Aji Limon (Lemon Drop) Chilli

Capsicum baccatum 'Aji Limón' (Lemon Drop) The zesty Peruvian aji that tastes of bright, clean lemon

One of the most distinctive and delightful chillies you can grow — and a firm favourite among those who've discovered it. Aji Limón, better known to many as Lemon Drop, is a Peruvian aji with a flavour that lives up to its name: a bright, clean, genuinely citrusy lemon character, sharp and zesty, quite unlike the earthy or fruity notes of most other chillies. In Peru it's a treasured seasoning pepper, known as qillu uchu, and it brings that same vivid lemony lift to any dish you add it to.

The pods are as cheerful as the flavour: slim, cone-shaped, slightly crinkled, around 6–8cm long, ripening from green to a vivid, glossy, sunshine yellow. They hang in abundance from a tall, upright, well-branched plant — and "abundance" is the word, because Lemon Drop is famously productive, a single established plant capable of carrying well over a hundred fruits in a good season. It belongs to Capsicum baccatum, the species behind South America's most treasured cooking chillies, and is widely regarded as one of the very best of them for flavour.

The heat is a proper, lively hot — around 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units, comparable to a cayenne — but it's the bright lemon-citrus flavour carried alongside it that makes this chilli special. It adds genuine zing rather than just burn, which is exactly why keen cooks prize it. This is a chilli to grow for flavour first and heat second.

Like the other ajis, it's an easy, rewarding plant for the conditions it likes. It does grow tall — reaching 1.5m or more — and becomes heavy with fruit, so it appreciates a bit of room and usually wants staking once the pods build up. Look closely at the flowers and you'll spot the species' charming signature: small greenish or cream-coloured markings on the petals, the quiet botanical badge of a true aji.

A note on growing

Sow indoors from January to March. Like most chillies it germinates best with steady warmth — a heated propagator at around 22–28°C is ideal — and the baccatum types can be a touch slower than the easy annuums, so allow up to three or four weeks and don't give up on a tray too soon. Sow on the surface or barely covered, and keep the compost moist but not wet.

Prick out into 9cm pots once the seedlings have two true leaves, and grow on in good light at a minimum of 18–20°C to keep them sturdy. Pot on progressively to a large final pot — this is a big, tall plant that wants the root room. Lemon Drop grows best under cover in the UK: a greenhouse, polytunnel, or conservatory gives the long, warm season the baccatum ajis need to ripen a full crop, though a warm, sheltered, sunny spot outdoors can work in a good summer. Move plants out only once all danger of frost has passed.

Water consistently and feed weekly with a high-potash tomato food once the first flowers set. As the plant grows tall and the pods build up, stake or cane it so the laden branches don't snap, and pinch out the growing tip early to encourage a bushier, heavier-cropping shape. Harvest from late summer into autumn, picking the pods once they have ripened to full bright yellow. With such a heavy cropper, regular picking keeps it producing right up to the first frosts — and you will have plenty to pick.

Where it shines

In the kitchen, the bright lemon-citrus flavour is what makes Lemon Drop so versatile and so loved. It's superb fresh — sliced into salsas, ceviche, and salads, where its zesty character really sings — and it brings a lovely lift to fish and seafood, chicken, and stir-fries. Blend it into fresh hot sauces and Peruvian-style pastes, where the citrus note shines, or crush it into a bright table condiment. It's one of the better ajis for drying, too: dried and ground, it makes a fragrant, lemony chilli powder that's a wonderful thing to have in the spice rack. Anywhere you'd want heat and a squeeze of citrus brightness, Lemon Drop does both at once.

In the garden, it's a tall, generous, good-looking plant, dripping with cheerful yellow pods through late summer and autumn — and productive enough that one or two plants will keep a keen cook supplied all season and well beyond.

At a glance

• Heat: hot, around 30,000–50,000 SHU — a lively, cayenne-like kick
• Flavour: bright, clean and distinctly lemony — the variety's whole character
• Plant: tall, upright, well-branched, 1.5m+ — extremely high-yielding, usually needs staking
• Fruit: slim cone-shaped pods, ripening green to vivid glossy yellow
• Sow: January to March, propagator at 22–28°C
• Harvest: late summer to autumn, fully yellow
• Grow under cover in the UK for the best, fullest crop
• Best for: fresh salsas, ceviche, fish and seafood, and lemony chilli powder

Plant alongside

Chillies do well with companions that draw in pollinators and help keep pests down. Plant alongside French Marigold 'Spanish Brocade' to deter aphids and whitefly, and Calendula 'Neon' to attract beneficial predators. Basil is a classic greenhouse companion that enjoys the same warmth and sun, and makes a natural culinary partner too.