Hot pepper de la Bresse BIO - Capsicum annuum

An old French pepper with mild, fruity heat. De la Bresse is an old, early-ripening chili pepper variety originating from the Bresse region in eastern France. Plants grow to about 60 cm and produce red fruits with thick, fleshy flesh. The flavor is fruity, subtly spicy and slightly sweet – the producer rates its heat at 4/10, so it seasons dishes without overpowering them.

At a glance

• Growth habit: bushy, about 60 cm
• Fruits: red, fleshy, green before ripening
• Heat: moderate, 4/10 on the producer’s scale
• Sowing under cover: February – March
• Transplanting: after May 15–20, preferably under cover
• Harvest: July–October
• Position: full sun, warm, fertile, well-drained soil
• Difficulty: challenging – requires warmth to germinate
• Seeds per packet: 25

What makes this variety special

This variety is for people who enjoy the flavor of chili peppers but aren’t looking for extreme heat. The thick flesh makes the fruits juicy and suitable not only for drying, but also for eating fresh and pickling. The fruits ripen from green to an intense red.

According to the producer, this variety is relatively disease-resistant, and its growing cycle – about 100–130 days – is considerably shorter than that of many other chili peppers. This helps the fruits ripen in Polish conditions, although the most reliable yields still come from a greenhouse or polytunnel.

Step-by-step growing guide

Sowing (February – March, under cover): Sow the seeds 2–3 mm deep in a light, moist seed-starting mix. Keep the container at a steady temperature of 23–28 °C – chili peppers germinate more slowly than sweet peppers, usually within 8–15 days, so a heat mat works well. Keep the growing medium slightly moist, and once the seedlings emerge, give them as much light as possible, preferably with supplemental lighting, to prevent them from becoming leggy.

Pricking out: When the seedlings have developed 3–4 true leaves, transplant them individually into pots 8–10 cm in diameter, keeping them in a warm place. During the last 7–10 days before transplanting, harden off the seedlings by placing them outdoors for a few hours each day.

Transplanting (after May 15–20): Plant the seedlings in a greenhouse, polytunnel or in the warmest, wind-sheltered spot in the garden, spacing them about 50 × 50 cm apart. The soil should be fertile, well-drained and enriched with compost. For container growing, choose a pot with a capacity of at least 5–10 L.

Care: Water regularly and moderately, preferably in the morning and without wetting the leaves – both letting the soil dry out and keeping it constantly wet will weaken fruit production. While the fruits are setting, feed the plants with an organic fertilizer high in potassium. If the bushes are heavily laden with fruit, tie them to a stake. At the end of August, it is worth pinching out the shoot tips so the plant can focus on ripening the fruits that have already set.

Uses

Slice fresh fruits into salads, ratatouille and stewed vegetables. They work well in homemade sauces and marinades, as well as in preserves in vinegar or oil. The fruits can also be dried – because of their thick flesh, it is best to cut them lengthwise and dry them in a dehydrator or in an oven with the door ajar.

Gardener’s tip

About the producer

The seeds come from Semailles – a small-scale Belgian producer of organic seeds from the province of Namur in Wallonia. Semailles offers only open-pollinated varieties (no F1 hybrids), including many traditional and collectible varieties. Some seeds are propagated on its own fields, while others are produced in collaboration with organic growers in Belgium and France. All batches are certified organic (inspection code BE-BIO-01).

Specifications