'Juanita Red' Mild Hot Pepper

Capsicum baccatum

Origin: South Africa (possibly Malawi)

Improvement status: Cultivar

Seeds per packet: ~10

Germination tested 08/2024: 77%

Life cycle: Annual

Juanita Red' is a beloved little red pepper, shaped like a chocolate chip, commonly sold as a sweet pickle under the trademarked name "Peppadew." From South Africa (or possibly Malawi originally), it is one of the mildest hot peppers available (300 SHU, or about 6% of a jalapeño). Many people believe that due to the trademark on the name "Peppadew," growing or selling this pepper is restricted, but that is not the case. It's only forbidden to use that name without a licensing agreement. But the pepper itself is open-pollinated and may freely be grown by anyone under its other name, 'Juanita Red.' Our seed for this wonderful pepper comes from longtime EFN grower Kevin Bane, of Philadelphia, Tennessee, and is part of his effort to find milder hot peppers that still have great flavor, making them more accessible to more people.