Peppers: From the Americas to the New England Farm
/Few vegetables offer as much variety as the humble pepper. They can be sweet or fiery, green or red, long and slender or round and chunky. Some are perfect for stuffing, some for frying, some for pickling, and others are best used sparingly to bring heat to a dish.
At Nourse Farm, peppers are part of the late-summer harvest, when the fields are producing an abundance of warm-season crops. From crisp green bell peppers to sweet Italian peppers and spicy jalapeños and cherry peppers, there is a pepper for nearly every kind of cook.
But peppers have a much bigger story to tell.
A Vegetable With American Roots
Before peppers became staples of Italian pasta, Indian curry, Thai stir-fries and Hungarian paprika, they were plants of the Americas.
Peppers belong to the genus Capsicum, and archaeological evidence shows that people were using chili peppers in the Americas at least 6,000 years ago. Evidence of ancient peppers has been found at archaeological sites stretching from the Bahamas to southern Peru.
One important center of domestication was Mexico. Researchers have identified Capsicum annuum—the species that includes bell peppers, jalapeños, poblanos, cayenne and many other familiar peppers—as having been domesticated in Mexico.
Then came one of the great agricultural journeys in history.
When European explorers encountered peppers in the Americas, they carried them back across the Atlantic. From there, peppers spread rapidly along trade routes throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. Within a relatively short time, they became essential ingredients in cuisines far from their American origins.
Today, it is difficult to imagine Mexican salsa, Indian curry, Thai cuisine, Italian peperonata or Hungarian paprika without them.
One of the world's most important culinary ingredients began right here in the Americas.
What Exactly Is a Pepper?
Here's a fun bit of botanical trivia: a pepper is technically a fruit, not a vegetable.
That's because the part we eat develops from the flower of the pepper plant and contains seeds. Like tomatoes and eggplant, peppers are botanically fruits but are treated as vegetables in the kitchen.
Peppers belong to the nightshade family, Solanaceae, along with tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes.
There are five major domesticated species of Capsicum, including Capsicum annuum, C. chinense, C. frutescens, C. baccatum and C. pubescens. Thousands of varieties have been developed from these plants.
That is why the pepper world is so wonderfully diverse.
Sweet or Hot? It's All About Capsaicin
The biggest distinction among peppers is whether they contain significant amounts of capsaicin, the compound responsible for the burning sensation associated with hot peppers.
Bell peppers don't contain meaningful amounts of capsaicin, which is why they have no heat. Jalapeños, cayenne, habaneros and other chili peppers contain varying amounts.
The heat of peppers is commonly measured using the Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) scale. The higher the number, the hotter the pepper.
But heat isn't simply a matter of variety. Growing conditions can influence how hot some peppers become, too. Genetics, temperature, water availability and fertility can all play a role.
And here's another interesting difference:
Sweet peppers generally become sweeter as they mature, while hot peppers often become more pungent.
The Many Types of Peppers
🫑 Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are probably the most familiar sweet pepper. They have thick, crisp walls and virtually no heat, making them incredibly versatile.
Green bell peppers are actually mature peppers that have been harvested before fully ripening. If left on the plant, many varieties will eventually change color—often to red, yellow or orange—and become sweeter.
Red bell peppers, in particular, have a sweeter, fruitier flavor than green peppers.
Use them for:
Stuffed peppers
Fajitas
Stir-fries
Salads
Roasting
Grilling
Omelets
Pasta dishes
🌶️ Italian Sweet & Frying Peppers
Long, slender Italian peppers are some of the best peppers for simple summer cooking.
Varieties such as Corno di Toro, Carmen and Cubanelle are often called frying peppers because they're delicious simply sautéed in olive oil until tender and caramelized.
They can be sweet, fruity and incredibly flavorful without requiring much preparation.
A little olive oil, garlic, salt and heat is often all they need.
🌶️ Jalapeños
Jalapeños are one of the most recognizable hot peppers and another Capsicum annuum variety.
They're generally picked green, although they can be left on the plant to mature to red. They add moderate heat to salsa, tacos, sauces, pickles and countless other dishes.
And don't discard the seeds automatically—the seeds and surrounding membranes are often associated with much of the perceived heat, so removing them can make a jalapeño considerably milder.
🔥 Hot Cherry Peppers
Hot cherry peppers are small, round peppers with a surprisingly big personality.
They're especially good for:
Pickling
Stuffing
Chopping into sauces
Adding to sandwiches
Pizza
Antipasto
Pepper relish
They're also beautiful enough to make a colorful addition to a farm-store display.
🌶️ Other Peppers You'll Find
The pepper family gets even bigger.
Poblano: Mild to moderately hot, excellent roasted or stuffed.
Anaheim: Long, generally mild, and excellent for roasting and cooking.
Cayenne: Thin, elongated and considerably hotter; often dried or ground.
Banana peppers: Mild and tangy, excellent fresh or pickled.
Serrano: Smaller and hotter than a jalapeño, commonly used in salsa.
Habanero: Small, intensely hot and wonderfully fruity.
Shishito: Small Japanese frying peppers that are generally mild, although an occasional pepper can surprise you.
And that's just scratching the surface.
Why Do Some Peppers Turn Red?
This is one of the easiest things to explain to customers at a farm stand.
A green pepper isn't necessarily a different kind of pepper from a red pepper.
In many varieties, green is simply an earlier stage of ripeness.
As the fruit remains on the plant, its color changes as pigments develop and the flavor becomes sweeter. University of Maine Extension notes that fully ripened bell peppers generally have higher amounts of vitamins A and C than green peppers.
