Fresno

Fresno is the jalapeno's fruitier twin: thinner walls, a faster turn to red, and more perfume once it gets there. One bag on the pepper bench covers it, same March start, with the pods left to color from August on.

Growing

Sow inside in mid March and keep the seedlings warm, since a pepper that never chills flowers sooner. One plant fills a 5 to 7 gallon bag after frost; feed lightly once the first fruit sets and go easy on nitrogen after that. Resist picking green through midsummer, because the red stage from August to October is the point of the plant, and keep colored pods picked so it keeps setting until frost. Water in small, regular amounts; a feast-and-famine bag cracks the shoulders of the ripening pods.

Varieties

Seed sold plainly as Fresno is the standard. Flaming Flare is an AAS-winning Fresno type bred to reach red earlier, which matters in a Beacon September.

In the kitchen

Red Fresnos are the backbone of fermented hot sauce; the thin walls collapse quickly in the blend and let the fruit through. They also mince raw into anything that wants heat with fruit behind it.