The Pepperoncini Pepper was likely your first taste of a foreign word at a deli, subway shop, or pizza joint. Those bright yellow pickled rings added a smidge of sour and a surprise of spice. You weren’t sure you liked them at first, but kept eating them, and learned to pronounce it: pepper-on-CHI-ni. Bring back the memories with this prolific plant that produces bunchini 3"-5" fruits that are tangy and crunchini when yellowish-green, becoming softer and sweeter as they ripen to red. Pickle these sweet, mild peppers in the old way, or toss fresh with a bowl of fettucini, porcini, and pecorini.

• Very high yields
• Tangy, sweet, and crunchy
• Early producer
• Harvest any color

SEED PLANTING TIPS

• Botanical name: Capsicum annuum
• Pepper length: 3"-5"
• Scoville heat units (SHU): 100-500/mild
• Plant support: Tomato cage or stake
• Depth to plant seeds: .25" deep
• Spacing between plants: 18"-24" apart
• Spacing between rows: 24"-36" apart
• Days to germinate (sprout): 7-21 days
• Germination soil temps: 75F-85F
• Soil needs: 6.0-7.0 pH
• Sun needs: Full sun
• Frost hardy: No
• Planting season: Spring, summer
• # of plants per sq. ft.: Appx. 1 plant per sq. ft.
• Days to maturity: 65-75 days

Good companion plants: Basil, Carrot, Cucumber, Eggplant, Okra, Rosemary, Sage, Squash, Tomato

• The Italian Pepperoncini pepper is one of the oldest Italian heirloom varieties that's still widely popular around the world. 3-5" pepper with low-medium heat.

• Bushy and small plants will produce a large amount of peppers.

• The peppers are yellow and then turn to red as the sweet flavor intensifies.

• Excellent when pickled or eaten raw in salads or sandwiches.