So if you like a pepper with a little more sweetness, let it ripen.
If you prefer a crisper, more vegetal flavor, green is the way to go.
Growing Peppers in New England
Peppers love something that New England doesn't always give them enough of:
heat.
Peppers are warm-season crops that require roughly three to four months of frost-free growing conditions. In Massachusetts, they're generally grown from transplants rather than direct-seeded into the field.
That means the work begins well before peppers appear in the farm store.
Seeds are typically started indoors six to eight weeks before planting outside, and peppers should not be planted outdoors until the danger of frost has passed and the soil and air have warmed.
Peppers also don't like cold feet—or cold weather in general. They need warm conditions to thrive and may fail to set fruit when temperatures drop below about 55°F.
In other words, peppers aren't exactly in a hurry.
They take their time getting established, then really take off when summer arrives.
What Helps Peppers Thrive?
Peppers prefer:
Full sun
Warm soil
Well-drained soil
Consistent moisture
Adequate fertility
A long, warm growing season
In New England, choosing varieties suited to our shorter growing season can make a significant difference. University of Maine Extension specifically recommends early varieties in northern Maine, while early- and mid-season varieties can perform well farther south.
That makes variety selection especially important for New England farmers.
When Are Peppers in Season in New England?
Unlike some crops that arrive and disappear quickly, peppers can have a long harvest window once plants get going.
Exact timing depends on the variety, weather and location, but a typical New England season looks something like this:
PepperTypical New England SeasonGreen bell peppersJuly/August–OctoberItalian sweet/frying peppersAugust–OctoberJalapeñosAugust–OctoberBanana peppersAugust–OctoberHot cherry peppersAugust–OctoberPoblano/AnaheimAugust–OctoberHabaneroLate August–OctoberRed/yellow/orange fully ripe bellsAugust–October
University of Maine Extension lists Maine-grown bell peppers from August through October, while research trials in New Hampshire have harvested peppers into late October or early November when frost finally ended the crop.
For a New England farm, that makes peppers an especially valuable late-summer and fall crop.
Peppers Are Good for You, Too
Peppers aren't just colorful and flavorful—they pack a nutritional punch.
Vitamin C
Peppers are particularly rich in vitamin C. USDA FoodData Central identifies chili peppers as an excellent source, with several common varieties providing 20% or more of the recommended daily value per serving.
Bell peppers are also an excellent source of vitamins A and C.
Antioxidants
The pigments responsible for peppers' beautiful colors—including red, orange, yellow and other hues—include compounds with antioxidant activity. USDA notes that anthocyanins contribute to some pepper coloration and function as antioxidants in the body.
Capsaicin
Hot peppers bring something that sweet peppers don't: capsaicin.
Capsaicin is the compound responsible for the characteristic heat of chili peppers and has been the subject of considerable nutritional and medical research.
And perhaps the best nutritional quality of all?
Peppers make healthy food more exciting.
A few slices of jalapeño can turn a simple taco into something memorable. Roasted sweet peppers can transform a sandwich. A handful of chopped peppers can make beans, eggs, grains or vegetables far more interesting.
How to Choose Peppers at the Farm Store
Look for peppers that are:
Firm and heavy for their size
Smooth and glossy
Free from soft spots
Free from deep wrinkles or shriveling
Bright and vibrant in color
For green peppers, look for firm, thick-walled fruit.
For fully ripe red, orange or yellow peppers, look for rich color and firm flesh.
And don't be afraid of a little variation in size or shape. One of the best things about buying peppers directly from a farm is getting varieties and shapes that you might not see in a supermarket.
How to Store Fresh Peppers
Peppers should be handled gently after harvest.
Store them in the refrigerator and use them relatively soon for the best flavor and texture. Hot and sweet peppers can also be preserved through freezing, drying, pickling and fermenting. University of Maine Extension notes that peppers can be harvested at different stages and preserved by drying or freezing.
And if you have more peppers than you know what to do with?
That's when the fun begins.
Beyond the Frying Pan: Ways to Preserve the Pepper Harvest
Peppers are one of those crops that lend themselves beautifully to preservation.
Try:
Pickling – especially jalapeños, banana peppers and hot cherry peppers.
Freezing – slice sweet peppers and freeze them for winter cooking.
Drying – especially cayenne and other thin-walled hot peppers.
Fermenting – turn hot peppers into homemade fermented hot sauce.
Roasting – roast sweet peppers until their skins blister and caramelize, then use them throughout the week.
Peppers in oil – delicious, although proper food-safety practices are essential for any homemade garlic- or vegetable-in-oil preservation.
The Best Part: Eat the Rainbow
Perhaps one of the most enjoyable things about peppers is that you don't have to choose just one.
Combine green bell peppers with sweet Italian peppers. Add a jalapeño for heat. Throw in a hot cherry pepper for something unexpected.
You can create an entire dish from the pepper patch.
Try them grilled, sautéed, roasted, stuffed, pickled, fermented or simply sliced raw and dipped into hummus.
Because peppers are incredibly versatile, there's really no wrong way to eat them.
From Ancient Crop to New England Harvest
It's remarkable to think that the peppers growing in a New England field today are part of a story that began thousands of years ago in the Americas.
Ancient farmers selected and cultivated peppers. Explorers carried them across oceans. Farmers around the world developed thousands of varieties. And now, every summer, New England farms grow their own version of this remarkable crop.
From the mild sweetness of a red Italian pepper to the unmistakable heat of a jalapeño, every pepper tells a little piece of that story.
And right now, they're ready for your kitchen.