Chapeau de Frade (aka Bishop's Hat)

[Fusion_power]

I grew about 16 of these peppers this year in part because I had a plant last year and enjoyed the peppers and in part because Sandhill can use the seed. Since I had a fairly large amount of saved seed, I grew out a tray of plants this past spring and sold them locally. Since then, I've had excellent reports about this pepper for both flavor and production from several of my customers.

The species is Capsicum Baccatum. The peppers are shaped like miniature bells (and I mean like a true bell shape, not the pseudo bell shape of most sweet peppers) with lobes that hang down at the lower edge of the ripe fruit. You can cut off the lobes and they are sweet and fruity or cut down to the seed and the pepper is nicely hot with a heat range similar to Cayenne peppers. These peppers are excellent made into hot sauce and provide flavor in cooked foods that is comparable to the perfume/seasoning peppers.

What I found to be amazing about them is the extreme level of drought tolerance. The plants were seriously stressed by several months of dry weather in late summer. They dropped leaves and the leaves they kept shriveled up and looked dead, but with a bit of water, they perked right up and kept on growing. By comparison, other pepper plants such as sweet bells, habaneros, and others were seriously stunted and refused to set fruit until I started watering daily. The Chapeau de Frade peppers set fruit almost regardless of stress and temperature but the fruit did not start to grow until the plants got water.

This is a long season pepper. They take at least a month longer to mature fruit than most other peppers I've grown. If you want to grow them in northern states, please start the plants indoors at least 2 months before settled weather, then put them out in fertile soil and water them as needed.

DarJones

[franzb69]

got some seeds of these myself. haven't grown it since i've heard the opposite. but since you mentioned that these taste good and have heard from others that have grown it of the same review... then i will grow some out. hehe.

[pinakbet]

I hope my surviving Bishop's Crown plant will perform as good as your plants FP.

[vegegardner]

Thanks for the informative review Fusion_power! Now I am adding Bishop's hat to my 2011 pepper list.

[Noreaster]

I wish to thank you Fusion.

Just had our first Chapeau de Frade (grown with your recommendation)........without a doubt the VERY best hot pepper we've ever grown. 5-10 plants next year !

AND, the best looking too !!!!!!!!!!!!

[TNTiger]

I have one of these and it's done quite well. Do you recommend letting the peppers turn red before picking? Also, how are you using them. I haven't picked any yet and most are starting to turn now - they get a little purple hue first - then turn red.

[Noreaster]

My temptation got me to try first one before getting fully red, was sort of yellowish-red. So, likely to maybe get even better !!!!

I have several, each in a big pot. They are outside for the summer, and inside against
a big window for the winter. They fruit intermittently all year. I didn't make note of
what year I sowed the seed, but they are three or four years old, I think.

[Noreaster]

And finally, got to take a pic of my favorite hottie in COLOR !!!