Padron Pepper Seeds ReviewWe were happy to get this beautiful shot of Padrón peppers from one of our happy seed customers, here's what Sam had to say: Greetings to the folks at the Sandia Seed Company!I recently purchased a packet of your padrón seeds. I also happened to get my San Diego garden started early this year as well. As a result I have already had two batches of blackened padróns with coarse sea salt as appetizers for meals. You are receiving a photo of the 2nd batch; ... We all know the first ones di...
Ornamental Pepper RecipesCan you eat your ornamental peppers?Of course you can! They are usually quite hot, so add them with caution, add a little a time and taste-test your recipe until you get to the desired heat. Ornamental peppers are usually quite a bit hotter than your average Jalapeño, so unless you like it wicked hot, add in small doses until it's just right. Here are some of our favorite salsa recipes to use up your ornamental pepper harvest at the end of the season: Ornamental Peppers Salsa Recip...
Harvest RecipesWe sure do love harvest season!Here are some of our favorite recipes to use up your harvest: Salsa Recipes:Carolina Reaper Salsa Recipe »Trinidad Scorpion Salsa Recipe »Vinegar Pepper Sauce Recipe »Ghost Pepper Salsa Recipe »Orange Salsa Recipe »Tomatillo Salsa Recipe »Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe » No-Peel Salsa Recipe »Green Tomato Salsa Recipe »Salsa Macha Recipe » Chile Pepper Recipes for Stews, Casseroles & Side Dishes:Green Chile Stew Recipe »Hatch Green Chile Gravy Recip...
Zucchini: The most abundant crop!It's open season for zucchini! Do you grow the infamous Black Beauty Zucchini summer squash? Black Beauty produces a huge crop of tender zucchini squash during the summer. Harvest zucchini squash when the fruits are small. This will result in a more tender and flavorful squash. Easy to grow and a great choice for the beginner gardener. These are one of the first of the summer vegetables to harvest, and one of the last – they just keep coming all summer long! And, they're super fas...
Edible Ornamental PeppersEdible Ornamental Peppers These NuMex Easter peppers are absolutely gorgeous in pastel! We'll be making room for these in the garden every year from here on out. They look stunning in containers! Did you know that ornamental peppers are edible? Yes, ornamental peppers like these Easter Peppers are edible! They make great hot pepper flakes when dried after fully mature, or thrown anytime into salsa to kick up the heat. You can also use them to make fermented hot sauce recipes. Many of ...
Harvest vegetables at the right timeKnowing when to harvest vegetables will help you get the best quality vegetables from your garden. Many gardeners allow produce to pass their prime when vegetables are less tender and more fibrous. Below is a guideline to help you determine the best time to harvest vegetables. Pepper and tomatoes are listed first with the Get Real Vegetables information below that. Peppers (bell and chile) can be harvested in three stages. Mature green: Pepper is firm and fully sized. The fruit color is...
Guajillo Chile - Which kind are used for Mole?Here's a question we recently had about Guajillo chile: Question about the guajillo pepper seeds: The site says these are one of the most common dried peppers in Mexico, but I was reading the Peppers of America book by Maricel Presilla from one of your earlier posts and she refers to the guajillo as the dried form of the mirasol chile. I noticed your mirasol pepper description doesn't mention anything about this. What are y'all's thoughts on this nomenclature discrepancy? Two ...
Best Salt Substitute: Hot Peppers!Watching your salt intake? One of our favorite ways to spice up a dish without salt is none other than hot peppers! Any spicy peppers are a great way to get your tastebuds excited about anything you eat. We love growing hot peppers and then drying them and crushing into hot pepper flakes or powder so that we can sprinkle flavor on anything including sandwiches, soups, tacos, burritos, wraps, burgers, pizza, you name it!! Clean Salt-Substitute: The great thing about hot pepper flakes is that ...
Ornamental Pepper: NuMex EasterThe Ornamental Pepper NuMex Easter is gorgeous in pastels! Also great for drying at the end of the season for use as hot pepper flakes or to add to salsa. Beautiful and delicious! View more of our Ornamental Peppers » Ornamental Peppers are not only beautiful, they are quite prolific! And, contrary to popular belief, you can eat ornamental peppers! They are perfect peppers for making hot sauces, pepper flakes or powder, or to use in any recipes such as for salsa.
Growing Peppers from Seed: Our Top 12 TipsGrowing Peppers from SeedOur Top 12 Tips 1. Use Fresh Pepper Seeds When stored in perfect conditions, pepper seeds can be viable for up to 25 years, but generally 2-5 years is more realistic for good germination rates. Sandia Seed only sells fresh seeds that were harvested from the previous season, and we ensure all of our seeds have a 85% germination rate or higher to guarantee your success. Keep in mind that the older the seeds get, the less likely they will sprout. Old pepper seeds are m...
