Starting Hot Peppers

Started serrano, anaheim and jalapeno peppers, as well as grape and mystery tomatoes.

After starting tomatoes in peat pellets there were a few mystery tomato seeds left on the counter which were potted up in paper pots along with my favorite peppers for salsa which include serrano, jalapeno and anaheim. Mixing the three varieties of peppers makes for a complex and rich salsa which is processed and jarred for future posterity. The secret to a sweet and thick salsa is the addition of tomato paste and cooking the salsa so the flavors meld.

I went ahead and started some grape tomatoes which are a favorite for salads. The seed starting mix may have been a mistake, since it contains peat moss which can inhibit the germination and growth of peppers. Normally I just use common house plant soil which tends to be corse and contain a great deal of bark dust.