Gazpacho Recipe with PeppersThis is a great Gazpacho recipe for using up some of your fresh peppers and tomatoes! Gazpacho Recipe 2 cucumbers, halved & seeded, unpeeled4-8 peppers, cored and seeded (mix sweet pepper varieties such as Purple Bell Peppers, Giant Marconis, or even some roasted green chiles are delicious!)1 Jalapeño, seeded, finely diced (if spice is desired)8 tomatoes (plum, or any tomatoes you have)1 red or white onion4+ garlic cloves, minced23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)Fresh Juice of 1 Lemon + ...
Plant a Row for the HungryIs your garden overflowing with a bountiful harvest of tomatoes and peppers? Dedicate a row of your garden to a local food shelf. Everyone enjoys fresh produce and you can help struggling families in your community by sharing your bounty. Possible Recipients Your local food pantry*, soup kitchen – or deserving neighbors and friends. What you’ll need A garden A bag or box to carry your freshly picked goods Optional: card-making materials Instructions Call your local food pant...
A Bumblebee Pollinating a Pepper BlossomCheck out this Bumblebee pollinating a Pepper blossom – look at that pollen stash! Bumblebees, honeybees and other native bees all help pollinate pepper and chiles so you get more fruit. Planting flowers in and around your garden will help bring these helpful creatures to do their part in growing more peppers! Peppers are self-fertilizing and can be pollinated by the wind as they have both male and female parts (the anther and stigma) in the same flower, so bees are not necessary for pollin...
Red Chile Sauce RecipeRED CHILE SAUCE from New Mexico Red chile sauce is the best thing ever on a cold January winter day. Make this recipe with your dried red chiles from last seasons harvest of Guajillo Chile and Hatch Red Hot Chile. Of course you can also use any dried chiles you have on hand for this recipe. Grow oregano and onions alongside your peppers this year to use in this recipe. Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups ACTIVE TIME: 1 hr TOTAL TIME: 1 hr INGREDIENTS 2 ounces whole dried Hatch Red Hot chi...
Pasilla PeppersPasilla Pepper / Bajio Chilaca Pepper Pasilla peppers are are known as Chile Negro, or Chilaca when picked fresh. The name, ‘Pasilla’ means ‘little raisin’ in Spanish, referring to the dark brown, wrinkled dried pod. The plant height grows 30 inches tall and produces a large fruit in the size of 8 – 10 inches in length and 1 inch diameter. Like most peppers it is astronomically classified as a Capsicum annuum. It carries a very mild Scoville unit rating of 1000, making it a mildly hot fruit. ...
The 6 Most Popular TomatoesThese six tomatoes are the most popular for all the right reasons. Five are hybrids that have proved themselves over several decades of growing seasons. The sixth, Cherokee Purple, is the only non-hybrid on the list. It is one of the most delicious open-pollinated heirloom tomatoes and a winning favorite at taste contests. Better Boy Hybrid – This improved version of Big Boy is more resistant to common tomato diseases, but still has Big Boy's extra-large fruit. Expect an abundant crop of ...
Pepper Seeds for SaleIf you're looking for pepper seeds for sale, you have come to the right place! Sandia Seed offers many varieties of New Mexican Green Chile pepper seeds as well as lots of other hot pepper seeds for sale, plus a selection of sweet pepper seeds and heirloom tomato seeds too! Patsy Coles, our founder, started Sandia Seed in order to offer a better variety of pepper seeds to home gardeners. Her passion has always been gardening, and she graduated from Arizona State University with a...
One of our Favorite Salsa RecipesSandia Seed's Favorite Salsa Recipe 3-4 Large Fresh Tomatoes such as the Abe Lincoln Heirloom TomatoOR 1 Large (28oz) can Whole Tomatoes 1/2 Cup - Fresh Cilantro leaves (use as much as you like)1-2 Jalapenos (I leave in the seeds and rinds to make it spicier)1-2 Green Chiles (any variety, roasted & peeled is always nice!)1/2 Onion (diced, soak in cold water 20+ minutes to sweeten)1-2 Garlic ClovesFresh Lime Juice (1 lime)Teaspoon of Cumin, Chili Powder, and Hot Pepper Flakes to ...
