Aconcagua Pepper

Seed line · Sweet pepper

Aconcagua Pepper

Capsicum annuum ‘Aconcagua’

Sweet pepper reported from Argentina

$7.00

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Type: Giant sweet frying pepper
Grown for: Fresh eating, frying, roasting, stuffing
Hardiness: Annual, any zone

At a glance

Format: Open-pollinated seed
Fruit: Up to 12 inches long. Pale yellow-green turning red. Thin walls, crisp texture
Flavor: Sweet, crisp, apple-like
Start indoors: 6 to 8 weeks before setting out (Iowa State University Extension)
Plant out: After the danger of frost has passed (Iowa State University Extension)
Origin: Argentina, as reported by European seed sources. Exact origin not known

Rarity score

How we score rarity

About this variety

Aconcagua Pepper is grown out at Provenance Nursery from multi-generational stock, a giant sweet frying pepper reported from Argentina and named for Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas. It produces fruit up to 12 inches long, pale yellow-green turning red, with thin walls, sweet flavor, and a crisp, almost apple-like texture when eaten fresh.

Pods can reach a foot long.

Growing

Buy them together as a set: GIANTS Seed Set.

Under evaluation at Provenance

Provenance is currently conducting research on this variety. While that work is completed, seed will be grown out over multiple generations as it becomes available to market. Data will be uploaded as it becomes available.

Heat No heat

0 Scoville Heat Units · Capsicum annuum

No capsaicin heat at all.

How to sow: depth, soil temperature and timing for Iowa

Growing guides: Saving seed and keeping lines true

Where it came from

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Reported. A credible third-party source, not independently verified. How we grade our records

In the kitchen

Fried peppers

Fry whole or halved peppers in olive oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning, then salt.

What can you make with this?

Recipes and drinks chosen for this cultivar's own flavor and texture, each written by Provenance Nursery and labeled with how well its history is documented.

Pan-fried Aconcagua peppers Side · Signature · Serves 4

Whole giant frying peppers blistered in oil until the walls collapse tender, finished with salt and a squeeze of lemon. Adapted from the Argentine and Italian tradition of frying long sweet peppers whole.

Role of the fruit. The whole dish: 4 to 6 Aconcagua peppers per serving, nothing else competing

Prep 10 minutes. Cook 12 minutes. Total 22 minutes.

Ingredients

4 to 6 Aconcagua peppers, left whole with stems on
3 tbsp olive oil
Flaky salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Wipe the peppers dry. Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Lay the peppers in flat and fry 3 to 4 minutes a side, turning as needed, until the skin blisters and blackens in spots and the flesh goes tender all the way through.
3. Lift onto a platter, salt while hot, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Why this cultivar. The thin walls that make Aconcagua crisp raw are also why it collapses fast in the pan. Watch it past the 3 minute mark rather than timing by the clock.

Evidence: B. Documented regional technique. Source 1: cabidigitallibrary.org (opens in a new tab)

Open the full recipe page · Learn the technique: Frying

More in the Provenance Kitchen and Kitchen School. Canning appears here only as links to tested methods. Evidence levels are explained on How we grade our records.