Chile Pepper 'Lemon Drop'
New to my hot pepper roster this year upon request, ‘Lemon Drop’ is a Peruvian heirloom that has a citrus heat perfect for pepper jellies and preserves or light chicken and seafood dishes that pack a punch. I’m thinking of trying it out with a blackened shrimp recipe.
Growing to a compact two feet tall, it produces peppers that are thin-walled, few in seeds and about 2-3” long. Small but mighty! There’s really nothing like this specialty pepper.
FYI - Lemon Drop peppers are a medium heat pepper, ranging from 15,000-30,000 SHU. this puts it in range of tabasco, cayenne and serrano.
Height: ~24”
A Note from the Grower
Sometimes, all you need is some spice. Find all levels of heat in my hot pepper selections this year. From a classic jalapeño to my latest addition, ‘Lemon Drop’ chile, you should be able find the heat you’re searching for this summer. Read more about pepper plant care in the Plant Guide.
A word of caution to those handling hot peppers, avoid touching your face when harvesting. The oils in peppers exist in their fruit, but also in their leaves and stems.
In the pepper world, a common measure of heat is the Scoville Heat Scale. The amount of capsaicin (the oil that causes the fire in our mouths) is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). <5,000 = mild | 2,500-50,000 = medium | >50,000 = hot (Levels keep going for especially hot peppers like the infamous ghost pepper which receives around a 1,000,000 SHU rating.)