How to Start Green Chile SeedsThe most important part of getting green chile and pepper seeds to grow is warmth. The soil temperature must remain between 80° F – 90° F for successful germination. The seeds need to know that the timing is right, and it is now warm enough to grow into a plant and produce fruit. The easiest way to trigger seeds to grow is to warm them on a Hydrofarm Seedling Mat. It will provide 24 hours of warmth, sits on a counter top and plugs into a regular electric socket. Simply place your tray or pots...
Christmas Bell - Bishop Crown PepperThe heirloom Bishop Crown: or "Christmas Bell" is originally from Brazil. This variety produces one of the most unusual pod shapes of any chile pepper. Bishop Crown is a unique thin-skinned red pepper with the unusual appearance of a tri-cornered hat like a Catholic Bishop’s Crown. The heat level has a very wide range from a medium 5,000 scoville heat units (SHU), all the way up to a very hot 15,000 SHU. Its small size is 1-1/2” long by 2”- 3“ wide with a sweet and fruity taste. B...
Jwala - India finger Hot is Back!This phenomenal pepper is back in our product line up and we could not be more pleased! We've waited 2 years to acquire a dependable seed source and now we can offer it for 2017 and beyond. This is the most popular pepper in India and a must have for preparing Indian cuisine. The plant gets covered in white flowers.They are one of the first peppers to set blooms in Spring and continue to set even when the plant is full of pods. Jwala has a unique flavor raw, but an excellent flavor when r...
Front Yard Food GardensIt used to be normal for people to grow their own food. Well, here is some food for thought! During the 17th century, rich English and French landowners got the idea they could flaunt their wealth by keeping large tracts of well groomed grass, because they could afford the labor necessary to keep it trim and they could afford to not use it for food production. So common people, trying to show off too, attempted to follow suit and now it's been standardized. A lawn is intrinsically useles...
Cheap Veg SeedsLooking for cheap veg seeds for your vegetable garden or farm? Sandia Seed specializes in New Mexican Chile seeds, including several Hatch Chile seeds varieties, as well as super hot pepper seeds like the Carolina Reaper, and sweet pepper seeds like Pimento Pepper seeds If you're looking for getting the most seeds for your money, then the cheapest seeds are the seeds sold in 30-seed packs or check out our Bulk Seeds. The number of seeds per packet depends on the variety, some of our sp...
Can you eat Ornamental Peppers?Can you eat Ornamental Peppers?Are ornamental peppers good to eat? Yes, you can eat ornamental peppers! In fact, Ornamental Peppers are quite prolific and are perfect peppers for making hot sauces, pepper flakes, hot pepper powder like Carolina Reaper Powder, or spicy salt, or to use in any recipe such as salsa recipes. So yes, ornamental peppers are good to eat! We like to wait until the end of the show and season to pick them, then we use them to make any number of spicy salts While many...
Easy Fermented Hot Sauce RecipeFermented hot sauce has a complex flavor, and is also probiotic... which is all the rage right now. And, it's so easy to make, you'll wonder why you didn't try it sooner. Find more Fermented Hot Sauce Recipes here » Happy hot saucin'!Sandia Seed's Easy Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe:Time: 15 minutes of prep, plus 3 days to ferment. 1 cup of hot peppers, chopped(use any hot peppers you want, such as the hottest Carolina Reaper, or Goat Horn, Tabasco, Cayenne, Trinidad S...
Best Ornamental PeppersIf you want to grow Ornamental Peppers, Sandia Seed has you covered. We actually think that most chile pepper plants are ornamental, as they have beautiful green leaves, dainty flowers in white and purple, and, when the peppers come in, they turn into vibrant reds, yellows, purples and even white in your garden. View all of our beautiful ornamental pepper seeds »We've recently had a neighbor exclaim: "Wow, these Cayenne peppers are really ornamental!" as she admired the red Goat H...
No Salt Hot Sauce RecipeSo if you're like us, you like to put Hot Sauce on EVERYTHING. If you're worried about your salt intake, and you like vinegar, this No-Salt Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce is great on food and doesn't add any salt to your diet! It's a great way to spice things up with great flavor without sodium. Sandia Seed's No-Salt Hot Sauce Recipe: 1 glass bottle with cap or cork 1 cup of hot peppers (roughly, use any type of hot pepper, such as Goat Horns, or Cayenne Peppers . You ...
When to Harvest Red ChileWhen to Harvest Red Chile If you grow Red Chile from seed like Chimayos or Hatch Red Hot Chile, then you probably always wonder, when should I harvest? Full size green chile pods will turn red on the plant and become sweeter with a more complex delicious flavor. Harvest them when they are completely red and still firm. If they are mostly red, it is alright to harvest them and let them mature further to a completely red color off the plant. Will Green Chiles turn red after I pick them? If the...
