Poblano y Chili de Arbol

[organichris]

Anyone have any experience with either of these? I got this hair-brained idea the other day that I would take some seeds from the dried peppers at the grocery store in the Mexican section and start some seedlings indoors with them. I bought a $2.00 bag of Anchos, which are ripe dried Poblanos and a bag of Chili de Arbol for $0.88. I'm really excited about the prospect of growing these since it is quite rare to find these fresh in my neck of the woods - well, the Arbol at least.

[DeanRIowa]

Chili de Arbol plants reminded me of cayenne plants but taller. It was late to harvest for me, but I had it in a semi shaded area. I let mine turn red and dried them in the sun. I use the dried seeds on pizza and spaghetti. The pepper makes a nice salsa.

I myself am growing the Poblanos this year as well with the idea of making "chili rellenos".

Dean

[organichris]

Yeah, even the flavor and texture of the dried Chili de Arbol is also similar to Cayenne to me. Did you eat any of them green? How about when you made salsa? Thanks for the input. That really helps.

I've never made chili rellenos, but I think the Anchos (the ripened dried Poblanos) would be excellent for chili because their flavor is so unique. I can't say that I've ever eaten green Poblanos. I've eaten chili rellenos, but they could have been made with Anaheims or something.

[DeanRIowa]

Did you eat any of them green? How about when you made salsa?

No, I did not try them green.

I used the dried chilis once again for the salsa, I mainly cooked traditional Mexican meals with them and thus did not try any green.

Now Poblanos and Anaheims are similiar but from my experiences the Poblanos usually has a little more spice then the Anaheims, sometimes I have gotten a Poblano with a nice kick, but usually they have only a slight spiceness.

Dean

[montanamato]

I believe most Poblanos sold commercially would be from hybrid seed...They do well here in a normal hot year...They can get fairly warm, and I use them green and dried...

Jeanne

[DeanRIowa]

My wife mentioned I didn't have enough stuffing peppers last year, so I am going to please her this year.

This year I am planting the following stuffing peppers for comparison purposes:

Anaheim Long Red
Big Jim
Corno di Toro Giallo
Cubanelle
Poblano


Dean

[organichris]

Originally Posted by montanamato

I believe most Poblanos sold commercially would be from hybrid seed....

Jeanne

I hope I didn't get some F2 seed. I thought that since the Anchos I bought came from Mexico that they would be more likely to be the traditional open-pollinated variety. But who knows? If I have a lot of variation between plants, then I will assume that I might have gotten seed from hybrids.

Thanks for the comments, guys!

[organichris]

Originally Posted by DeanRIowa

This year I am planting the following stuffing peppers for comparison purposes:

Anaheim Long Red
Big Jim
Corno di Toro Giallo
Cubanelle
Poblano


Dean

I've heard that Corno di Toro Giallo is a good one. Have you tried that one before?

[DeanRIowa]

Have you tried that one before?

No, this is the first time for growing any of those peppers for me.

Dean

[svalli]

One year I grew Chile de Arbols, which I got in a trade. The seeds had originally been collected in Mexico. It was really rainy summer and the Chile De Arbol pods started to rot before they ripened. One of the plants had really unique double petals. The stamens were malformed and the flowers did not pollinate well. I was still able to get three ripe pods from that plant and saved the few seeds in them. I should try to grow them to see, if I could get a plant with such flowers again.

[Colorado_west]

Organichris, I do grow both. Chile de arbor is a small hot pepper and the other nice size one . Much milder. I used for rellanos. But I grow anaheim for rellanos. I have more use of anchos than chile de arbor. DIL wants hot peppers to cook with.

Your seeds may or may not grow. I bought .15 worth of chile de arbor dried and used seed. They grew fine. Bulk ones at Walmart. I bought bags of peppers red dried and some do not grow. I find some that will grow but not come up many of them and few will to come up at all. I would say too high a heat in drying. Worth a try. I deseeded the whole batch of kinds I got and DIL and I have different dried one to try out.

[organichris]

Originally Posted by Colorado_west

Your seeds may or may not grow. I bought .15 worth of chile de arbor dried and used seed. They grew fine. Bulk ones at Walmart. I bought bags of peppers red dried and some do not grow. I find some that will grow but not come up many of them and few will to come up at all. I would say too high a heat in drying. Worth a try. I deseeded the whole batch of kinds I got and DIL and I have different dried one to try out.

I just had my first seedling from the Anchos yesterday. I have a lot of seeds, so I'm sure I'll be good on the Poblano side. If I get a few Chiles de Arbol I'll be happy. I don't need much.

I did wonder how they dried them. I suppose extremely high heat might really inhibit germination.

[fourtgn]

I am growing chile de arbol this year, but beyond knowing what they look like when they are 6 inches high, I don't know anything. I'll post again when they bloom and put up a picture. I hope I get a beautiful flower like yours, that's just gorgeous!

fourtgn

[oc tony]

This is how they dry them in El Rosario about a hundred miles south of Tijiana, when the plants get loaded with nice size peppers they stop irrigating them and the hot desert air drys them on the plant standing in the field.

[Colorado_west]

oc tony, The peppers I bought were soft and pliable and flat. Could be they are not ripe enough for the seeds of some kinds? But I string anaheim and just let them dry. Hot peppers for me to use dry I seed some kinds and dry in drier. Cayenne, jalapeno and bells and such too. I suppose in packing they could be flatened out. Very interesting. Guess I could string and dry other Mexician chiles too to dry.