Poblano / ancho

Two peppers from one plant, with poblanos picked green for roasting and anchos dried from the pods left to ripen red. Green pods start in August, and whatever reaches mahogany by October becomes the winter chili supply.

Growing

One of the slower peppers, so it gets the full 8 to 10 weeks indoors from mid March. Transplant after frost into a 5 to 7 gallon bag or the bed, and stake early; the plants grow tall and top-heavy. Big green pods for roasting come first, in August. Leave the rest to ripen dark red for drying; pods that reach full color before frost dry cleaner and taste sweeter. Keep the water even the whole way to red; the pods hanging longest are the ones a September dry spell takes first.

Varieties

Baron and Tiburon set reliably in Northeast summers; heirloom-strain poblano seed runs hotter and more variable, which is its own argument.

In the kitchen

Green: roasted over flame, peeled, and folded into rajas or chiles rellenos. Red and dried, it is ancho, the backbone of chili powder and mole.