Greendoor - Padrón – Chili Seeds

• Tapas classic: In Spain, they are traditionally fried in olive oil and served with coarse sea salt.
• Unpredictable heat: “Unas pican e outras non” (Some are hot, others aren’t) – so goes the Galician saying.
• Harvest time: The flavour is best when the fruits are harvested whilst still green and relatively small.

Plant characteristics

The Padrón plant is robust, vigorous and very productive:

• Growth habit: Grows upright, bushy and branches well. The stems are sturdy but may need support if heavily laden.
• Height: Usually reaches 60 to 90 cm when grown outdoors or in a large container.
• Leaves: Medium green, smooth and oval.
• Yield: Extremely high-yielding. The more you harvest, the more new flowers the plant produces.

The fruit

The pods have a rustic, slightly uneven appearance:

• Shape: Conical, often somewhat stocky and wrinkled. The ideal harvest size is 4 to 6 cm.
• Colour development: They are traditionally harvested green. If left on the plant, they ripen to a deep red and become significantly hotter.
• Texture: Medium-thick skin, very juicy and butter-soft when fried.

Flavour & heat level

Padrón chillies impress with their spicy, nutty aroma.

• Heat level: 1 to 5 (mild to medium-hot). Most fruits range from approx. 500 to 2,500 SHU. However, individual ‘outliers’ can be significantly hotter.
• Flavour: Intensely spicy and slightly tart when green. When fully ripe (red), they develop a pleasant sweetness but lose their typical tapas character.

Uses

The Padrón is a specialist for the frying pan and the barbecue:

• Pimientos de Padrón: Fry in a pan with plenty of olive oil over a high heat until the skin blisters and turns slightly brown. Then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
• Grilling: Skewered or in a grill tray, they are a perfect accompaniment to meat and fish.
• Stuffing: Larger specimens are excellent stuffed with sheep’s cheese or bacon.

Technical details

• Type: Capsicum annuum
• Contents: 10+ seeds
• Heat level: 1–5 (Variable)
• Sowing: February to April (pre-sowing indoors)
• Maturation time: approx. 60–70 days until green harvest
• Location: Full sun and sheltered from the wind. Regular harvesting massively increases the yield.