Ralph Thompson's Squash Pepper
Heirloom
- Organic
- Red fruit is saucer shaped with strong ribbing
- Highly productive
- Mild to medium hot pepper
- 80-90 days from transplant
- ±4,000 seeds/oz
Item Details
Donated to SSE by Hugh and Barbara Havercamp. Passed down from Barbara’s father, Ralph Mead Thompson of Woburn, MA. Originally from Italian immigrants who came to Boston as indentured servants. Red fruit, saucer shaped with strong ribbing. Highly productive. Sweet flavor with medium-high heat. 80-90 days from transplant. Medium hot. ±4,000 seeds/oz.
Learn to Grow Ralph Thompson's Squash Pepper
Start Indoors: 8 weeks before last frost
Germination: 14 Days
Plant Outdoors: 12-24” Apart
Light: Full Sun
Instructions - Sow seeds indoors ¼” deep. Peppers germinate best in warm soil, so gentle bottom heat may be helpful until seedlings emerge. Wait to transplant outdoors until soil is warm.
Ratings & Reviews
4 reviews
Our Favorite Seed Saver Pepper!!!
by Ted Van Deventer
What a wonderful pepper! Very productive, great heat, strong yet not overpowering. We have frozen these every year, they are a great add to a dip or chili.
One of our favorite peppers!
by Monica
Love, love, love! The sweet-hot flavor is delicious. I've pickled these a few years in a row -- the flavor holds up very well. They can be used in anything or are great right out of the jar. I save seeds every year in case they ever go away!
Versatile Pepper
by Rick G
This pepper is greatI Excellent yield in zone 7a. Perfect Heat, also sweet. Great for making Hot Sauce, Dried Red Pepper Flake. I expect pickling would be good too. My next move is to take the seeds out and stuff them with cheese. I believe these will be my go to pepper. Also saving seeds like the other reviewer, in case they go extinct.
Good golly miss Molly!
by Amy S
Way spicier than I thought they would be! I was expecting just a little “nip“ of spiciness, but I actually couldn’t eat these peppers right off the plant because they’re too spicy for me. That being said, they are nothing close to jalapeños or true “spicy“ peppers, I just don’t like spicy food. My husband, on the other hand, absolutely loves these! Absolutely excellent germination rate. And an even better fruit bearing rate! The peppers themselves are not very large, smaller than the normal “bell pepper“ that you purchase in a grocery store. They’re about 2” tall and about 3” or so in diameter. as far as production though, you can’t go wrong with these guys. I was amazed with how many peppers I got in one year off one plant! I will plant them again next gardening season, but I will not plant near as many! I do recommend. Just be aware that they are not sweet—they’re spicy!
Greensboro, NC
Zone 7B