The 2024 Chilli Growing Season Has Ended

Well, chilli folks, it's a wrap for 2024. All of the chilli plants have now gone, which is a sad sight to see. The weather this season has been the worst I've known it in all the years I've been growing chilli plants. The only plants that didn't do as well as usual for me this year were the Rocotos. The fruit production was about normal, but maturity wise they were a good six weeks or more behind where they would normally have been for the time of year. This is no doubt due to the poor weather and the late start. As usual, my Rocoto plants were grown outside in the garden and had to battle the elements, including a torrential hail storm which caused damage to one of them, but nothing too severe.

San Isidro Rocoto and Aji Largo - 20th November 2024

My one and only remaining Capsicum chinense plant succumbed to a cold snap in late November, and when I went to check on it one afternoon I was greeted by an unhappy looking plant that had dropped most of its fruit. I had no choice but to pick the remaining chillies from the plant (but not the floor) and then take it down. Whilst I was at it, I also took down both of the Rocoto plants. Most of the remaining peppers had started ripening, and so I washed and dried them and placed them aside for a week for some of them to finish ripening. Some did finish ripening and some just turned orange. Rocotos take much longer to reach full maturity than other chillies, and had I have left them any longer than a week they would have started turning soft.

Chilli Harvest - 20th November 2024

The ripe and semi-ripe Rocotos have now been frozen and will be used up over the coming winter months in chilli con carne, pasta sauce and stir fries. All of the unripe ones have now been pickled and will be ready for eating in a couple more weeks, if I can wait that long!

Pickled Rocoto Peppers - 27th November 2024

I now have three freezer draws full of wonderful spicy goodness to keep me company through the winter. Carrying all those buckets of water to the greenhouse during the growing season really does pay off in the end. Anyway, I'll leave you will this photo showing the end of season ripeness.

End of Season Ripeness - 27th November 2024

All hail the Chilli Gods! 😈