Eight small, long red 'Martin's Carrot' peppers in a line on a black background

Pepper 1231: ‘Martin’s Carrot’

‘Martin’s Carrot’ pepper was preserved for many years by the Martin Family and donated to Seed Savers Exchange in 1996 by Dr. William Woys Weaver.

A pile of yellow, red, and purple bell peppers

Recipes

Lucina’s Miniature Stuffed Peppers

Seed Savers Exchange member Lucina Cress has been canning miniature stuffed peppers for decades using peppers from her own garden. Lucina’s Miniature Stuffed Peppers were a hit year after year at her local hospital bazaar.

Small black peppers growing on a plant in a greenhouse

Stewardship Stories

‘Angelica’s Little Diablo’ Pepper

When an unexpected challenge wiped out Norma’s supply of ‘Angelica’s Little Diablo’ seeds, she turned to Seed Savers Exchange for help. Thankfully, SSE had been stewarding these seeds and was able to reunite Norma with her beloved heirloom pepper. Without Seed Savers Exchange, this priceless variety and its history would likely have been lost.

Many sliced red peppers, cooked in a skillet on a countertop.

Recipes

Recipe: Fried Thin Skin Ausilio Peppers

Fried Thin Skin Ausilio Peppers, submitted by the Ogle-Riccelli family, who have stewarded the ‘Ausilio Thin Skin Italian’ pepper for four, going on five generations. These fried peppers taste great on bread or in a sandwich and go well with onions, mushrooms, and diced potatoes.

Three red tomatoes and four thick tomato slices

Recipes

Recipe: Amish Meets Italian Soup

Amish Meets Italian Soup with Seed Savers Exchange Veggies, submitted by Susan J. Bliss, Seed Savers Exchange customer, This soup recipe is sweet with a touch of heat… perfect. But take note—it’s these varieties and ingredients that make this soup superb.

Four white ears of corn, with the husks off, on the ground with green husks

Recipes

Recipe: Grilled Corn Salsa

Grilled Corn Salsa submitted by Lou Ann Hall, former Seed Savers Exchange Seed Rack Manager, adapted from Cooking Light. This exceptionally versatile salsa was featured at Seed Savers Exchange’s 2018 Tomato Tasting at Heritage Farm. Pair it with tortilla chips for a party, tuck it into tacos, or serve it over blackened fish or chicken. This easy-to-make salsa is also great served as a topping or side dish for fried green tomatoes.

Two pieces of cooked ground meat stuffed inside of two red peppers, with cheese, small green leaves, and sauce on top

Recipes

Recipe: Pork-Stuffed ‘Ausilio Thin Skin Italian’ Peppers

Pork-Stuffed ‘Ausilio Thin Skin Italian’ Peppers by Chad Ogle-Riccelli, donor of the ‘Ausilio Thin Skin Italian’ pepper, inspired by grandparents, Nicholas Domenico “Nick” Riccelli and Theresa Grace Ausilio Riccelli. “This is an amazing dish, and you will want more and more—make, bake, and serve with a nice bottle of Chianti wine,” says Chad. “This dish was inspired by a recipe from our grandfather, Nick Riccelli’s, recipe box.

A pile of wide red peppers with short green stems on top of green leaves

Growing Guides

Growing Guide: Peppers

Both sweet and hot peppers originate from one wild species native to Central and South America. Of today’s five domesticated pepper species, gardeners usually encounter two: Capsicum annuum and Capsicum chinense.

Green jalepeno slices, greed leaves, a lime slice, sliced onion and a red tomato on a wooden surface

Recipes

Recipe: Fresh Salsa

Fresh Salsa, submitted by Loraine Wilmers, Seed Savers Exchange customer

Many small red peppers, halved covered in seeds, laid out on a metal sheet

Recipes

Recipe: Italian Sausage with Crushed ‘Ausilio’ Pepper Flakes

Italian Sausage with Crush ‘Ausilio’ Pepper Flakes by Chad Ogle-Riccelli, donor of the ‘Ausilio Thin Skin Italian’ pepper; submitted by Michele Ogle-Riccelli. “Our family has many warmhearted memories of spending time with Grandpa Nicholas Domenico ‘Nick’ Riccelli in the kitchen making Italian sausage,” says Michele. “Grandma Theresa (Ausilio) Riccelli (97 years old) remembers all the times her family would spend together stuffing sausage into casings and later adding it to their pasta sauce. She will tell you that her children and grandchildren loved shaping the Italian sausage into patties and having them as a sandwich topped, of course, with fried ‘Ausilio Thin Skin Italian’ peppers and provolone cheese.