Cascabella peppers are 2 inch long tapered and conical shaped wax-type heirloom hot peppers which are often eaten fresh or pickled. They range between 1500 to 4000 units on the Scoville heat scale. Whilst they turn red when ripe, they are mostly consumed cream-yellow before turning cherry-red or bright red. Cascabella peppers are a high yielding, type of Hungarian Hot Wax pepper, easy to grow and popular with home gardeners.
Table of Contents
What are Cascabella Peppers?
Cascabella Peppers 
Cascabel Peppers
Cascabella is a conical shaped and tapered to a point pepper cultivar which finally turns red, botanically known as Capsicum Annuum of the plant family Solanaceae. In this same family are potatoes and tomatoes. The Cascabella is generally described as a small hot yellow pepper of Hungarian Hot Wax pepper type.
Although considered hot by some, Cascabella peppers are actually a mild pepper according to the Scoville scale, a 110 year old tool created by Wilbur Scoville to measure the spiciness or pungency of hot peppers (see more below).
Cascabella is not to be confused with Cascabel chili also known as little bell or rattle chili. The two are not the same. According to PepperJoe’s, a leading American supplier of pepper seeds, the two differ in that “Cascabella pepper can be eaten fresh, while the Cascabel pepper is typically dried”.
Some growers have reported disappointing mix-ups on ordering, on account of the closeness of the two names. This is something to be cautious about when ordering.
Below is a creamy-yellow Cascabella pepper ready for use.
Cascabella peppers go through three color shifts whilst still on the plant. The fruit matures from creamy-yellow to orange before finally turning cherry-red or bright red when ripe. The skin of the pepper is thick. Most people consume the peppers when they turn creamy-yellow. You may also find creamy-yellow shortened to simply yellow.
The Cascabella plant is typically small, sturdy, hardy and prolific producing numerous pods. It has dark green leaves and grows to 45 to 60cm or 18 to 24 inches tall. The strong yield of the plant is one of the reasons many home growers turn to pickling the peppers for longer term preservation and storage.
When cut open, the creamy-yellow Cascabella fruit produces a peppery-flowery smell which decreases as it ripens and is replaced by just a peppery aroma. Furthermore, the interior also reveals a handful of seeds and creamy-yellow flesh. When it ripens to red, the flesh and interior also changes accordingly.
Individuals who appreciate jalapeños are likely to also find Cascabella peppers enjoyable. The main difference, however, is that jalapeños have higher Scoville heat units of between 3500 and 8000 which is strong heat.
Cascabella Peppers Scoville Scale
Cascabella peppers range between 1500 and 4000 units, according to this Scoville scale.
New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, states that the heat in peppers is a result of capsaicinoids. These are chemical compounds, 22 in total. The major ones of these are capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. Pure capsaicin rates over 15 000 000 Scoville units. These are the heat generators.
The Scoville Organoleptic Test, as it is officially known, measures heat in chili peppers. It must be stated that this is a subjective process which depends on the tester’s palate and sensitivity to heat generating chemicals. This explains Cascabella peppers’ Scoville scale which is essentially a range of between 1500 and 4000 units.
These units represent the level of dilution required for the heat to completely dissipate such that no pungency is detected. Put simply, they measure how much is required to douse the fire.
According to the Scoville heat scale, at between 1500 and 4000 units, Cascabella peppers are considered warm, spicy to hot. For context, the famous bell peppers, a common sight in grocery stores, are considered neutral while sweet peppers and sweet paprika are considered of mild heat. It is however usual to come across literature and some growers who consider Cascabella as mild. This reflects the limitations of subjectivity prone Scoville scale.
