Last fall, we reported on two varieties of heatless habanero peppers that were developed at Oregon State University. If you're hot to grow them, there's good news: They're available for home gardeners this year.
Seed packs for "Notta Hotta" and "Mild Thing" peppers are for sale through Cottage Grove-based Territorial Seeds.
OSU horticulture professor Jim Myers worked for more than two decades to develop them. He said people ask him, "Why did you remove the heat?"
His response?
“These kinds of peppers have this wonderful tropical fruity flavor to them that is often masked by all the heat that you find in the really hot forms,” he said.
Myers said the peppers retain some spiciness, which seems to be associated with fully expressing the flavors. He said the fruits mature seven to 10 days faster than more pungent habaneros, and for that reason, they’re ideal to grow in the Willamette Valley. He said gardeners on the coast may have to cover the plants to extend their season, and they’ve not been broadly tested in the Central Cascades region.
The peppers are available through Territorial Seed Company's website, which is currently charging $5.25 for a pack of 25 seeds.
