Poblano Ancho are a mild Mexican Chilli which is often smoked and dried. Because of its large size and mildness I grow it to use as you would a bell pepper. They are easy to grow and have a beautiful taste, much more interesting than supermarket pepper with a slight hint of bitter.
They are a rather pretty pepper and as you can see I won 1st place in the category but also best in show for these.
Like all peppers they need good warm temperatures to germinate and grow in and like Mary Berry they don’t like a soggy bottom. I start mine in January in a heated propegator in seed compost with lots of added grit. Chilli germination can be lengthy, these should be up by 8 weeks but are likely to be up sooner.
In the Kitchen
Oustanding flavour, slightly bitter with not much heat. I prefer to pick before they start changing colour to maximise yield. Very thin skins which tend to separate off when cooking. You can get rid of the skins by burning on a gas hob or BBQ and placing in a plastic bag to sweat then pulling the skins off. Try them in Pepper, Red Onion & Halloumi Skewers, Quesadillas with refried beans
Plant health and yield
Easy to germinate for a Chili. Growth is strong. You should get between 5 and 10 large peppers per plant depending on feeding, watering and the weather. You might need to support peppers grown outside as they are big plants and the large fruit means they may get blown about.
Suppliers
Growing
Chillies and peppers need a heated propagator to get going, with a steady heat of 27-30 degrees for a minimum of two weeks, but occasionally up to twelve for super hots to germinate.
In Jan/Feb, make a mix of 2/3 seed compost to 1/3 perlite. Sow a few seeds in to a three inch pot and cover with 5 mm of either the seed mix or vermiculite. Label and place in the propagator. Water sparingly (misting the surface can be ideal) until germinated.
Once germinated and you can see the first set of true leaves, gently pot on in to three inch pots in a good free draining compost and keep in a sunny spot, with a minimum temperature of 12 degrees C. If you are able to grow under LED grow lights then your plants will be stockier and more robust. Blowing on them them gently everyday will also encourage that, stimulating wind.
Water sparingly until they are 3-6 inches high when you can pot on in to 9 inch pots or, if passed the risk of frost, plant in greenhouse soil or in a sunny, sheltered position outside. Feed and water once a week.
Chillies can take varying times to start flowering. Padron peppers are very early, habanero can take 100 days. If you are growing inside you will need to fertilise the flowers yourself with a small brush. If growing in a greenhouse or conservatory ventilate well on hot days as temperatures over 36 degrees can lead to flowers dropping off.
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