Ancho Rojo Pepper

This broad-shouldered, mild chili is called Poblano when it is fresh, glossy, dark green, and Ancho when red and dried. Poblanos are often stuffed to make chiles rellenos, and dried Anchos are used in many ways: as chili powder, in mole sauces, and in chili con carne. Ancho chilis are dried in Mexico in the open air spread out in the sun or in hot air tunnels and then flattened.

Scoville Heat Units: 1,000-3,000

Days to maturity: 68 days green, 88 days red

Seeds per pack: 25

Germination rate: 96% on 02/28/2024

Planting / harvesting notes

Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost and transplant into garden well after the danger of frost. Keep seedlings moist but do not overwater. Transplants should be initially watered in well, and plants will be most productive with regular irrigation and full sun.

Seed keeping notes

Peppers are generally self-pollinating, though we isolate different varieties of the same species by at least 50 feet, in hopes that flying insects will not cross pollinate them unexpectedly. There are several important species of peppers, so check your scientific names! Pepper seeds are ripe when the fruits have turned their final fiery color - in this case, fully red. Cut the fruit, scrape out seeds, and lay them out to dry on a labeled screen or paper product in a ventilated place away from direct sunlight for a week or two. Drying the peppers before seed extraction can slightly lower your germination rates, but works fine for home seed saving as long as the peppers do not rot.