CATARINA PEPPER SEEDS

Capsicum annuum

Catarina sets a huge flush of adorable little light bulb peppers on surprisingly tall plants (ours grew to 4' in less than ideal conditions). At first the peppers disappoint, primarily due to a very “green" heat and tons of large seeds. Once fully ripened and dried these beauties possess the most wonderful of pepper perfume. Toasted and ground, the dried peppers rival the best Espelette or Hungarian Paprika in flavor and fragrance. Uniquely sweet heat with remarkable berry-like notes. Sublime.

Common in Mexico and simliar to Cascabel in that the seeds rattle around in the dried pods, though the flavor is entirely different. Catarina does fruit and ripen more easily than Cascabel in cooler climates, and would thus make a good substitute for those gardeners set on growing their own. Excellent in combination with Mulato in a black bean soup. Perfect on roasted squash or sweet potato frites. Incredible with venison.

We dry these little chiles for several hours in an oven set to 175° and keep them in a glass jar at room temperature. Pretty enough to gift and easily ground as necessary.

Packet contains at least 50 seeds