What’s the appetite for hot peppers among local growers? To gauge how well specialty peppers would grow in Hawaiʻi and how productive they might be, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) Oʻahu extension hosted a field day at the Waimānalo Research Station over the summer.
Chili peppers are commonly used, both fresh and dried, in many different culinary dishes, however, the production of other chili types has not been nearly as common in Hawaiʻi.
CTAHR extension agent Jensen Uyeda, and specialists Ted Radovich, Tina Mueller and Jari Sugano provided growers and home gardeners with applied science-based information on producing specialty peppers such as jalapeños, green peppers, paprika and other dry chiles.
“Our objective of the chili peppers field day was to spark interest in producing these foods and to help further diversify the agricultural market,” said Uyeda, of the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. “We also wanted to provide another ‘value-added’ option for local growers, since dried chilis and hot sauces are such common products—and access to local peppers would help to increase the marketability of these products.”
Participants also took a walk through the field and greenhouse to get hands-on experience harvesting peppers—and to collect pepper samples to take home.