What to Plant with Tomatoes to Keep Bugs AwayWhat to Plant with Tomatoes to Keep Bugs Away: Marigolds:Did you know that the strong scent of marigolds can repel a variety of pests such tomato hornworms, aphids, whiteflies and thrips? It's true! There has also been research that indicated that planting marigolds between tomatoes protects the tomato plants from harmful root-knot nematodes in the soil. We have certainly noticed that our tomato plants do better when we have planted some marigolds nearby, so we now grow them every year i...
Morita Salsa RecipeDid you know that a Morita chile is really a smoked ripe jalapeño? Morita chiles are similar to Chipotle peppers in this respect, the difference being that Moritas are mildly smoked for less time than Chipotle peppers, so they are softer and they maintain their subtle fruity characteristics while developing a rich chocolatey aroma. Dried and crushed Morita chiles are ideal for use in soups, stews, beans, and chilis. Morita chiles can be used instead of Chipotle peppers in recipes. Moritas a...
Orange Jalapeno Seeds back in stock!What rhymes with orange?The very popular NuMex Orange Jalapeño seed packets are back in stock! The seeds just arrived and we are putting them in the packets as you read this. It's a small jalapeño with a crazy amount of heat at 80,000 Scovilles! Heck, that's more heat than a serrano! These jalapenos mature in a quick 65 days and make our fiery Orange Salsa Recipe or a very hot dried rub.P.S. The word orange has almost no perfect rhymes. The only word in the 20-volume historical Oxford...
Vegan Jalapeno Poppers RecipeYou can make your own hummus or use store-bought hummus for this delicious vegan / vegetarian version of Jalapeño Poppers. Vegan Jalapeno Poppers Recipe Ingredients: Make your own Hummus:• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained • 3-5 garlic cloves • ½ tsp black pepper • ½ tsp red pepper • ¼ cup water • Juice of 1 lemon, plus grate a little of the lemon rind • 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil, Sesame Oil or use Tahini if you have it • 8-10 Jalapenos, sliced in half, seeds r...
Hottest Pepper 2020The Hottest Pepper in 2020 is the infamous Carolina Reaper! While a lot of other contenders have come onto the market in the past few years, the Reaper still carries the Guinness World Record crown for being the world's hottest pepper in 2020.Developed by pepper breeder Ed Currie in South Carolina, this wicked beast of a pepper is red with a gnarled, bumpy texture and a small pointed tail. Guinness World Records declared it the hottest chili pepper in the world in 2013, and it has held th...
Grow a Hatch PatchIf you love growing vegetables, then you should grow your own Hatch Patch! What is Hatch? Hatch chiles are the most delicious chiles you can grow. If you have ever lived in New Mexico or tasted Hatch green chile then you know you can’t live without it! Even if you don't live in New Mexico, you can experience that wonderful flavor of green chile wherever you live by growing them yourself! Be prepared because green chile is addictive, just ask any New Mexican. Like Champagne, the Hatch name...
Purple PeppersSandia Seed has a wide variety of purple peppers that you can grow easily from seed! Purple in the garden is always a welcome sight! And, when you use purple peppers in your salads and recipes, they really add some great flavor and color! Our favorite purple peppers include both sweet and hot peppers. Starting out with a hot one, our Purple Cayenne Pepper seeds are easy to grow, and these beauties transition from light green to deep purple before ripening to a bold red. A fun one to grow in...
The Chile PatchThe Chili Patch Old Town, Albuquerque, New MexicoThis cool shop has lots of colorful ceramics, textiles, clothing, glassware and other beautiful things. We sure do love all the fun shops in Albuquerque! See who carries our seeds: Want to find out who sells our seeds in your town? Find all the shops that sell our seeds in our Store Locator »If your local plant nursery or garden center doesn't carry our seeds, just ask! Lots of shops love to add requested seeds to their inventory if pe...
Super Hot Pepper SeedsSandia Seed carries a huge collection of pepper seeds including tons of super hot pepper seeds! If you're looking for the hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper is the current world-record holder, it's rated to 2+ million Scovilles. We also have lots of other varieties of super hot peppers including several different kinds of Ghost Pepper Seeds (Bhut Jolokias) in many colors, white, yellow, peach, purple, chocolate and red!
Growing Hot Peppers in PotsGrowing Hot Peppers in Pots is easy! Here are some of our top tips:Some varieties do better than others, so choose wisely, and make sure to plant them in a well-draining larger pot that is at least 5+ gallons in size. You want to make sure you have well-draining potting soil (not garden soil) with plenty of drainage holes so that the roots don't stay soggy. Here are all of our peppers that grow well in pots » OUR TOP TIPS:Growing Super Hot Peppers like the Carolina Reaper in Containers:...