Canned Chiles & Tomatoes RecipeWant to can your tomato and chile harvest? Here's a great recipe that will use up your abundance of Heirloom tomatoes and chiles. This is kind of like Rotel, but WAY better as it's homegrown! INGREDIENTS 12 cups cored, peeled, and quartered Heirloom Tomatoes* 1 Onion, finely chopped 1-2 Cups of Diced Roasted Hatch Green Chile (or you can also use fresh Jalapeños or other hot peppers – use more or less to taste, we like it spicy!) 3 Sweet Peppers, finely chopped (use Pimento Peppe...
Fresh Tomatillo Salsa Recipe (Salsa Verde)Fresh Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde) with Chimayo Peppers Mix up a batch of this Tomatillo salsa (also known as Salsa Verde) and it's sure to be a hit! With fresh Tomatillos, a couple fresh Chimayo chiles or Jalapeños or any hot pepper, plus 2-4 fresh garlic cloves, chopped onion, salt, pepper, fresh cilantro and cumin, this is a fresh salsa that you'll love. Tomatillos* (as many ripe ones as you can pick – a large bowl's worth or more) 1/2 Sweet White or Purple Onion, diced 2-...
Gazpacho Recipe with Peppers
This is a great Gazpacho recipe for using up some of your fresh peppers and tomatoes! Gazpacho Recipe 2 cucumbers, halved & seeded, unpeeled4-8 peppers, cored and seeded (mix sweet pepper varieties such as Purple Bell Peppers, Giant Marconis, or even some roasted green chiles are delicious!)1 Jalapeño, seeded, finely diced (if spice is desired)8 tomatoes (plum, or any tomatoes you have)1 red or white onion4+ garlic cloves, minced23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)Fresh Juice of 1 Lemon + ...
A Bumblebee Pollinating a Pepper Blossom
Check out this Bumblebee pollinating a Pepper blossom – look at that pollen stash! Bumblebees, honeybees and other native bees all help pollinate pepper and chiles so you get more fruit. Planting flowers in and around your garden will help bring these helpful creatures to do their part in growing more peppers! Peppers are self-fertilizing and can be pollinated by the wind as they have both male and female parts (the anther and stigma) in the same flower, so bees are not necessary for pollin...
Red Chile Sauce Recipe
RED CHILE SAUCE from New Mexico Red chile sauce is the best thing ever on a cold January winter day. Make this recipe with your dried red chiles from last seasons harvest of Guajillo Chile and Hatch Red Hot Chile. Of course you can also use any dried chiles you have on hand for this recipe. Grow oregano and onions alongside your peppers this year to use in this recipe. Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups ACTIVE TIME: 1 hr TOTAL TIME: 1 hr INGREDIENTS 2 ounces whole dried Hatch Red Hot chi...
Pasilla Peppers
Pasilla Pepper / Bajio Chilaca Pepper Pasilla peppers are are known as Chile Negro, or Chilaca when picked fresh. The name, ‘Pasilla’ means ‘little raisin’ in Spanish, referring to the dark brown, wrinkled dried pod. The plant height grows 30 inches tall and produces a large fruit in the size of 8 – 10 inches in length and 1 inch diameter. Like most peppers it is astronomically classified as a Capsicum annuum. It carries a very mild Scoville unit rating of 1000, making it a mildly hot fruit. ...
One of our Favorite Salsa Recipes
Sandia Seed's Favorite Salsa Recipe 3-4 Large Fresh Tomatoes such as the Abe Lincoln Heirloom TomatoOR 1 Large (28oz) can Whole Tomatoes 1/2 Cup - Fresh Cilantro leaves (use as much as you like)1-2 Jalapenos (I leave in the seeds and rinds to make it spicier)1-2 Green Chiles (any variety, roasted & peeled is always nice!)1/2 Onion (diced, soak in cold water 20+ minutes to sweeten)1-2 Garlic ClovesFresh Lime Juice (1 lime)Teaspoon of Cumin, Chili Powder, and Hot Pepper Flakes to ...
