Anaheim Chilli

Capsicum annuum 'Anaheim' The mild, large, all-purpose roasting and stuffing chilli

If the superhots are for the thrill-seekers, the Anaheim is for everyone else — and for everyday cooking it may be the most useful chilli you can grow. This is the big, mild, gently warming chilli of the American Southwest: long tapering pods of 15–25cm, thick-walled and generous, with just enough gentle heat to give a dish character without ever overwhelming it. It's the pepper behind chile rellenos, green chilli sauces, and countless Mexican-American dishes, and it's mild enough that the whole family can enjoy it.

The variety has a charming history. It descends from a New Mexico landrace grown for generations by Pueblo and Hispanic communities, refined in the early twentieth century by the horticulturist Dr Fabian Garcia, and then carried to Southern California around 1900 by a rancher named Emilio Ortega — who fell so in love with the pepper that he began canning it at his mother's adobe home to sell. It took its name from the city of Anaheim, where it was first widely grown, and it remains one of the most popular chillies in the United States to this day.

The pods start a glossy mid-green — the stage at which they're most often picked and roasted — and ripen to a rich red if left on the plant, when their flavour deepens and sweetens. At 500–2,500 Scoville units the heat is mild: noticeably gentler than a jalapeño, a soft warmth rather than a kick. Note that, like all chillies, an Anaheim grown hard — in poorer soil or with less water — will develop a little more heat than one grown soft and well-fed, so you have some say in the result.

Anaheim belongs to Capsicum annuum, the same easygoing species as jalapeños, cayennes, and sweet bell peppers — which makes it one of the most straightforward chillies to grow. The plants are vigorous, bushy, and pleasingly compact at around 60–90cm, thriving in a large container as happily as in the ground, and productive enough that a couple of plants will keep a kitchen well supplied. For a UK grower this is a genuinely realistic chilli to crop well, even without a greenhouse in a good summer.

A note on growing

Sow indoors from February to April, about six to eight weeks before the last expected frost, at a depth of about 5mm in a seed compost. Anaheim germinates readily for a chilli — warmth helps, so a heated propagator or warm windowsill at 20–28°C will see seedlings up within 1–3 weeks. Keep the compost moist but not wet while you wait.

Prick out into 9cm pots once the seedlings have two true leaves, and grow on in good light at a minimum of 16–18°C to keep them sturdy. Pot on progressively to final 25–30cm pots or a growbag. Once all danger of frost has passed in late May or June, the plants can go into a greenhouse, polytunnel, or the warmest, most sheltered sunny spot outdoors — against a south-facing wall is ideal. The compact bushy habit makes Anaheim particularly well suited to container growing on a patio.

Water consistently and feed weekly with a high-potash tomato food once the first flowers set. Support taller plants with a cane if they become heavy with fruit. Harvest from midsummer onward: pick the pods green for the classic roasting and stuffing pepper, or leave them to ripen fully red on the plant for a sweeter, deeper flavour. Regular picking encourages the plant to keep producing right through to the first frosts. The thick walls make Anaheims superb for roasting — char the skins, steam them in a covered bowl for a few minutes, and the skins slip away to leave sweet, smoky flesh.

Where it shines

In the kitchen, the Anaheim is the great all-rounder. Its size and thick walls make it the classic stuffing pepper — the traditional choice for chile rellenos, stuffed with cheese, battered, and fried. Roast and peel them for green chilli sauces, salsas, enchiladas, and soups; slice and sauté them into fajitas; or dry the red-ripe pods and grind them into a mild, fragrant chilli powder. Strung together, ripe red Anaheims make the handsome drying ristras of the Southwest. Because the heat is so gentle, it's the chilli to reach for when you want genuine chilli flavour and aroma without setting the table alight.

In the garden, a couple of compact, productive plants will keep a household in mild chillies all season, and they look the part too — glossy and generous, hung with long green and red pods well into autumn.

At a glance

• Heat: mild, 500–2,500 SHU — gentler than a jalapeño
• Flavour: mild, slightly sweet and tangy, deepening when roasted or ripened red
• Plant: vigorous and bushy, 60–90cm, excellent in containers
• Fruit: large 15–25cm tapering pods, thick-walled, green ripening to red
• Sow: February to April, 20–28°C
• Harvest: midsummer onward, green or fully red
• Easy to grow — beginner-friendly, viable outdoors in a good UK summer
• Best for: stuffing, roasting, salsas, sauces and mild 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 companion that enjoys the same warmth and makes a natural culinary partner, and tomatoes share almost identical growing needs if you'd like to keep your warmth-lovers together.