Cascabella Pepper Seeds
Although an heirloom cultivar which has been around for many generations, Cascabella pepper seeds are easily accessible. The following is our compilation of Cascabella seed sources online.
 |
| Cascabella Seeds by Sustainable Seed Co. These seeds are by Sustainable Seed Company out of the United States. The seeds are non-GMO open-pollinated, reaching maturity in 75 to 90 days. Each packet contains 35 to 45 seeds. The company characterizes the heat of the fruit produced by these seeds as “ mildly pungent” |
 |
| Cascabella Seeds by Pepper Joe’s According to U.S. based Pepper Joe’s, these seeds produce peppers with a heat level of 1500 to 6000 units which is considered mild by the seed maker. Each packet has at least 10 seeds which mature in at least 80 days |
 |
| Cascabella Seeds by PepperSeeds These seeds are sold by Netherlands (EU) based PepperSeeds. The seeds are sold in packs with 10 seeds each. According to PepperSeeds, Cascabella produced by these seeds have Scoville heat units of between 1500 and 4000. The peppers are ready for harvest in 75 days. |
 |
| Cascabella Seeds by Sandia Seeds These are heirloom open-pollinated seeds originating in Mexico by Sandia Seed Company out of the United States. The seeds are sold in packets containing 10 seeds and germinate in 80 days. The seeds have a heat level of medium and Scoville units of between 1500 and 3000 according to the company. |
What can be observed from these seeds is that although the seeds are for Cascabella, the heat produced will differ according to the seed maker. This is a worthy consideration when searching for which seeds to order.
How to Grow Cascabella Peppers
Cascabella peppers are popular with home gardeners partly because they are fairly easy to grow. The peppers require warm temperatures and exposure to full sun. Soils should be well endowed with calcium and phosphorus. If these are not present, amendments can be done by adding lime and compost to the soil a few weeks before transplanting the seedlings.
Cascabella peppers are typically started indoors several weeks before night temperatures become warm enough for the plants to thrive. This is an effective way to have a head start on the season. Once the seedlings have several true leaves, they are transplanted into the ground at 30 inches or 76cm apart.
Although the peppers can withstand dry soil, watering must be enough to keep the soil moist. When these conditions are present, Cascabella peppers grow quickly producing their famous high yields.
As earlier mentioned, harvest is usually done when the peppers are creamy-yellow. However, they can be allowed to turn red before they are harvested.
Cascabella Pepper Recipes
Cascabella peppers are primarily cultivated for a variety of culinary applications. They have very little sweetness but are rather tart or tangy and citrusy in flavor depending on the stage at which they are harvested.
The peppers are used in salads, oven dishes, in marinades and as bottled hot sauce. As earlier stated, the high yield of the peppers often encourages growers to pickle for preservation and longer term storage.
Cascabella peppers are also commercially pickled and available as store bought pickled chili peppers. The following is such an example.
 |
| Mezetta Hot Chilli Peppers See on Amazon Here we have the famous Mezzetta Hot Chilli Peppers. This pickled product is made entirely from Cascabella peppers grown in Northern California by local farmers.This is considered by some to be a good product to have in-between seasons or as one awaits harvest of own peppers to pickle. |
The following are some suggested Cascabella pepper recipes to try out.
Yellow Pepper Sauce – This recipe requires yellow peppers. In this case, the yellow peppers will be Cascabella peppers in desired quantities. Other ingredients will include olive oil, crushed garlic cloves and white wine vinegar among others. The peppers are roasted for 45 minutes before the next steps of the recipe.
Cascabella Peppers in Olive Oil Recipe (Video)
This video demonstrates an Italian recipe of preserving hot chili peppers in olive oil. This exact recipe can be used to preserve Cascabella peppers. Simply make Cascabella your choice peppers to use in this recipe.
Conclusion
Cascabella peppers are an heirloom type of Hungarian Hot Wax pepper. They are considered mild to hot on the Scoville heat scale depending on the seed maker. The peppers are commonly harvested and consumed when they turn creamy-yellow although at full harvest they turn to a bright red color. They are flavorful and applied in a variety of culinary recipe preparations.
Recommended Reads:
