Cherry Bomb Pepper

The Cherry Bomb pepper was developed in the US through selective breeding for disease resistance, early maturity and culinary versatility, belonging to the Cerasiforme Group of Capsicum annuum. Its heat is gentle and approachable, beginning with a subtle warmth that builds slightly, concentrated in the seeds and membranes but tempered by the thick flesh, mellowing further when pickled.

Culinary uses

Cream cheese and sausage-stuffed poppers; pickled sides for barbecue and deli platters; roasted pepper antipasti; sweet-and-spicy chutneys; Cherry Bomb BBQ or hot sauce blends.

Growing it in the UK

Annuum is the forgiving group, and the right place to start. Seed germinates readily in warmth, the season is short enough to finish outdoors in a good summer, and February to early March is soon enough to sow. Germination is given as 7–14 days. 85 days to maturity is an ordinary season here — sow in February and it will ripen without a fight.

At 45–60 cm it wants a 7- to 10-litre pot and a sheltered spot: a greenhouse, a porch, or the sunniest wall you have. The compact habit makes it a good container plant and an easy one to keep on a windowsill. Yield is moderate, so a single plant is a taste and two or three are a supply.

Thick walls suit it to stuffing, roasting and fresh use rather than drying.

Read from this variety's own record — the figures are in the panel opposite.