Fish Peppers

Carriage House Farm is heading into working with more unique cultivars of vegetables, fruits, and herbs.  We have leaned heavily on a relatively few items but in 2021 will be introducing a wide range of new plants and trees.

First up is the “Fish Pepper.”  A cultivar of Capsicum annum, this pepper is believed to have originated in the Caribbean and became popular during the 19th Century among African Americans, and was used commonly as an ingredient in the oyster and crab houses, especially in Baltimore and Philadelphia, thus the name “fish pepper.” Like many old breeds it fell out of favor in the early 20th century and was almost lost.

Enter Horace Pippin the famous African American folk-painter and World War 1 veteran.  Horace served in the famous Harlem Hellfighter unit. They were the longest serving American combat unit during the war and were under French command.  They were so well respected by the French that the whole unit was awarded the French Croix de Guerre.  Honor discharged and eventually awarded the purple heart for an injury sustained to his arm, Mr. Pippin entered civilian life and became a folk artist dealing with a wide range of subjects from African American culture, the war, the Bible, and landscapes before his death in the late 40s he traded a small amount of “fish pepper” seed to a local beekeeper, Ralph Weaver, for a hive of bees to use as remedy for the pain from his combat injury. The seeds stayed in Weaver’s family till his grandson, William Weaver made the seeds public around 1995 through the Seed Saver’s Exchange Yearbook.

Pippin’s “John Brown Going To His Hanging” (1942)

“The color of the fruit range from green, orange, brown, white and red, being spicy and hot. What really makes this pepper stand out is its wonderful foliage, as the 2’ tall plants have stunning white and green mottled leaves, which makes this variety superb for ornamental and edible landscaping.

Fish peppers have a vibrant appearance, making them popular as ornamental peppers. As they grow, their color varies greatly, progressing from an initial creamy white color to red when they mature. Fish peppers are typically hot peppers, and their heat can range from 5,000 to 30,000 on the Scoville scale. The peppers grow to roughly 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8 to 5.1 cm) long, with the plant itself growing to roughly 2 feet (61 cm) in height.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Carriage House Farm will be using these peppers as part of a variety of hot peppers to be used in milled spice blends and supply them to MadHouse Vinegar for the vinegar-based products.