Chilli Mazzetti produces its little conical pods in bunches at the top of the plant. The slightly smoky, fruity flavour and heat level won’t overpower the sweet or savoury flavours of the final dishes. Heat level is around 20,000 SHU
Sow: from February to May, indoors in warm, moist seed compost. Sow no more than 5mm deep and keep at 24-28˚C. At the 2-3 leaf stage pot up to 7cm pots and grow on. When plants reach about 10cm tall, move them into their final pots.
Grow: at about 40-60cm tall, these are well suited to pots and containers in a greenhouse or conservatory. They can also go outside from June once hardened off, choosing a sunny, sheltered position. Allow the compost surface to dry between waterings and, once the first flowers appear, feed weekly.
Enjoy: I have come across Mazzetti chillies simmered into jams, mixed into hot chocolate and even used in spicy cakes. Okay, so I have used them in a spicy-chocolate flavoured Christmas cake! They can be dried for later use and ground into chilli powder. So much more than another pizza topping!
💡 Did you know? The full Italian name is Piccante a Mazzetti which roughly translates as ‘hot in bunches’, perfectly describing how these grow.
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