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PLANT PROFILE | Capsicum
— but some, like the green or red bull’s horn
and the tapered ‘Cubanelle’, which varies from
yellow-green to a shocking fuchsia hue, are
elongated and curved.
Generally speaking, the warmer the
colour (and the more mature the fruit),
the sweeter the flavour. To add yet
another note of confusion, sweet, red
capsicums are actually vine-ripened green
peppers, though there is a variety called
‘Permagreen’ which, not surprisingly,
remains green when fully ripe.
‘Sweet Mama’ is a modern variety with a
heavy crop of green, bell-shaped fruit that
turns sweet and red, while ‘Sweet Red’ is a
compact variant for the patio pot. ‘Hungarian
Sweet Yellow’, also known as ‘Sweet Banana’
or ‘Yellow Wax’, has long pods that vary from
lemon-yellow to gold.
Among the heirlooms are the classic
‘Chinese Giant’, with large, red, bell-shaped
fruit, and ‘Purple Beauty’, the colour of
eggplant. ‘White Diamond’ has striking
translucent fruit that ripens to a creamy
yellow, while ‘Gilboa Orange’ and ‘Sweet
Chocolate’ add even more colour to a salad
or stir-fry.
‘Purple Beauty’
White, green and
chocolate capsicums
from Diggers Club
The redder the sweeter
Long varieties include
‘Hungarian Yellow Wax’
Growing
As their Central and South American origins
might suggest, capsicums like it hot. They
are frost-sensitive, so they do best in a cooler
climate when planted in spring. If it’s cold where
you live, the seeds will benefit from hothouse
germination but, in tropical and subtropical
climes, capsicums are true perennials.
Choose a sunny spot, dig in some organic
matter and rotted manure before planting
and perhaps add a bit of dolomite lime, as
capsicums enjoy good levels of calcium. Feed
through the growing season with an organic
fertiliser that has the right balance of nitrogen
for leafy growth and phosphorous and
potassium for roots and fruit.
It’s a good idea to stake seedlings as the
branches of the mature plant can split or snap
with the weight of a ripening crop. For the
same reason, harvest with secateurs rather
than handpicking, which tends to break the
brittle branches.
Nutrition
Capsicums are a rich source of antioxidants
and vitamin C. The levels are even higher in
red peppers, as are the amounts of carotene
and lycopene common to most red, orange
and yellow fruits and vegetables. Though the
jury’s still out on the supposed anti-cancer
benefits of lycopene, both red and green
capsicums are high in para-coumaric acid,
whose antioxidant properties have shown
Generally speaking, the warmer the
colour (and the more mature the fruit),
the sweeter the flavour.
beneficial results in stomach cancer.
Capsicums also contain small amounts
of calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine,
riboflavin and niacin.
Choose fruit that is firm, glossy, richly
coloured and heavy for its size. Capsicum
can be used raw in salads, cooked in
ratatouille or sautéed, baked, grilled or
steamed in various other dishes. It can be
ground into powder as paprika, preserved in
oil or vinegar, or milled into a pesto.
The arrival of Columbus in the Americas
might have been bad news for the Aztecs but,
as in the case of the tomato, it’s impossible
to imagine European cuisine — or ours —
without the capsicum.
Capsicum label
Common name: Capsicum, bell
pepper, sweet pepper
Botanical name: Capsicum annuum
Family: Solanaceae
Requires: Warm weather; moist soil
(but not too wet)
Dislikes: Frost or any temperature
extremes
Suitable for: Most vegetable
gardens, pots
Habit: Upright shrub with umbrellalike
fruit clusters
Difficulty: Easy
CanStockPhoto
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