Sweet Chocolate Pepper

5Reviews
SKU: 1216A-P25
$3.95

Item Details

(aka Choco) Early bell pepper bred by Elwyn Meader and introduced by the University of New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station in 1965. Ripens from green to chocolate on the outside and brick red inside. Thick sweet flesh. Great for gardeners in short season areas.


  • 60-85 days from transplant
  • Organic
  • Sweet pepper
  • Fruits ripen from green to chocolate with brick red interior
  • Thick sweet flesh
  • Great for gardeners in short season areas

This variety works for:

  • Fresh eating
  • Salsa


This pepper is: SWEET


Bell peppers are sweetest when they mature to a full red, but the crunchy green flesh is a great addition to many savory dishes. You can stuff peppers with quinoa, rice, or a mixture of cheese and beans and bake or cook rings of pepper in a skillet with a fresh egg inside.


Roast your red peppers over a burner or under a broiler, then peel and puree with hummus or slice and add to grilled eggplant and mozzarella sandwiches with fresh basil.

Growing Instructions

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.

  • Start Indoors: 8 weeks before last frost
  • Germination: 14 Days
  • Plant Outdoors: 12-24” Apart
  • Light: Full Sun

Ratings & Reviews

5 reviews

Very hard to germinate

by

Very hard to germinate. Package just says "warm soil." The plant that I did get to germinate did okay.

Great pepper and easy to grow if following directions on packet

by

These were easy to germinate and grew well as I followed the instructions. Since these are peppers, I did have them on a low heating pad to keep the soil warm while I germinated inside. Once they sprouted and were a 1/2 high, I removed the heating pad and they grew really well. Nearly all the seeds I started came through. Hardened outside and planting in my garden now.

Not prolific but good taste

by

The plant is not prolific in a container in Southern California. I don't know if the problem is our hot summers (maybe causing pollen infertility) or that I only had 1 plant (maybe poor self-pollinator). Many pretty flowers, but few peppers even with hand pollination. The peppers I got tasted great, though, so I am actively trying to grow more plants. Germination after a year in storage is not great, so my advice is to try growing several plants as soon as you get the seeds. It appears to have good disease and pest resistance. The slugs don't eat it, aphids don't stay on it for long, and the leaves stay glossy green all year.

Not your ordinary pepper

by

I grew these in 2020 with success. I started them indoors with no issue and had many fruits on each plant after transplanting into my garden. They tasted nice fresh and also froze well. I’m trying them again this year.

Productive in the North

by

We've been growing these for 4-5 years in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it's hands down been the most productive sweet pepper we've been able to find. It's also fantastic tasting!