Go for Green, Grow for Freshness & Flavour
Go for Green, Grow for Freshness & Flavour
I often get asked what is the correct point to pick a chilli and the answer is that there is no ‘correct’ time. It rather depends on what sort of heat and flavour you are looking for. A fully ripened pod will always be sweeter and hotter than its younger, green neighbour so if you want the full force of sweet heat, wait for it to ripen. There are, however, many occasions when a sharp, fresh hit of crunchy green chilli is just the right thing; I dress most Thai and Indian dishes with a sprinkling of fresh, sliced green chillies for an extra sharp hit of heat.
There are a number of chillies which are nearly always picked and used green. They are for the most part thick-walled, milder varieties such as Poblanos, Serranos, and Jalapeños but the Bangladeshi cousin to Bhut Jolokia, the Naga Morich, is a superhot variety which is generally picked green. Aside from the different flavour and texture presented by immature pods, the major advantage is that you don’t have to wait for them to ripen so you can get an awful lot more pods off your plant.
When you pick your pods green and add to your food uncooked, they become an ingredient in the dish rather than just a flavouring or heat additive. It’s a great way to showcase the particular variety and get its true flavour.
I often get asked what is the correct point to pick a chilli and the answer is that there is no ‘correct’ time. It rather depends on what sort of heat and flavour you are looking for. A fully ripened pod will always be sweeter and hotter than its younger, green neighbour so if you want the full force of sweet heat, wait for it to ripen. There are, however, many occasions when a sharp, fresh hit of crunchy green chilli is just the right thing; I dress most Thai and Indian dishes with a sprinkling of fresh, sliced green chillies for an extra sharp hit of heat.
There are a number of chillies which are nearly always picked and used green. They are for the most part thick-walled, milder varieties such as Poblanos, Serranos, and Jalapeños but the Bangladeshi cousin to Bhut Jolokia, the Naga Morich, is a superhot variety which is generally picked green. Aside from the different flavour and texture presented by immature pods, the major advantage is that you don’t have to wait for them to ripen so you can get an awful lot more pods off your plant.
When you pick your pods green and add to your food uncooked, they become an ingredient in the dish rather than just a flavouring or heat additive. It’s a great way to showcase the particular variety and get its true flavour.
Why Bigger Plants make Better Sense
Five reasons to start the season with biggest plants you can
Bigger plants are better equipped to deal with changes in the weather like a late spring
Bigger plants are more disease and pest resistant
Bigger plants will start fruiting earlier and fruit longer
Bigger plants can grow massive (in excess of 2m in the UK) if they are given a head start and that means a dramatically bigger harvest
Bigger Plants bring more joy. There's nothing that makes your heart leap, than a big plant dripping with chillies.
Order your plants and plugs from World of Chillies and make sure you get off to a great start in 2023
Find out more about great green chillies from the hotspots
Find out about green chillies from the hotspots
One of the larger Thai variety chillies, Chang Rai is quite mild by Thai standards. Delicious crunchy pods with a sharp, fresh flavour make this variety a perfect dressing chilli. Just slice thinly and sprinkled over pretty much anything as a pretty garnish that makes your food sing.
The Jalapeno never fails to impress with its shiny green bullets produced in abundance on easy-to-grow plants. If ever there was a cover-girl for green chillies, the Jalapeno has certainly earned the title. Fresh, pickled, sauced, smoked; they are loved the world over.
Serranos are grown as much for their crunchy flesh as their heat. I’m not sure I’ver ever actually cooked with Serranos, they all get sliced and chopped to dress food or make into delicious, zingy salsas. Showcase your Serranos in a fresh salsa served with tortilla chips.
A gorgeous new variety of Thai chilli that produces thin Birdseye-type chillies that are similar in heat and flavour to Thai Dragon. The Tyger has the added bonus of a highly ornamental habit, producing a spray of skyward-pointing, bright orange pods at the top of the plant.
You’d be forgiven for mistaking the Poblano for a sweet pepper as it it similar in size and appearance, but they do have a mild chilli-kick. In their native Mexico, Poblanos are stuffed and roasted or dried to make Anchos, favoured for their rich flavour of pepper and dried fruit.
Baccatum species chilli plants have a vine-like growing habit and can get really large. This star-studded variety is no exception, up to 2m of plant covered in gorgeous, star-shaped pods. I’ve read that they are 50,000 SHU but in my experience they are much milder.
One of my all time favourite chillies, a Thai Dragon makes it into my personal collection every year. They are very reliable, pretty hot and keep producing from late June through to late autumn. I always have enough for a few bags in the freezer too.
The Bangladeshi cousin of Bhut Jolokia with a similar bumpy texture, heat and shape (just a bit shorter and fatter). Nagas are generally picked green as a garnish or make into chilli pickle but they are definitely not for the faint-hearted; fresh, sharp and mouth-blisteringly hot.
A unique Spanish tapas chilli, often known as the Russian roulette chilli as only one in every 5-10 have heat. Actually this trick only works when pods are picked when small because they all gain heat as they start to mature. Prolific and among the easiest chillies to grow.
These mild, north-Indian chillies are grown for their colour and their flavour more than their heat. The large plants are really impressive, literally dripping with chillies from quite early in the season and producing a really good sized crop.
A gorgeous Habanero-type chilli that in truth I have never eaten green because they ripen to such a gorgeous golden colour. People do use Habaneros green from time to time; Marie Sharps make a delicious Green Habanero sauce that I have quite a taste for.
Chillies & Herbs for 2023
- Favourite Chillies of 2022
- How to Make Habanero Jelly
- Gorgeous Green Chillies
- Growing Exotic Herbs
- Favourite Chillies of 2022
- How to Get Rid of Aphids
- Perfect Padrons
- Start a Chilli Growing Project
- Potting on Chillies
- What I'm Growing in 2020
- Tasty Tomatoes for 2023
- Chilli News from Around the World
- Early Summer Tips for Chillies & Tomatoes
- Top tips for Potting on your Chillies
- Late Summer Sunshine. Grabs the Rays
World of Chillies was set up by Sarah Hunt in 2011 to promote chilli growing and the enjoyment of everything hot and spicy.
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