapeños

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Spicy Beef, Tomato, and Corn Stew

Quick & Easy Roasted Corn Salsa

Bob Armstrong Chile con Queso @ Bon Appetit

Habanero Salsa @ Chili Pepper Madness

Hot Sausage Stuffed Banana Peppers @ No Bun Please

Baked Feta with Hot Peppers @ Olive Tomato

How to Roast Green Chilies @ The Pioneer Woman

Sweet and Hot Pepper Chicken, Asian-Style @ Food Network

Jalapeño Chicken Recipe @ Cake Whiz

Chili Relleno Casserole @ Anns Entitled Life

Jalapeño Ranch Dip - Chuys Copycat Recipe @ Yellow Bliss Road

Slow Cooker Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese Soup @ Well Plated

Anaheim Chicken Tortilla Soup @ Taste of Home

Shakshouka: Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce @ Love and Olive Oil

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole @ Eating on a Dime

No Knead Jalapeño Cheddar Artisan Recipe @ Chef In Training

Honey Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Biscuits @ Half Baked Harvest

Cheesy Bacon Jalapeño Corn Dip @ Thrillist

Bacon Jalapeño Deviled Eggs @ Real Housemoms

Bacon Pepper Jack and Jalapeño Scones @ Baker By Nature

Grilled Jalapeño Popper Chicken @ Slender Kitchen

Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Anaheim Peppers @ Chili Pepper Madness

Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Stuffed Jalapeños @ Sally's Baking Addiction

Honey Jalapeño Salad Dressing @ Chef Savvy

Slow Cooker Creamy Potato, Corn & Jalapeño Soup @ Sweet Peas & Saffron

Crockpot Jalapeño Popper White Chicken Chili @ Show Me the Yummy

Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Spaghetti Squash @ Premeditated Leftovers

Roasted Jalapeño Hummus @ Minimalist Baker

Roasted Shrimp Enchiladas With Jalapeño Cream Sauce @ Damn Delicious

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich @ Simply Stacie

Jalapeño Shrimp Nachos @ Will Cook For Smiles

Shrimp Cobb Salad with Jalapeño Corn Vinaigrette @ Half Baked Harvest

I hope you enjoyed this Ultimate Hot Pepper Guide. Check out some of the other Ultimate Guides below (or go here to see them all):

Ultimate Sweet Pepper Guide

Ultimate Zucchini Guide

Ultimate Blueberry Guide

Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn't change your price. Click here to read my full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.