The Sugar Rush Peach pepper was originally cultivated by Chris Fowler of Welsh Dragon Chilli. The Wales-based pepper grower considers the variety to be accidental. It was created through natural open pollination and has some amazing characteristics.
Scoville Heat Units (SHU): 50,000 – 100,000
Diameter: 0.5 – 1.5 inches
Length: 3 – 6 inches
Color: Light Orange/Peach
Species: Baccatum
Buy Seeds: RareSeeds
In this article, we’ll cover everything about the Sugar Rush Peach chili pepper variety. By the end, you’ll know where to get seeds, when to plant them, how quickly they produce peppers and how they look & taste. Let’s get started!
Sugar Rush Peach Pepper Origin
The Sugar Rush Peach pepper comes from the Capsicum baccatum species of peppers. This species is confirmed to have origins in either Peru or Bolivia. Commonly referred to as Aji peppers, they are now cultivated across South America and in Costa Rica.
In the US, Aji peppers are grown in small numbers due to the overwhelming demand for other pepper varieties. However, it is very easy to grow them in your own home garden. Sugar Rush Peach peppers are now much more common for
Characteristics of Sugar Rush Peach Peppers
Sugar Rush Peach peppers have a very descriptive name. They are sweet, the plants grow quickly, and they have a peachy color when mature. This makes the pepper very desirable for home gardeners.
Appearance
Sugar Rush Peach peppers tend to be very large and oblong, with a wrinkled surface and a pointed end. The color starts off light green or yellow, turning a creamy peachy orange color when mature.
The plants can grow very large, up to 5 feet in height when given full sun. The plants are prolific, producing upwards of 40 large peppers per plant in ideal growing conditions.
Taste
The flavor of Sugar Rush Peach peppers is, of course, sweet. It also has a very fresh, slightly vegetal flavor. There are also muted undertones of tropical fruit when eaten raw.
This means that the Sugar Rush Peach is a perfect ingredient for fruity salsa, or to spice up a bean chili dish. We also like chopping them and putting them in omelets for a fiery hot breakfast.
They are also quite spicy…
Sugar Rush Peach Pepper Scoville Scale & Heat
Though we cannot find an official Scoville rating for Sugar Rush Peach peppers, we are confident that they fall around the 50,000-100,000 SHU level. This puts the Sugar Rush Peach
From a subjective point of view, these peppers have very similar heat to a strong Serrano pepper. To put it simply, the Sugar Rush Peach is a fairly hot pepper.
We recommend taming down the spice by pickling them, or by removing the inner placenta and seeds before cooking. If you can handle the heat, you’ll be very happy with this highly productive plant!
Growing Sugar Rush Peach Peppers
Growing Sugar Rush peppers is similar to growing other spicy chili varieties. You’ll start your seeds early indoors, fertilize and water for several weeks, migrate them outside after the threat of frost is gone, and keep them happy with full sun and nutrients throughout the season.
If you want to grow your own Sugar Rush Peach chilis, get some seeds on RareSeeds.com here.
Then, follow our guide to growing Habanero peppers here, as the procedure will be identical. Good luck, and happy growing!
One potential difference from other pepper varieties will be the height of these plants. Baccatum peppers can grow very tall, up to 5′ or more, so you may need to provide support by staking.
Sugar Rush Peach peppers also take a long time to fully ripen. You’ll likely wait months for the peppers to turn from green to peach. Thankfully, you can pick these peppers early while they are still yellowish-green. They’ll still be fruity, crunchy and spicy!
Other Sugar Rush Varieties
The Sugar Rush Peach pepper is an Aji pepper crossbreed, meaning that there are many other similar varieties. While the Capsicum baccatum species is a varied group of peppers, there are a few that have similar characteristics to the Sugar Rush Peach.
Sugar Rush Peach Twisty
Another breed created by the original cultivator of the Sugar Rush Peach, the ‘twisty’ variety has particularly strange-looking pepper pods. It is deemed “potentially unstable” meaning that the peppers your plant produces may not be exactly what is advertised.
This is because cross-breeding requires growing many generations to properly stabilize a new sub-species variety. Either way, we think it is worth a shot for the odd-looking peppers!
Aji Amarillo
One of the most common and prolific baccatum varieties, the aji amarillo pepper has a gorgeous orange color and tropical flavor. Hailing from the same species, the amarillo has similar characteristics to the Sugar Rush Peach. They are thicker peppers, and may take even longer to ripen.
Aji Lemon Drop
Bright yellow color, and lots of peppers. The Lemon Drop pepper is said to have a citrus flavor and aroma, with very strong heat. Great when used for chili powder or in fresh, homemade salsa. Again, hailing from Peru, the Lemon Drop is one of the original Aji peppers.
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There is only one more step for you to learn more about the Sugar Rush Peach pepper: Taste it!
Get your seeds now and be ready when planting season comes around. We have grown sugar rush peppers every year since we first tried them, and will likely never stop. Sugar Rush Peach chilis are an excellent pepper variety that has become a staple in our garden. Enjoy!
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.