Pepperoncini

Pepperoncini are mild, sweet Italian peppers that turn from pale green to golden yellow when mature, harvested young for their signature tangy-sweet flavour. Traditionally pickled whole in brine with garlic and herbs, they're beloved as antipasti, pizza toppings, and sandwich garnishes. The variety most commonly grown outside Italy is actually the Greek 'Golden Greek' strain, which shares similar characteristics.

History & lineage

The pepperoncini sits at an interesting crossroads of Mediterranean food culture - the same name applies to two related but distinct cultivars. The Italian Friggitello, traditionally grown in Tuscany, Lazio, and Calabria, is the original "peperoncini dolci" of Italian cuisine. The Greek "Golden Greek" or pepperoncini, which dominates American and global markets, is a separate cultivar developed in Greek cultivation. Most pepperoncini sold globally - particularly the pickled jars stocked in supermarkets and on pizza chain salad bars - are actually Greek-origin. Greek immigrants to the United States in the early 20th century brought the variety with them, and Greek-American food companies built the commercial pickled-pepperoncini industry that defined the pepper's global identity. In Italy, fresh Friggitelli are still primarily a regional speciality - pan-fried whole in olive oil and salt, similar to Spanish padróns, and served as antipasti or pizza toppings. The shift to pickling for export markets is a 20th-century commercial development, not a traditional Italian preparation. The word "peperoncino" in Italian simply means "small pepper" and is used broadly for many small chilli varieties. Outside speciality markets, "pepperoncini" in English-speaking countries almost universally refers to the pickled mild Greek-style variety - one of the few examples where a generic Italian word has narrowed to a specific commercial product in English.

Culinary uses

Primarily pickled whole and served as antipasti, pizza toppings, sandwich garnishes, or Greek salads. Can also be eaten fresh, sautéed until blistered (friggitelli style), or stuffed. Popular in Mediterranean cuisine.

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. At 62 days to maturity it is one of the quick ones: sown in March, it will be picking well before the light goes.

At 45–75 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. The record puts the yield at heavy, so start feeding weekly with something high in potassium as soon as the first fruit sets — a plant carrying that much will run out of steam otherwise.

Thin walls dry quickly, which makes a glut easy to deal with.

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