Homegrown Sambal Oelek RecipeHomegrown Sambal Oelek Recipe This delicious spicy condiment is delicious on everything from stir fries to soups to sandwiches or even just with some crackers or chips. Kick it up a notch with hotter peppers, and feel free to mix and match hot peppers for a deeper range of flavor. We like to use whatever hot peppers we have on hand! INGREDIENTS 1 pound of homegrown red chile, washed & de-stemmed(use any kind of red chile you are growing, such as Cayenne peppers, Goat Horn peppers, ripe ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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.
Summer Succotash with Peaches & Cream CornSuccotash is a celebration of all the vibrant vegetables coming into season. It is an American dish created where the Three Sisters of corn, beans, and squash are native. Although succotash is mainly composed of vegetables, it is not unusual for bacon to be added for flavor. Succotash knows no limits when it comes to substitutions. The cherry tomatoes have a nice fresh flavor, but when ripe red tomatoes are at their peak, dice and add them for a rich flavor. Early season jalapeños can be us...
How deep should I plant my seeds?The rule of thumb is to plant seeds at a depth equal to two or three times their width. For a pepper seed that would be about 1/4 to 3/8” deep. A common mistake is to plant them too deep. This inhibits their growth, not only because they may not germinate at all, but also because their stems may not be designed to push through the heavy pile of soil above them. It is better to plant seeds too shallow than too deep. Read the seed packet carefully, for detailed information about how deep to pla...
How much should I water my seeds?For seeds to germinate, you need to keep the growing soil damp but not too wet. To conserve moisture, you can cover the container with clear plastic until seeds germinate. Once seeds sprout, do not miss a watering. Unlike established plants, seedlings do not have an extensive root system they will die if soil dries out. At the same time, it is important not to overwater and let seedlings sit in water. Learning how to water seedlings is vital for success. Related Topic: Why are my pepper pla...
Can seedlings get too much light?Can seedlings get too much light? Yes. Can grow lights be too bright? If you have super bright lights and they are placed too close to the seedlings, you can burn seedlings.A recent lesson learned: Above is a photo from a couple weeks back, we got a new 100W Sansi LED floodlight that was recommended by a pepper grower and thought, "Wow, this super bright light is going to really get those peppers growing big before putting out in the garden!" Unfortunately, our shelf that we were...
Why are my pepper plants so small?We have this question quite often: Why are my pepper plants so small? There is a number of reasons that your peppers may not be growing larger. TOO BRIGHT LED LIGHTS Recently, we had an experience (see the sad & small pepper plants above) where we had placed a super bright 100W Sansi Floodlight above our transplanted seedlings about 8" away. Sadly, it was TOO bright – if we had it farther away, such as a couple feet, the seedlings may have been fine. But, since they were fairly clo...
Spicy Pickles RecipeGrow and make your own spicy pickles! Here's a couple recipes: Spicy Refrigerator Dill Pickle Recipe » Jalapeno Pickles Recipe » Spicy pickles are one of the easiest ways to preserve your cucumber harvest for year-round enjoyment. You can make spears or slices so you can use them on sandwiches, burgers, or just as a snack anytime. Of course, we think spicy pickles are the best, and we like to experiment with using different chiles to flavor them. Try adding Hatch Chiles for a Ne...
Succession PlantingIt is smart to succession plant seeds for lettuce, radishes, beets, carrots, cucumbers, nasturtium, green onions, and peas all season long to keep the harvests coming. Our Little Gem Lettuce is a Chef's favorite! A cross between butterhead and romaine, Little Gem has the unique trait of having romaine’s crunch with the sweetness and small size of a butterhead. It grows 8" high producing a sweet and compact heart that is the perfect size for interplanting with your other veggies! We r...