How to Start Green Chile Seeds
The most important part of getting green chile and pepper seeds to grow is warmth. The soil temperature must remain between 80° F – 90° F for successful germination. The seeds need to know that the timing is right, and it is now warm enough to grow into a plant and produce fruit. The easiest way to trigger seeds to grow is to warm them on a Hydrofarm Seedling Mat. It will provide 24 hours of warmth, sits on a counter top and plugs into a regular electric socket. Simply place your tray or pots...
Cheap Veg Seeds
Looking for cheap veg seeds for your vegetable garden or farm? Sandia Seed specializes in New Mexican Chile seeds, including several Hatch Chile seeds varieties, as well as super hot pepper seeds like the Carolina Reaper, and sweet pepper seeds like Pimento Pepper seeds If you're looking for getting the most seeds for your money, then the cheapest seeds are the seeds sold in 30-seed packs or check out our Bulk Seeds. The number of seeds per packet depends on the variety, some of our sp...
Can you eat Ornamental Peppers?
Can you eat Ornamental Peppers?Are ornamental peppers good to eat? Yes, you can eat ornamental peppers! In fact, Ornamental Peppers are quite prolific and are perfect peppers for making hot sauces, pepper flakes, hot pepper powder like Carolina Reaper Powder, or spicy salt, or to use in any recipe such as salsa recipes. So yes, ornamental peppers are good to eat! We like to wait until the end of the show and season to pick them, then we use them to make any number of spicy salts While many...
Easy Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe
Fermented hot sauce has a complex flavor, and is also probiotic... which is all the rage right now. And, it's so easy to make, you'll wonder why you didn't try it sooner. Find more Fermented Hot Sauce Recipes here » Happy hot saucin'!Sandia Seed's Easy Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe:Time: 15 minutes of prep, plus 3 days to ferment. 1 cup of hot peppers, chopped(use any hot peppers you want, such as the hottest Carolina Reaper, or Goat Horn, Tabasco, Cayenne, Trinidad S...
Best Ornamental Peppers
If you want to grow Ornamental Peppers, Sandia Seed has you covered. We actually think that most chile pepper plants are ornamental, as they have beautiful green leaves, dainty flowers in white and purple, and, when the peppers come in, they turn into vibrant reds, yellows, purples and even white in your garden. View all of our beautiful ornamental pepper seeds »We've recently had a neighbor exclaim: "Wow, these Cayenne peppers are really ornamental!" as she admired the red Goat H...
No Salt Hot Sauce Recipe
So if you're like us, you like to put Hot Sauce on EVERYTHING. If you're worried about your salt intake, and you like vinegar, this No-Salt Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce is great on food and doesn't add any salt to your diet! It's a great way to spice things up with great flavor without sodium. Sandia Seed's No-Salt Hot Sauce Recipe: 1 glass bottle with cap or cork 1 cup of hot peppers (roughly, use any type of hot pepper, such as Goat Horns, or Cayenne Peppers . You ...
When to Harvest Red Chile
When to Harvest Red Chile If you grow Red Chile from seed like Chimayos or Hatch Red Hot Chile, then you probably always wonder, when should I harvest? Full size green chile pods will turn red on the plant and become sweeter with a more complex delicious flavor. Harvest them when they are completely red and still firm. If they are mostly red, it is alright to harvest them and let them mature further to a completely red color off the plant. Will Green Chiles turn red after I pick them? If the...
Canned Chiles & Tomatoes Recipe
Want to can your tomato and chile harvest? Here's a great recipe that will use up your abundance of Heirloom tomatoes and chiles. This is kind of like Rotel, but WAY better as it's homegrown! INGREDIENTS 12 cups cored, peeled, and quartered Heirloom Tomatoes* 1 Onion, finely chopped 1-2 Cups of Diced Roasted Hatch Green Chile (or you can also use fresh Jalapeños or other hot peppers – use more or less to taste, we like it spicy!) 3 Sweet Peppers, finely chopped (use Pimento Peppe...
Fresh Tomatillo Salsa Recipe (Salsa Verde)
Fresh Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde) with Chimayo Peppers Mix up a batch of this Tomatillo salsa (also known as Salsa Verde) and it's sure to be a hit! With fresh Tomatillos, a couple fresh Chimayo chiles or Jalapeños or any hot pepper, plus 2-4 fresh garlic cloves, chopped onion, salt, pepper, fresh cilantro and cumin, this is a fresh salsa that you'll love. Tomatillos* (as many ripe ones as you can pick – a large bowl's worth or more) 1/2 Sweet White or Purple Onion, diced 2-...
