Corno di Toro

Nearly a foot of sweet Italian frying pepper, the bull's horn ripens red or yellow from August. It does the job bells do, earlier, with thinner walls that actually brown in a pan.

Growing

Mid March under lights, hardened off in early May, transplanted after frost into a 5 to 7 gallon bag or the bed. Cage or stake before the horns arrive; they get long and heavy and drag whole branches down. Green horns are usable but bland, and the payoff is full red or yellow, which runs August through October. A thirsty week while the pods lengthen shows up at harvest as thin walls and corkscrews.

Varieties

Carmen (red) and Escamillo (yellow) are refined corno types that ripen early and earn their seed price; Corno di Toro Rosso is the classic open-pollinated strain.

In the kitchen

Split lengthwise and grilled, or fried with onions for the sausage-and-peppers standard. By October they are sweet enough to eat raw like fruit.