Peppers

Yesterday I bought 3 more pepper plants bringing the total so far up to 9.  I say "so far" because there's no guarantee there won't be more.  I recently read an article which listed the 12 fruits and vegetables which should always be chosen organic.  It was a sobering read and peppers were on the list because of the frequency they're treated with pesticides.  And, of course, I need lots of peppers for the salsa!

The new peppers were planted at the front of the snow pea bed.  The radishes and gai lan have since been removed and the lettuces won't be long as they're starting to bolt.  I have lots more lettuce elsewhere in the garden to take their places.  Ooh!  Perhaps that'll make room for more peppers!

One of the new peppers - Boldog Hungarian Spice - has flowers well formed already and they're taking shape nicely on the Sweet Havana as well.

It's a good time to list for my own memory exactly what I have in the way of peppers so far so that I can be sure I have enough of what I need for salsa.

MILD - These peppers will mainly be used in salads and stir fries but I do need some for the salsa.  All are between 0 and 1,000 on the Scoville scale
Sweet Havana - cubanelle-type, goes from green to red
Big Daddy - green to yellow
Orange Blaze - green to orange

MEDIUM - The majority of the peppers I'll need for salsa will come from this category.
Boldog Hungarian Spice - red - can be dried and used for making paprika, couldn't find a rating
Garden Salsa - green to red, 1,000 to 5,000 on the Scoville scale
Jalapeño - green to red, 2,500 to 5,000 on the Scoville scale

HOT
Cayenne - red, 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville scale.

A word or two about the Scoville scale - it's a measurement of the heat in chiles and was invented by Wilbur Scoville in 1912.  It's a helpful thing for people like me without a lot of experience in the variation of heat in peppers.

Oh, and those 12 foods to eat only if they're organic?  Because of pesticides and herbicides routinely and frequently used on these crops - strawberries, peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, nectarines, celery, apples, pears, grapes (specifically those from Chile), raspberries and potatoes.