Grow Carolina Reaper Peppers - Part 1Here is one method you can use to grow Carolina Reaper seeds into big pepper producing plants. Start with great seeds that will grow true Carolina Reaper peppers from a well-established company. Plant them into a deep 72 cell round insert tray with a solid tray underneath to catch the water. Fill the cells with seed starter mix and then gently push your fingers into cells. This will remove any large pockets of air and make the soil level with the top of the cells. A great seedling mix is Co...
Growing Carolina Reaper Peppers - Part 2We begin Part 2 (see Part 1) with Carolina Reaper plants that are more than 12 weeks old and still growing in a cell tray. They have already been hardened off to withstand normal outdoor conditions. Note - Some seedlings will be ready to be transplanted directly to the outdoor garden at this time, and some will enjoy being bumped up to the next container size and remaining inside under artificial lighting. These plants will be bumped up to the next container size and stay outside. Fill all 7...
Free Seeds for Lettuce!NOTE: This offer is expired, stay tuned and signup for our newsletter for future deals.Now through June 30, 2021, you can get Free Seeds for Lettuce from Sandia Seed with the purchase of any of our Get Real Gardening vegetable seeds. We will add a free seed packet of our delicious Little Gem Lettuce in with any vegetable seeds in our Get Real Gardening collection. Looking for more more seed deals? Check out our Discount Seeds » Chef's love Little Gem Lettuce as it is a cross between ...
Red Chile is Green ChileDid you know red and green chiles both grow on the same plant? Every red chile begins as a green chile and then matures to red. We often refer to both the red and green chiles as green chile. There are dozens of different varieties of green chile and some of them are better to use when red. Varieties that are designated as red have less flesh and a smoother heat with more robust flavor. They will dry quickly in the sun and can be used at any time. For example, the dried pods can be reconstit...
How to Make Lettuce Last LongerCRISPY LETTUCE TIPThe secret to crispy lettuce from your garden:If you harvest lettuce from your garden, you may wonder how to make lettuce last longer. Well, here’s the trick to keep it crispy in your fridge for days! No more wilted lettuce.How to preserve lettuce from the garden: Immediately after picking, soak your freshly picked greens in cold water for 20-30 minutes to "crisp" them up for storing longer in the fridge. This will prevent wilting of your lettuces and other greens...
How deep should a container be for Peppers?Peppers have fairly large root systems, so the deeper the container, the better for healthy plants, and larger harvests. We recommend at least 14" deep, with an ideal depth of 18-24" (think whiskey barrel size.) For the best harvests and healthy plants, we like to plant pepper plants in deep beds, we recommend 18-24" of soil depth. Small peppers (less than one foot high) can grow well in two-gallon containers, but bigger plants need at least five-gallon pots, and all peppers th...
So, as a life long BOC fan and an avid gardener who loves the quality of seeds I’ve always received from Sandia Seeds. I just had to have this shirt. It rocks! I ordered a couple more for some fellow BOC fans as well. Great quality and the graphic is outstanding!
I'm going to grow these every year, they are HOT!! They make great poppers and salsa. Very productive, easy to grow, quick germination and fast growing plants. Thank you for the stellar seeds.
I planted several cultivars from wholesale seed. These were prolific. See all that RED (and green)?!? Looking forward to harvesting in a few days. Thank You Sandia Seed!
I pretty much use Sandia seeds exclusively! A few years ago I just happened to order your Jalapeño M. To me it's the perfect Jalapeño! Really nice size! Perfect heat for what we like! Wonderful flavor with a meatyness that's perfect for many different uses! I make my own Sriracha so I wait for them to turn red. They're one of my base peppers for my sauce! I praise them to all my personal friends and to members of groups that I belong to!
Serrano Hidalgo Seeds fromSandia Seed produce even in the HOT drought of central Illinois this year! I love adding a little Mexican kick to my salsa but also tossing these on the grill! They have great flavor and produce all summer long!
I had looked high & low, and searched the web with many word combinations ‘looking’ specifically for my favorite chili, the Dynamite xx Hot… so I could grow my own. The peppers were sold in Colorado at select places during roasting season, but you couldn’t buy seeds for them… anywhere!
