How to grow Chillies in your Vegepod

Chillies are a pantry staple in most households and there is nothing like being able to pick your own fresh jalapenos or cayenne chillies to make up some spicy salsa or sweet chilli sauce.

Like capsicums, chillies are great to grow in your Vegepod as they are relatively low maintenance and only grow to about 30-60cm high depending on variety, so they fit perfectly under the Vegepod canopy.

Some like it hot- but others definitely don’t! So make sure you pick the chilli that suits your taste buds and luckily there are loads of different varieties out there to give you lots of options to choose from. Here is our guide to help you pick the right chilli variety depending on the heat level desired and remember, usually the smaller the fruit the hotter they are:

EXTREMELY HOT- Habanero, Trinidad Scorpion, Carolina Reaper, Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
HOT- Thai, Birds Eye, Scotch Bonnet

MEDIUM TO HOT- Caysan, Jalapeno, Serrano, Aji, Firecracker

MEDIUM- Long Red, Long Green, Brazil

SWEET-MILD- Hungary, Sweet Saville, Pepperoncini, Mild Thai

Once you’ve chosen your heat level, here are our top tips to growing bountiful chillies in your pod:

1. Make sure you have refreshed your pod with good premium potting mix and our Perlite Plus for good drainage- chillies hate wet feet!
2. Once planted, tie your chilli plant stem lightly to a wooden/bamboo stake to support the plant, especially when the fruit begins to form and get heavier
3. Feed your chillies fortnightly with our Vegepod Booster for prime fruit production over the warmer months

Unsure what to plant with your chillies? Why not try basil, marigolds, chives/spring onions, carrots, tomatoes, coriander and spinach for a lush spring/summer Vegepod harvest!

If you have a chilli glut during harvest time, why not try making our Chilli Jam recipe below:

INGREDIENTS

• 8 long red chillies
• 4 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 red capsicum
• 1 head garlic peeled and roughly chopped
• 200 g (0.8 cup) shallot chopped
• 100 g (0.4 cup) palm sugar, grated

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut all kinds of peppers longways, remove the seeds, and chop the red peppers in a food processor or mortar & pestle. Pulse until they are finely chopped but not pureed. Add other ingredients, such as oil, garlic, and shallots, and blend until smooth.
2. Heat the pan over medium heat and add the pepper mixture. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add grated palm sugar into a mixture and continue to boil for another 10 minutes or until it darkens and reaches a jam-like consistency.
4. Ladle into sterilised jars.