Many people don't know the secret ingredient in Peter Piper's peck of peppers: it includes Purple Beauty bell peppers (Capsicum annuum var. 'Purple Beauty'). The crisp, crunchy texture and sweet flavor add a colorful boost to salads, crudité trays, and other dishes.
Purple Beauty Bell Pepper Plant Characteristics
Purple Beauty peppers grow on plants 24 to 30 inches tall and 18-20 inches wide. The thick-skinned fruit are a boxy 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches, with three or four lobes, at maturity, which comes 60 to 70 days after planting. The peppers start out green, then turn white, before taking on purple stripes that eventually spread to turn the entire fruit a deep, rich purple color.
Purple Beauties are resistant to tobacco mosaic virus and bacterial leaf spot, but they may be susceptible to some leaf spot varieties. Pests usually don't bother them, but you might see aphids, slugs, pill bugs, or leaf miners near the pepper plants.
Purple Beauty Bell Pepper Plants Health Benefits and Uses
Low in calories, a 5 1/2-ounce serving of these peppers provide 130 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C, which is more than a serving of orange juice. They also contain Vitamins A and B6, folate, manganese, potassium, and copper. The purple color comes from anthocyanins, which help to reduce the risk for high blood pressure or low HDL (good) cholesterol.
To maintain the rich color, serve Purple Beauty bell peppers raw. However, this variety is also delicious cooked, when it magically changes to a lime green color. Try stuffing them with corn and whole grain with this recipe.
Saute 2 cups fresh corn kernels and 2 minced cloves garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until heated through. Mix it with 1 cup cooked faro, 1/3 cup ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup chopped green onions, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
Stuff the mixture into four seeded Purple Beauty peppers and set the peppers in a baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the dish and bake the peppers for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons more Parmesan on top and broil until the cheese melts and turns golden brown.
SOWING THE SEED
Peppers are best started indoors, in a controlled environment, 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last frost. To prevent root shock, sow your seeds in peat pots, at a depth of 1/4” under topsoil. Transplant when the weather is warm and the plants are about 1 foot tall. Stakes can be used to support your young plants, to ensure proper growth. Check below for additional info on spacing & growth habits.
GROWING CONDITIONS
Pepper plants will thrive in the heat of summer, so they should receive full sunlight for the majority of the day, with temperatures of at least 75F or more. A soil that is rich in organic matter is best, with a pH level of at least 6.2 and 7.0. Also make sure that your sowing medium is well drained, or your plants can wilt due to being waterlogged. Water your pepper seeds daily to provide them with ample amounts of moisture until germination has occurred.
GERMINATION & GROWTH
Pepper seeds typically take anywhere between 14 to 28 days to germinate. After your seedlings start to grow, they will mature to an estimated height of roughly 24 to 30 inches tall. On average, Pepper plants can be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart from one another, in rows spaced 18 inches apart. These plants do very well when grown directly in the garden, or in large pots and containers as well.
Once the plants are established, your fruits will grow to a size of roughly 3.5 to 4.5 inches. They ripen from green to purple, meaning that they are ready for picking. Simply snip or pick the stems an inch from the fruits and eat fresh, or store them by drying, freezing or pickling / canning. Harvest in roughly 60 to 70 days.
Front Side
Seed packets by Seed Needs are beautifully illustrated and provide a colorful depiction of the variety inside. We provide the common name, as well as the scientific name, seed quantity and a few specs about the variety to be grown.
Back Side
Each packet contains full growing instructions on the reverse side. Specifications on sowing the seed, growing conditions such as sunlight and moisture preferences and germination and growth information can be found as well. We also provide a QR to scan for easy reordering.
- Always Non-GMO / Untreated.
- Stored in a temperature controlled facility that's free of moisture.
- Always packaged for the current and the following growing seasons.
- True to the varieties advertised.
- 99% pure seed with no added fillers.
- Always Non-GMO / Untreated.
- Stored in a temperature controlled facility that's free of moisture.
- Always packaged for the current and the following growing seasons.
- True to the varieties advertised.
- 99% pure seed with no added fillers.
Always fresh and intended for the current and following growing seasons. Seeds are packaged in water resistant / tear resistant packaging.
Heirlooms are varieties that have been purposely bred, selected and passed down from generation to generation. They are wholesome picks that will breed true to the parent seed every time.
Seed Needs never knowingly purchases treated seeds products. We also do not treat any of our seed products with substances such as neonicotinoid or thyram.
Seed Needs promises to never knowingly purchase or supply genetically modified seed products. We take the Safe Seed Pledge!
A SEED COMPANY ON A MISSION FOR CHANGE
Seed Needs has been providing gardeners with quality seed products since 2010 and has shipped millions of packets to happy customers all over the US. We offer flowers, herbs, vegetables, vines, wildflower blends, seed packet collections and seed packet favors.
With the success of our brand, we have kept our promise to continually donate to different organizations and personally sponsor children all over the globe each and every month. We grew our sponsorships from just 1 child to over 100 children worldwide in only a few years. We would like to sincerely thank all who support us because it wouldn't be possible without you!
Check out our charitable contributions!
A SEED COMPANY ON A
MISSION FOR CHANGE
Seed Needs has been providing gardeners with quality seed products since 2010 and has shipped millions of packets to happy customers all over the US. We offer flowers, herbs, vegetables, vines, wildflower blends, seed packet collections and seed packet favors.
With the success of our brand, we have kept our promise to continually donate to different organizations and personally sponsor children all over the globe each and every month. We grew our sponsorships from just 1 child to over 100 children worldwide in only a few years. We would like to sincerely thank all who support us because it wouldn't be possible without you!
Check out our charitable contributions!