Round and red, like its namesake suggests, the cherry pepper is a tasty treat with a bit of a kick. Not only do they make a tasty snack, but these pretty little peppers are also prolific growers! They’re a great addition to any home garden.
Keep reading to learn about the cherry pepper variety, including where to buy them and how to start growing your own.
Looking for cherry pepper seeds? Check availability.
Characteristics of The Cherry Pepper
Sweet, spicy, and downright delicious, the cherry variety is a pretty pepper that tastes as good as it looks!
Appearance and Size
Just like regular cherries, cherry peppers are small, round, and bright red. Each pepper is around 1-1.5 inches in diameter.
The plants grow to around 24 inches tall with plenty of fruits on each one. They’re a nice compact size that doesn’t take up too much space in the garden.
The peppers start out green and slowly turn red as they ripen.
What Do They Taste Like?
These yummy peppers have the perfect balance of sweetness and heat. The flavor is fresh and lightly sweet, with a spicy kick at the end.
When it comes to spice level, the cherry variety is a mild to medium pepper. The heat is similar to that of jalapenos or slightly less spicy.
Like other types of peppers, the heat level can vary a lot from pepper to pepper. Most are sweet and somewhat mild, but every once in a while, you can get a really spicy one — so watch out!
Are They the Same as Pimientos?
People sometimes confuse the cherry variety with pimientos, but these are actually two different types of peppers! They’re easy to confuse because the size, shape, and color are very similar.
The flavor is what makes these peppers stand out. Pimientos are sweeter and not as spicy as their cherry cousins.
Eating Cherry Peppers
These pretty little peppers are delicious in so many different ways. Whether you want to eat them raw or cooked, on their own or in a recipe, there’s no wrong way to enjoy a tasty red cherry pepper!
Eating Fresh
Fresh cherry peppers are delicious on sandwiches, salads, or as a pizza topping. It’s easy to slice up a few and add them to whatever you’re making.
If you don’t feel like slicing, the small size of these peppers makes for a perfect bite-size snack. They’re also a great addition to a charcuterie board.
Pickling
With their firm, thick skin, these peppers are excellent for pickling. It’s easy to make pickles at home using just a few basic ingredients like vinegar, water, and sugar.
You can learn more about pickling in this article on food preservation.
Recipes
They’re also delicious when cooked! Try one of these recipes to enjoy the sweet and spicy flavor of roasted or baked cherry peppers.
Chicken with Hot Cherry Peppers
Health Benefits
These peppers are high in many vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Antioxidants like vitamin C boost the immune system, support brain health, reduce the risk of heart disease, improve skin tone, and much more.
Potassium is essential for maintaining the proper fluid balance in the body and supporting normal blood pressure. It also helps reduce the risk of stroke, osteoporosis, and kidney stones.
Fiber is important for digestion and supporting a healthy gut.
Where to Get Cherry Peppers
Pickled cherry peppers are easy to find at grocery stores throughout the year. They’re usually on the same aisle as other jarred items like regular pickles, artichoke hearts, and olives. If you don’t find them there, check by the canned goods.
Pickled cherry peppers are also widely available to order online from places like Amazon.
Fresh cherry peppers aren’t as common so they can be harder to find. You may be able to find them at your local grocery store during the summer months. If not, check with your local farmer or farmer’s market.
If you still can’t find them, consider growing your own!
Growing Cherry Pepper Plants at Home
Cherry pepper plants are prolific growers. They’re easy to care for and yield high amounts of tasty fruit throughout the season.
Planting
Choose a planting location with plenty of sun, at least 6-8 hours of full sunlight daily. Peppers prefer slightly acidic soil.
They need rich, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter to feed the plants as they grow. Add compost when planting to increase the organic matter in the soil.
Like other peppers, the cherry variety likes hot weather, so wait to plant until all danger of frost has passed.
Caring for the Plants
Water regularly as the plants are getting established and while they begin producing fruit. For spicier peppers, water less often as the fruit ripens.
Fertilize peppers 1-2 weeks after sprouts appear with 1/4-1/2 of the regular fertilizer dose. These are just baby plants, so they only need a baby-sized dose of fertilizer.
Once the plants start producing flowers, fertilize regularly following the instructions on your fertilizer package. Once a week or every other week is usually what’s recommended.
Where to Buy Seeds
While not rare, this isn’t a common variety, so it may be hard to find seeds or starter plants in stores.
Thankfully, cherry pepper seeds are available online, so you can order them anytime. We recommend the high-quality seeds sold online by one of our favorite retailers, True Leaf Market.
Time to Enjoy a Yummy Cherry Pepper
Isn’t it interesting how many pepper varieties there are? They come in so many different shapes, sizes, and colors. The pretty red cherry pepper is just one example!
Head over to the Pepper Plants page on our website to learn about more pepper varieties. Whether you want to grow your own or find a new variety to try, you’re sure to find some unique peppers there.