AJI DULCE #1 Pepper Seeds, ,Capsicum chinense, annual vegetable CARIBBEAN GARDEN SEED

Chili Organically Grown pepper – little to no heat.

Known As ajicitoo,aji gustoso,ajI­ cachucha & sweet habanero,

Pepper ‘Aji Dulce'(Capsicum chinense) are small, sweet peppers similar to habaneros but without the heat. The fruit of the aji dulce plant is about 2 inches long, and start off green then turn red when ripe. Aji dulce plants bear fruit when they are about 18 inches tall.

Aji dulce peppers (Capsicum chinense) are small, sweet peppers similar to habaneros but without the heat. The fruit of the aji dulce plant is about 2 inches long, and start off green then turn red when ripe. Aji dulce plants bear fruit when they are about 18 inches tall.

In Puerto Rico, it is known as ajIdulce or ajicito (sweet pepper and small pepper, respectively, in Spanish). In the Dominican Republic, it is also known asají gustoso or ajI cachucha (tasty pepper, and cap-shaped pepper, respectively, in Spanish). It has the shape and size of a habanero pepper without the intense heat. Unlike many other countries in Latin America, hot peppers are not commonly used in the cuisine of Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, or Cuba. However, there can be some ajI­ dulce fruit that is pungent, probably due to out-crossing.

This pepper is used to season dishes and is an important ingredient for sofrito, a sauce used in several Latin American cuisines. A must for those Cuban Style black beans, homemade or canned. Just add a couple of CACHUCHA peppers and the flavor soars.

I grow these special plants in my own Garden without pesticides. Ají Dulce plants are very hard to find in the US. I harvest my own seeds and plant them each year. plant your own, so that you can make your own fresh sofrito, save the seeds and plant them again the following year.

The compact nature of the pepper plant makes it well-suited to container growing. Growing the peppers in a pot also gives you more control over the soil and nutrients, and helps keep the roots warmer than they may be when planted in the ground.

Place the potted pepper in full sun. Set a small tomato cage — 2 to 3 feet high — over the pot to support the plant as it grows. Water the pepper daily if necessary to keep the soil moist.
4
Fertilize every two weeks with half-strength liquid tomato fertilizer beginning when blooms appear.
5
Harvest the peppers as soon as they ripen to keep the plant producing. Once the pepper turns dark orange or red it is ripe. Cut the pepper from the plant just above the fruit. Peppers left on the plant too long will develop a hotter flavor.
6
Overwinter the plants for the next year. In the fall when the leaves begin to drop, cut the plant back to 3 or 4 inches above the soil line. Place the container in a cool, dark room and leave it until the spring, after frost danger has passed.
MY SOFRITO RECIPE

Sofrito

Sofrito is the base and essence of Puerto Rican food. It is not just an ingredient it is our culture. Puerto Rican food is not authentic Puerto Rican food without the use of Sofrito. Its the first thing to go into the pot and establishes the flavor and seasonings of what’s to come. The recipe is different in every Puerto Rican household and it is normally handed down from mother to child from generation to generation.

The herb culantro and Aji Dulce’s are what gives Sofrito its unique flavor.

My Sofrito Recipe:

4 Cubanelle Peppers

1 large red bell pepper

1 lb of Aji Dulce

50 leaves of Recao-Culantro

A bunch of Cilantro

2 heads of garlic

2 spanish onions

1 teaspoon of olive oil

Prepare

Wash all the ingredients and remove the seeds. Put all the ingredients in a

Blender and put blender on course until all ingredients have been blended.

You can store them in ice-cube trays so that you can freeze and use as needed.

Materials: Pepper Seeds,grown organically,beans,stir fries,stews,Easily sliced thin,dried and stored in glass jars,frozen they kept dried,4 months without losing flavor,ajicitoo,asají gustoso,ají cachucha,sweet habanero