Padron Pepper Seeds Review
We were happy to get this beautiful shot of Padrón peppers from one of our happy seed customers, here's what Sam had to say: Greetings to the folks at the Sandia Seed Company!I recently purchased a packet of your padrón seeds. I also happened to get my San Diego garden started early this year as well. As a result I have already had two batches of blackened padróns with coarse sea salt as appetizers for meals. You are receiving a photo of the 2nd batch; ... We all know the first ones di...
Ornamental Pepper Recipes
Can you eat your ornamental peppers?Of course you can! They are usually quite hot, so add them with caution, add a little a time and taste-test your recipe until you get to the desired heat. Ornamental peppers are usually quite a bit hotter than your average Jalapeño, so unless you like it wicked hot, add in small doses until it's just right. Here are some of our favorite salsa recipes to use up your ornamental pepper harvest at the end of the season: Ornamental Peppers Salsa Recip...
Harvest Recipes
We sure do love harvest season!Here are some of our favorite recipes to use up your harvest: Salsa Recipes:Carolina Reaper Salsa Recipe »Trinidad Scorpion Salsa Recipe »Vinegar Pepper Sauce Recipe »Ghost Pepper Salsa Recipe »Orange Salsa Recipe »Tomatillo Salsa Recipe »Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe » No-Peel Salsa Recipe »Green Tomato Salsa Recipe »Salsa Macha Recipe » Chile Pepper Recipes for Stews, Casseroles & Side Dishes:Green Chile Stew Recipe »Hatch Green Chile Gravy Recip...
Zucchini: The most abundant crop!
It's open season for zucchini! Do you grow the infamous Black Beauty Zucchini summer squash? Black Beauty produces a huge crop of tender zucchini squash during the summer. Harvest zucchini squash when the fruits are small. This will result in a more tender and flavorful squash. Easy to grow and a great choice for the beginner gardener. These are one of the first of the summer vegetables to harvest, and one of the last – they just keep coming all summer long! And, they're super fas...
Edible Ornamental Peppers
Edible Ornamental Peppers These NuMex Easter peppers are absolutely gorgeous in pastel! We'll be making room for these in the garden every year from here on out. They look stunning in containers! Did you know that ornamental peppers are edible? Yes, ornamental peppers like these Easter Peppers are edible! They make great hot pepper flakes when dried after fully mature, or thrown anytime into salsa to kick up the heat. You can also use them to make fermented hot sauce recipes. Many of ...
Harvest vegetables at the right time
Knowing when to harvest vegetables will help you get the best quality vegetables from your garden. Many gardeners allow produce to pass their prime when vegetables are less tender and more fibrous. Below is a guideline to help you determine the best time to harvest vegetables. Pepper and tomatoes are listed first with the Get Real Vegetables information below that. Peppers (bell and chile) can be harvested in three stages. Mature green: Pepper is firm and fully sized. The fruit color is...
Guajillo Chile - Which kind are used for Mole?
Here's a question we recently had about Guajillo chile: Question about the guajillo pepper seeds: The site says these are one of the most common dried peppers in Mexico, but I was reading the Peppers of America book by Maricel Presilla from one of your earlier posts and she refers to the guajillo as the dried form of the mirasol chile. I noticed your mirasol pepper description doesn't mention anything about this. What are y'all's thoughts on this nomenclature discrepancy? Two ...
Best Salt Substitute: Hot Peppers!
Watching your salt intake? One of our favorite ways to spice up a dish without salt is none other than hot peppers! Any spicy peppers are a great way to get your tastebuds excited about anything you eat. We love growing hot peppers and then drying them and crushing into hot pepper flakes or powder so that we can sprinkle flavor on anything including sandwiches, soups, tacos, burritos, wraps, burgers, pizza, you name it!! Clean Salt-Substitute: The great thing about hot pepper flakes is that ...
Ornamental Pepper: NuMex Easter
The Ornamental Pepper NuMex Easter is gorgeous in pastels! Also great for drying at the end of the season for use as hot pepper flakes or to add to salsa. Beautiful and delicious! View more of our Ornamental Peppers » Ornamental Peppers are not only beautiful, they are quite prolific! And, contrary to popular belief, you can eat ornamental peppers! They are perfect peppers for making hot sauces, pepper flakes or powder, or to use in any recipes such as for salsa.
Growing Peppers from Seed: Our Top 12 Tips
Growing Peppers from SeedOur Top 12 Tips 1. Use Fresh Pepper Seeds When stored in perfect conditions, pepper seeds can be viable for up to 25 years, but generally 2-5 years is more realistic for good germination rates. Sandia Seed only sells fresh seeds that were harvested from the previous season, and we ensure all of our seeds have a 85% germination rate or higher to guarantee your success. Keep in mind that the older the seeds get, the less likely they will sprout. Old pepper seeds are m...
