Guest Columnist
The shishito (Caspium annum) is a pepper that few of us know about, but it is rapidly gaining in popularity. They’re a Japanese heirloom variety. Those who are aware talk about them as if they’re so good, they’re addictive!
They have great taste, and are easy to work with in the kitchen. Basically speaking, shishitos are mild peppers, only slightly hotter than a bell pepper. But on occasion, one out of ten can be comparatively hot, but jumping from a Scoville rating of just above zero to a 200 rating is still a mild pepper. A jalapeno pepper, for example ranges in heat from 2,500 – 4,500!
Shishitos are like other peppers in that they need warm air and soil temperatures before being sown or planted in soil. Make sure you harden them before transplanting in the garden. They’re small peppers about the length of a finger and have thin walls. They will ripen to red, but they’re good when still green. While slow to mature, they have great taste and are heavy producers.
Shishitos are a large plant, growing up to 48” in height. As such, they require a better cage than most pepper plants. They can be fertilized when planting, and they can be fertilized when flowering begins.
Picking begins for many when the fruits get to about 2-3” long. Shishitos are tough, easy to grow, and don’t seem to mind being left alone. They have very few pests. Picking usually begins when they are 2-3” long and still green.
Shishitos can be eaten raw, skewered for broiling or pan-frying, or pan-fried in other liquids such as soy sauce. A hole should be poked in the pepper so that inside air won’t explode the pepper when heated. NE TX Community College has an abundance of these peppers for sale.
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