Greendoor - Joe’s Long Cayenne – Chili Seeds

• Record-breaking length: The pods grow significantly longer than those of the standard Cayenne and are a real eye-catcher on the plant.
• Excellent for drying: Due to its thin fruit walls, it dries extremely quickly in the air.
• Traditional variety: A tried-and-tested ‘heirloom’ variety, prized for its hardiness and vigour.

Plant characteristics

The plant is vigorous and copes very well with a variety of climatic conditions:

• Growth habit: Grows vigorously, upright and with extensive branching. As the plant often bears vast quantities of heavy pods, staking is highly recommended.
• Height: Easily reaches a height of 80 to 100 cm.
• Leaves: Medium green, narrow and numerous, giving the plant a bushy appearance.
• Yield: Joe’s Long is a ‘production machine’. It delivers a continuous harvest throughout the season.

The Fruit

The pods are elegant, long and often characteristically twisted:

• Shape: Very slender, tapering to a point and often curved or twisted into a spiral. The pods reach a length of 20 to 25 cm, in exceptional cases even up to 30 cm.
• Colour progression: The pods ripen from a deep green to a bright, intense red.
• Texture: Thin-walled and crisp.

Flavour & heat level

It offers the classic, clean Cayenne flavour with a good dose of heat.

• Heat level: 7 to 8 (hot). On the Scoville scale, it ranges between 30,000 and 50,000 SHU.
• Flavour: Intensely spicy with a subtle sweetness when fully ripe. The heat is immediate and tingling, without an unpleasant lingering after-burn.

Uses

Thanks to its shape and texture, it is ideal for preserving:

• Ristras: The long red pods can be beautifully woven into decorative chains (ristras) and hung in the kitchen to dry.
• Chilli flakes & powder: The dried fruits are easy to grind and produce a first-class, aromatic cayenne powder.
• Preserving: Whole pods in a jar look very rustic and appealing due to their length and curvature.
• Fresh: Ideal for seasoning pasta sauces, curries or for adding heat to oils.

Technical details

• Type: Capsicum annuum
• Contents: 10+ seeds
• Heat level: 7–8 (Hot)
• Sowing: February to April (indoor pre-sowing)
• Maturation period: approx. 75–85 days
• Location: Full sun; requires sufficient space in the bed or a large pot (min. 10 litres).