Finally, as luck and persistence would have it, I discovered Sandia Seed Company.
Thank you Sandia! I planted them and had a great crop this year. I plan on growing them every year as well as trying some of their other seeds,
There's just something fun about growing a jalapeno that is light enough in color that some people think it's a banana pepper. LOL! I picked these just for color variety, and I'm very pleased that my plants have been loaded with them all season! We donated about 50 lbs of mixed peppers this year from our garden and I still had enough to freeze some and can more jars of recipes than we'll probably be able to use before next season. All my peppers were from Sandia Seed Company. I've never had such great pepper production before using these seeds!!
This spinach germinated well, and produced way more spinach than I'd initially expected. It grew really well, was slow to bolt in the summer, and has a really nice mild flavor for salads or steamed.
This was my first time growing these and I will definitely be growing them from now on. Great germination and very sturdy plants that have withstood some really high winds. Huge long peppers that are excellent green or red, very easy to peel skin.
Growing these in Florida, (Recent transplant of NM).
Lovely peppers. Took a couple weeks is all and wow! I have several budding; 2 large enough to nickname. They're still in their infancy, but I can tell they are going to be great! Love the seeds!
Homegrown Sambal Oelek Recipe
Homegrown Sambal Oelek Recipe This delicious spicy condiment is delicious on everything from stir fries to soups to sandwiches or even just with some crackers or chips. Kick it up a notch with hotter peppers, and feel free to mix and match hot peppers for a deeper range of flavor. We like to use whatever hot peppers we have on hand! INGREDIENTS 1 pound of homegrown red chile, washed & de-stemmed(use any kind of red chile you are growing, such as Cayenne peppers, Goat Horn peppers, ripe ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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.
Summer Succotash with Peaches & Cream Corn
Succotash is a celebration of all the vibrant vegetables coming into season. It is an American dish created where the Three Sisters of corn, beans, and squash are native. Although succotash is mainly composed of vegetables, it is not unusual for bacon to be added for flavor. Succotash knows no limits when it comes to substitutions. The cherry tomatoes have a nice fresh flavor, but when ripe red tomatoes are at their peak, dice and add them for a rich flavor. Early season jalapeños can be us...
How deep should I plant my seeds?
The rule of thumb is to plant seeds at a depth equal to two or three times their width. For a pepper seed that would be about 1/4 to 3/8” deep. A common mistake is to plant them too deep. This inhibits their growth, not only because they may not germinate at all, but also because their stems may not be designed to push through the heavy pile of soil above them. It is better to plant seeds too shallow than too deep. Read the seed packet carefully, for detailed information about how deep to pla...
How much should I water my seeds?
For seeds to germinate, you need to keep the growing soil damp but not too wet. To conserve moisture, you can cover the container with clear plastic until seeds germinate. Once seeds sprout, do not miss a watering. Unlike established plants, seedlings do not have an extensive root system they will die if soil dries out. At the same time, it is important not to overwater and let seedlings sit in water. Learning how to water seedlings is vital for success. Related Topic: Why are my pepper pla...
Can seedlings get too much light?
Can seedlings get too much light? Yes. Can grow lights be too bright? If you have super bright lights and they are placed too close to the seedlings, you can burn seedlings.A recent lesson learned: Above is a photo from a couple weeks back, we got a new 100W Sansi LED floodlight that was recommended by a pepper grower and thought, "Wow, this super bright light is going to really get those peppers growing big before putting out in the garden!" Unfortunately, our shelf that we were...
Why are my pepper plants so small?
We have this question quite often: Why are my pepper plants so small? There is a number of reasons that your peppers may not be growing larger. TOO BRIGHT LED LIGHTS Recently, we had an experience (see the sad & small pepper plants above) where we had placed a super bright 100W Sansi Floodlight above our transplanted seedlings about 8" away. Sadly, it was TOO bright – if we had it farther away, such as a couple feet, the seedlings may have been fine. But, since they were fairly clo...
Spicy Pickles Recipe
Grow and make your own spicy pickles! Here's a couple recipes: Spicy Refrigerator Dill Pickle Recipe » Jalapeno Pickles Recipe » Spicy pickles are one of the easiest ways to preserve your cucumber harvest for year-round enjoyment. You can make spears or slices so you can use them on sandwiches, burgers, or just as a snack anytime. Of course, we think spicy pickles are the best, and we like to experiment with using different chiles to flavor them. Try adding Hatch Chiles for a Ne...
Succession Planting
It is smart to succession plant seeds for lettuce, radishes, beets, carrots, cucumbers, nasturtium, green onions, and peas all season long to keep the harvests coming. Our Little Gem Lettuce is a Chef's favorite! A cross between butterhead and romaine, Little Gem has the unique trait of having romaine’s crunch with the sweetness and small size of a butterhead. It grows 8" high producing a sweet and compact heart that is the perfect size for interplanting with your other veggies! We r...
Grow Carolina Reaper Peppers - Part 1
Here is one method you can use to grow Carolina Reaper seeds into big pepper producing plants. Start with great seeds that will grow true Carolina Reaper peppers from a well-established company. Plant them into a deep 72 cell round insert tray with a solid tray underneath to catch the water. Fill the cells with seed starter mix and then gently push your fingers into cells. This will remove any large pockets of air and make the soil level with the top of the cells. A great seedling mix is Co...
Growing Carolina Reaper Peppers - Part 2
We begin Part 2 (see Part 1) with Carolina Reaper plants that are more than 12 weeks old and still growing in a cell tray. They have already been hardened off to withstand normal outdoor conditions. Note - Some seedlings will be ready to be transplanted directly to the outdoor garden at this time, and some will enjoy being bumped up to the next container size and remaining inside under artificial lighting. These plants will be bumped up to the next container size and stay outside. Fill all 7...
Free Seeds for Lettuce!
NOTE: This offer is expired, stay tuned and signup for our newsletter for future deals.Now through June 30, 2021, you can get Free Seeds for Lettuce from Sandia Seed with the purchase of any of our Get Real Gardening vegetable seeds. We will add a free seed packet of our delicious Little Gem Lettuce in with any vegetable seeds in our Get Real Gardening collection. Looking for more more seed deals? Check out our Discount Seeds » Chef's love Little Gem Lettuce as it is a cross between ...
Red Chile is Green Chile
Did you know red and green chiles both grow on the same plant? Every red chile begins as a green chile and then matures to red. We often refer to both the red and green chiles as green chile. There are dozens of different varieties of green chile and some of them are better to use when red. Varieties that are designated as red have less flesh and a smoother heat with more robust flavor. They will dry quickly in the sun and can be used at any time. For example, the dried pods can be reconstit...
How to Make Lettuce Last Longer
CRISPY LETTUCE TIPThe secret to crispy lettuce from your garden:If you harvest lettuce from your garden, you may wonder how to make lettuce last longer. Well, here’s the trick to keep it crispy in your fridge for days! No more wilted lettuce.How to preserve lettuce from the garden: Immediately after picking, soak your freshly picked greens in cold water for 20-30 minutes to "crisp" them up for storing longer in the fridge. This will prevent wilting of your lettuces and other greens...
How deep should a container be for Peppers?
Peppers have fairly large root systems, so the deeper the container, the better for healthy plants, and larger harvests. We recommend at least 14" deep, with an ideal depth of 18-24" (think whiskey barrel size.) For the best harvests and healthy plants, we like to plant pepper plants in deep beds, we recommend 18-24" of soil depth. Small peppers (less than one foot high) can grow well in two-gallon containers, but bigger plants need at least five-gallon pots, and all peppers th...
