Jimmy Nardello's Pepper | 25 Seeds

Classification: Capsicum annuum (Heirloom) Provenance: Basilicata, Italy (Via Connecticut, 1887) Flavor Profile: Complex | Fruity | Exceptionally Sweet Role: The Frying Legend

The standard bell pepper is essentially crunchy water. The Jimmy Nardello is flavor in its purest form.

Brought to the United States in 1887 by Giuseppe Nardello from the Basilicata region of southern Italy, this heirloom has achieved cult status among chefs and serious gardeners. It is widely regarded not just as a good pepper, but as the best-tasting frying pepper in existence.

Long, slender, and often contorted into crimson shapes that resemble flames, they possess a thin skin and a sugar content so high they can almost pass for fruit.

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The Curator’s Notes:

• The Culinary Application: Do not stuff these. They are designed for the pan. When fried in olive oil, the skin softens and the sugars caramelize, creating a creamy, smoky, sweet delicacy that requires nothing more than a pinch of sea salt.
• The Pedigree: This is a "Slow Food Ark of Taste" variety. You are not just growing food; you are maintaining a genetic line that a specific Italian family guarded for generations.
• The Appearance: They ripen to a brilliant, fire-engine red. On the plant, they look chaotic and abundant.
• The "Heat" Myth: Despite their aggressive red appearance, they are completely mild. There is zero heat—only intense, complex sweetness.