The 2024 Chilli Growing Season Has Ended

Well, chilli folks, it's a wrap for 2024. All of the chilli plants have now gone, which is a sad sight to see. The weather this season has been the worst I've known it in all the years I've been growing chilli plants. The only plants that didn't do as well as usual for me this year were the Rocotos. The fruit production was about normal, but maturity wise they were a good six weeks or more behind where they would normally have been for the time of year. This is no doubt due to the poor weather and the late start. As usual, my Rocoto plants were grown outside in the garden and had to battle the elements, including a torrential hail storm which caused damage to one of them, but nothing too severe.

San Isidro Rocoto and Aji Largo - 20th November 2024

My one and only remaining Capsicum chinense plant succumbed to a cold snap in late November, and when I went to check on it one afternoon I was greeted by an unhappy looking plant that had dropped most of its fruit. I had no choice but to pick the remaining chillies from the plant (but not the floor) and then take it down. Whilst I was at it, I also took down both of the Rocoto plants. Most of the remaining peppers had started ripening, and so they were washed and dried and then placed aside for a week for some of them to finish ripening. Some did finish ripening and some just turned orange. Rocotos take much longer to reach full maturity than other chillies, and had I have left them any longer than a week they would have started turning soft.

Chilli Harvest - 20th November 2024

The ripe and semi-ripe Rocotos have now been frozen and will be used up over the coming winter months in chilli con carne, pasta sauce and stir fries. All of the unripe ones have now been pickled and will be ready for eating in a couple more weeks, if I can wait that long!

Pickled Rocoto Peppers - 27th November 2024

I now have three freezer draws full of wonderful spicy goodness to keep me company through the winter. Carrying all those buckets of water to the greenhouse during the growing season really does pay off in the end. Anyway, I'll leave you will this photo showing the end of season ripeness.

End of Season Ripeness - 27th November 2024

All hail the Chilli Gods! 😈

Chilli Plant Update - 8th November 2024

Greetings, chilli fans. Sadly, the chilli growing season has almost come to a close for me now. On the 27th October I took down most of my indoor plants and the following day I took down the remaining indoor plants plus all except three of my plants in the glasshouse. Both of my Capsicum pubescence plants have now been moved into the glasshouse, and along with Scarlet Lantern they are the only plants I have left. The good news is that the Scarlet Lantern chillies are now starting to ripen, and this also includes the pods that I've isolated for seed saving. The Rocoto peppers are also starting to ripen and I've already harvested quite a few, but given how long it can take for Rocoto peppers to ripen I think it's going to be quite a while yet before most of them are ready for picking. Either way, the plants can remain in the glasshouse for as long as necessary.

Chilli Plant Leaves and Stems - 27th October 2024

Chilli Plants Taken Down - 28th October 2024

These next two photos were taken on the 28th October and show the remaining chillies on one of the Chocolate Habanero plants and one of the Papa Joe's Scotch Bonnet plants.

Chocolate Habanero - 28th October 2024

Papa Joe's Scotch Bonnet - 28th October 2024

These next two photos show the Moruga Scorpion plants and were taken between the 3rd and the 28th October. I now have two big bags full of Trinidad Moruga Scorpion chillies in the freezer and they will be added to phall curries and hot sauces over the coming months. It's going to be a super spicy winter!

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion - 3rd October 2024

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion - 28th October 2024

These next photos show my Capsicum pubescens plants (San Isidro Rocoto and Aji Largo) and were taken between the 17th October and the 7th November.

Aji Largo - 17th October 2024

Aji Largo - 17th October 2024

Aji Largo - 17th October 2024

San Isidro Rocoto - 19th October 2024

San Isidro Rocoto - 19th October 2024

San Isidro Rocoto - 7th November 2024

San Isidro Rocoto - 7th November 2024

San Isidro Rocoto and Aji Largo - 7th November 2024

I've also de-seeded all of the chillies I isolated for seed saving and the seeds are now drying nicely in the lounge. 😁

Chillies for De-seeding - 28th October 2024

Chilli Seeds - 30th October 2024

Last week, I made three jars of pickled chillies, using mostly Capsicum chinense varieties, and a batch of Habanero hot sauce, using some of the remainder of last year's chillies. I also intend to pickle some Rocoto peppers and I have enough remaining chillies from last year to make another two batches of hot sauce, which I'll do in a couple of weeks.

Spicemad's Habanero Hot Sauce - 7th November 2024

Pickled Chillies - 7th November 2024

These next couple of photos show my two most recent chilli harvests. The first one was taken on the 3rd October, shortly after harvesting the remaining green chillies on the Bangalore Torpedo plant, and the other was taken on the 29th October, and shows the remaining chillies from the plants that were recently taken down. The varieties shown in the photos below are Bell Pepper, Mako Akokosrade, Bangalore Torpedo, Orange Habanero, Chocolate Habanero, Charapon Amarillo, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, Papa Joe's Scotch Bonnet, Malawi Bird's Eye and Peruvian White Habanero. There was also a few Fatalii chillies hidden somewhere beneath the pile of spicy goodness shown in the second photo.

Chilli Harvest - 3rd October 2024

Chilli Harvest - 29th October 2024

So, as you can see, the 2024 chilli growing season has almost come to a close for me now, but I'm still not quite there just yet. I'll hang on to the Rocoto plants for a while. They're not in the way in the glasshouse, but if I change my mind and decide to take them down early I'll just pickle the remaining unripe peppers. I've got isolated fruits on both plants for seed saving, so I want those to ripen at least. Have a great weekend! 🌶️