Aji Fantasy Peppers – A Super Productive Variety!
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Pepper Geek takes part in various affiliate programs. This means that purchases through our links may result in a commission for us.
If you are tired of growing the same old jalapeños and sweet bells, the aji fantasy pepper may be just what you need. This pepper comes from the Capsicum baccatum species and has a unique flavor profile.
The bizarre, quirky shape of the aji fantasy is also interesting, somewhat resembling a top hat. The creamy-white color is a beautiful and unique thing to see in the veggie garden!
So, in this article I’ll share everything about the aji fantasy pepper, including its origin, heat level, flavor, and how to grow your own. Let’s get into it!
Origin
The aji fantasy was developed over a 5+ year period in Finland by Jukka Fatalii. The variety was developed for high productivity, delicious flavor, and a low-medium heat level.
Fatalii claims that the aji fantasy is a good example of “what baccatum chili can be.” I couldn’t agree more, since this is one of the most impressively productive pepper plants I have ever grown.
Flavor and heat level
The flavor of the aji fantasy is unlike anything you can buy from grocery stores here in the US. This chili has a distinctly fruity flavor, and is very sweet when ripe.
The walls are about 2-3mm thick, giving the peppers an addictive crunch. They are great for making fresh fruity salsas or stir fry.
The heat level of the aji fantasy is low-medium spicy, likely around 10,000-15,000 SHUs on the Scoville scale. They are slightly hotter than your average jalapeño, and are similar in heat to a serrano.
Tip: If you remove the placenta and seeds, the aji fantasy flesh is almost heat-free. Nearly all of the spice can be removed by taking the innards out (if you prefer a non-spicy experience)!
Seeds and growing
If you live in the UK, the best source for aji fantasy seeds is FataliiSeeds.net. However, if you live in the US, you may need to shop elsewhere due to shipping limitations.
Seed sellers:
- Bohica Pepper Hut
- Fatalii Seeds (for UK buyers)
- Rare seeds
Once you have some seeds, growing the aji fantasy is not much different from growing other varieties. However, you may wish to start your seeds 1-2 weeks earlier than other types to allow more time for the fruits to ripen (they can take a long time!).
Additionally, C. baccatum types can benefit from a tall stake/trellis, or a tomato cage for support. The aji fantasy pepper can grow to be very tall, becoming top-heavy as the fruits begin to form.
Learn how to grow peppers from seed to harvest here.
The aji fantasy is highly productive. Here in New England, a single plant produced over 100 peppers before the season was over – it just wouldn’t stop pumping out tasty fruits!
Uses
Since our plant was so productive, many of our aji fantasy peppers were frozen whole. This is a great way to preserve the harvest into the winter months, especially when you use a vacuum sealer.
Uses and recipes:
- Roasted with other veggies
- Fresh salsa
- Fermented hot sauce/mash
- Dehydrated for powder
- Frozen for use throughout the year
The fruity flavor is different from your average grocery store pepper, so you’ll just have to try the aji fantasy to understand. However, I think you’ll be happily surprised by how versatile and useful this variety can be.
I hope this article inspires you to try growing the aji fantasy pepper yourself and incorporating it into some homemade recipes! This plant was impressive to watch grow in our garden in almost every way possible.
Calvin
One of the original Pepper Geeks! When Calvin isn’t gardening or learning more about peppers and botany, he might be traveling new places or playing some music.
I grow Aji Fantasy White here in Zone 5. First season I got around 100-150 fruit per plant, then I overwintered them and got 250-300 fruit per plant. They’re ready to eat before any other variety I have too, only about 2 months since transplanting them into the ground. Taste is great, and usually mild, the heat can vary from maybe 500 scoville to 5000, depending on the fruit, and how ripe it is. But even unripe fruit taste pretty good, and have almost as much flavour as the ripe ones.
Wow! The Mad Hatters I picked week ago were wonderful, easy to eat. Today I picked 6-7 for a recipe…was thinking it was similar to a bell pepper….not these! I’ve felt the sting of peppers on my skin before but, as I write this, five hours later…my hands still feel the burn. I’d just touched my forehead to move some hair outa my face…looked in the mirror — my face was bright red where I’d touched it. I’ve worked with so many ‘too hot’ peppers…maybe one can be allergic to a specific pepper??? Abundant crop…will take to my next Master Gardeners meeting to ‘share’ (with a warning)!
I grew Aji Fantasy last year and this year too, but mine were a slightly different shape and completely heatless. But also very productive and tasty. Aji Delight is the other mild or heatless C. Baccatum pepper I grow, they ripen to red and are straighter and longer (hence easier to clean), but take longer to ripen, and are more susceptible to rot in persistent wet weather.
I grew Aji Fantasy last year and liked them a lot too, so I am growing them again this year! But mine were quite low in heat — the seeds were from Small Island Seed Co. That is a feature — there are not a lot of non-Annuum peppers with low heat and these were quite tasty and productive.
Depending on the type of pod, I often cut them up as I would for cooking before freezing. Can take up a lot less space for hollow pod types, and saves time on the other end.
@David Niemi, I got my seeds from Richard also! We are growing them for the first time this year, and researching what to tell friends I handoff plants to about the heat level.