Sweet and Mild Pepper Varieties for 2021

This post describes the sweet and mild peppers we’re growing for 2021. This category includes bell peppers, banana peppers, and other types of non-hot peppers.

Sweet Banana Peppers

Early Hungarian Sweet Banana

This is the sweet banana variety I’ve grown every year since Summer 2013. Very productive—especially in the Fall season. I love the taste. This is my #1 choice for lacto-fermentation for salad pickles year round.

“70 days. (pale green > yellow > orange > crimson red) [1941, AAS Winner.] Heavy yields of attractive, banana- shaped peppers, 6 x 1½ in. Eaten at any ripeness stage, but sweetest when red. Great for colorful salads, frying, and freezing. 42 in. plants. Excellent choice for Mid-Atlantic region.” Southern Exposure Seed Exchange website: https://www.southernexposure.com/products/sweet-banana-long-sweet-hungarian-sweet-pepper/

Seed Source: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – USDA Organic

Bell Peppers

Corona Sweet Bell Pepper

“68 days. (green > golden orange) [Dutch variety, 1991] Fancy, flavorful, very sweet bell pepper often featured in gourmet produce markets (except in 2020, we didn’t sell many bulk size packets of these last year, growers most likely didn’t want to make display signs for Corona peppers…). 3½ in. fruits are 3- to 4-lobed, averaging 6-7 oz. Fruit stem separates easily from plant for trouble-free harvest. Choice variety for salad use. Good foliage cover of fruits. 4 ft. plants. Mosaic resistant.” Southern Exposure Seed Exchange website: https://www.southernexposure.com/products/corona-sweet-bell-pepper/

Jupiter Sweet Bell Pepper

“75 days. (green > red) One of the largest and best sweet bell peppers. Sturdy 3-5 ft. plants have an excellent canopy of dark green leaves to protect the high yields of 4 in. fruits. Excellent drought resistance. Great for stuffing.” Southern Exposure Seed Exchange website: https://www.southernexposure.com/products/jupiter-sweet-bell-pepper/

Kevin’s Early Orange Bell Pepper

“…(Green > orange) Medium, thick-walled bells, 3 x 3-1/2”. The same fine taste as Orange Bell but 2 weeks earlier and with slightly improved yields. Good foliage cover.” From Seed Pack for 2020.

Seed Source: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – USDA Organic

Napoleon Sweet Bell Pepper

“76 days. (green > red) 6-7 in. long bells with sweet, mild flavor. Very productive, tasty thick fleshed fruit can be used fresh, dried or for frying.” Southern Exposure Seed Exchange website: https://www.southernexposure.com/products/napoleon-sweet-sweet-bell-pepper/

Purple Beauty Sweet Bell Pepper

Available in ~2nd week of June

“80 days. (green > purple > deep red) On their way to deep red, the peppers stop and linger at a dark purple color (lime green inside) that’s lovely in salads. Medium-sized bells, 3 x 3 in., thick flesh, good foliage cover. 3 ft. tall, mosaic resistant plants.” Southern Exposure Seed Exchange website: https://www.southernexposure.com/products/purple-beauty-sweet-bell-pepper/

Ashe County Pimiento Sweet Pepper

Note: These won’t be available until mid-June

“52 days. (green > red) [Revived by NC seed saver Rob Danford.] One of the few peppers that reliably produces well in the short Smoky Mountain growing season (150 days or less). An incredibly sweet, bright red, thick-fleshed pimento pepper, 4 x 1½ in. Great raw, as well as for cooking, roasting, and canning. Small (24-30 in.) plants may be closely spaced (18 in. apart).” Southern Exposure Seed Exchange website: https://www.southernexposure.com/products/ashe-county-pimento-sweet-pepper/

Melrose Sweet Italian Pepper

This is one of my favorite peppers, if not THE favorite. I fry them, pickle them in brine, add to zucchini relish, and use them in salads and stir-fries.

“(green > red) 70 days. [Heirloom Italian frying pepper discovered in Melrose Park, IL.] Productive plants full of 2 x 4 in. peppers that turn brilliant red early. Very sweet flavor, rich and full-bodied. Excellent for salads, roasting, and stir- frying.” Southern Exposure Seed Exchange: https://www.southernexposure.com/products/melrose-sweet-pepper/