What to Plant with Tomatoes to Keep Bugs Away
What to Plant with Tomatoes to Keep Bugs Away: Marigolds:Did you know that the strong scent of marigolds can repel a variety of pests such tomato hornworms, aphids, whiteflies and thrips? It's true! There has also been research that indicated that planting marigolds between tomatoes protects the tomato plants from harmful root-knot nematodes in the soil. We have certainly noticed that our tomato plants do better when we have planted some marigolds nearby, so we now grow them every year i...
Morita Salsa Recipe
Did you know that a Morita chile is really a smoked ripe jalapeño? Morita chiles are similar to Chipotle peppers in this respect, the difference being that Moritas are mildly smoked for less time than Chipotle peppers, so they are softer and they maintain their subtle fruity characteristics while developing a rich chocolatey aroma. Dried and crushed Morita chiles are ideal for use in soups, stews, beans, and chilis. Morita chiles can be used instead of Chipotle peppers in recipes. Moritas a...
Orange Jalapeno Seeds back in stock!
What rhymes with orange?The very popular NuMex Orange Jalapeño seed packets are back in stock! The seeds just arrived and we are putting them in the packets as you read this. It's a small jalapeño with a crazy amount of heat at 80,000 Scovilles! Heck, that's more heat than a serrano! These jalapenos mature in a quick 65 days and make our fiery Orange Salsa Recipe or a very hot dried rub.P.S. The word orange has almost no perfect rhymes. The only word in the 20-volume historical Oxford...
Vegan Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
You can make your own hummus or use store-bought hummus for this delicious vegan / vegetarian version of Jalapeño Poppers. Vegan Jalapeno Poppers Recipe Ingredients: Make your own Hummus:• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained • 3-5 garlic cloves • ½ tsp black pepper • ½ tsp red pepper • ¼ cup water • Juice of 1 lemon, plus grate a little of the lemon rind • 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil, Sesame Oil or use Tahini if you have it • 8-10 Jalapenos, sliced in half, seeds r...
Hottest Pepper 2020
The Hottest Pepper in 2020 is the infamous Carolina Reaper! While a lot of other contenders have come onto the market in the past few years, the Reaper still carries the Guinness World Record crown for being the world's hottest pepper in 2020.Developed by pepper breeder Ed Currie in South Carolina, this wicked beast of a pepper is red with a gnarled, bumpy texture and a small pointed tail. Guinness World Records declared it the hottest chili pepper in the world in 2013, and it has held th...
Grow a Hatch Patch
If you love growing vegetables, then you should grow your own Hatch Patch! What is Hatch? Hatch chiles are the most delicious chiles you can grow. If you have ever lived in New Mexico or tasted Hatch green chile then you know you can’t live without it! Even if you don't live in New Mexico, you can experience that wonderful flavor of green chile wherever you live by growing them yourself! Be prepared because green chile is addictive, just ask any New Mexican. Like Champagne, the Hatch name...
Purple Peppers
Sandia Seed has a wide variety of purple peppers that you can grow easily from seed! Purple in the garden is always a welcome sight! And, when you use purple peppers in your salads and recipes, they really add some great flavor and color! Our favorite purple peppers include both sweet and hot peppers. Starting out with a hot one, our Purple Cayenne Pepper seeds are easy to grow, and these beauties transition from light green to deep purple before ripening to a bold red. A fun one to grow in...
The Chile Patch
The Chili Patch Old Town, Albuquerque, New MexicoThis cool shop has lots of colorful ceramics, textiles, clothing, glassware and other beautiful things. We sure do love all the fun shops in Albuquerque! See who carries our seeds: Want to find out who sells our seeds in your town? Find all the shops that sell our seeds in our Store Locator »If your local plant nursery or garden center doesn't carry our seeds, just ask! Lots of shops love to add requested seeds to their inventory if pe...
Super Hot Pepper Seeds
Sandia Seed carries a huge collection of pepper seeds including tons of super hot pepper seeds! If you're looking for the hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper is the current world-record holder, it's rated to 2+ million Scovilles. We also have lots of other varieties of super hot peppers including several different kinds of Ghost Pepper Seeds (Bhut Jolokias) in many colors, white, yellow, peach, purple, chocolate and red!
Growing Hot Peppers in Pots
Growing Hot Peppers in Pots is easy! Here are some of our top tips:Some varieties do better than others, so choose wisely, and make sure to plant them in a well-draining larger pot that is at least 5+ gallons in size. You want to make sure you have well-draining potting soil (not garden soil) with plenty of drainage holes so that the roots don't stay soggy. Here are all of our peppers that grow well in pots » OUR TOP TIPS:Growing Super Hot Peppers like the Carolina Reaper in Containers:...
