I love growing sweet peppers. In addition to the traditional red varieties, I always want peppers to be diverse, so I plant them in all possible colors. Last season, I set myself the goal of trying exotic dark brown pepper varieties with a strong purple tint. Such peppers are ideal for preparing any dishes and decorating salads. I suggest you familiarize yourself with the seven varieties of chocolate-colored peppers that I grew.
The best varieties of sweet peppers with chocolate-colored fruits
Pepper “Ingrid”
A compact variety that produces a bountiful harvest of medium-sized sweet peppers with thick flesh. The fruits first turn green, then purple and finally dark brown. The fruits vary in shape from cuboid to conical and have a juicy, crisp texture. Ideal for indoor growing, be it a windowsill, balcony or terrace. It is best to grow them in large containers with a capacity of at least 5 liters. The height of the bush is 30-40 cm. The peppers are large, weighing 150-220 g, but individual specimens weigh about 300 g. The fleshy walls are 8-10 mm thick, the number of chambers is 3-4. The fruits set well even in adverse weather conditions.
My review: Very productive variety. The bushes were not tall, but very fruitful. The bush really had both conical fruits with a sharp tip and cuboid ones. At first they are purple, and at the stage of full ripeness they become a very beautiful deep chocolate color. Peppers at technical ripeness have a grassy taste, and fully ripe they have a classic soft taste of bell peppers.
Pepper “Oda”
A magnificent low pepper, 35-40 cm tall. Ripening period 90-115 days. Small fruits, weighing 70-90 g (about 6 x 8 cm). Very productive variety, even in cold summers. Fruits are oval-conical, juicy with thick pulp 5-7 mm thick. Initially they are a beautiful lilac, shiny purple color and ripen to orange, and then to dark red. A real decorative masterpiece! The taste is fresh and delicious at all stages, exceptionally sweet pepper. The pulp is light ivory – such a color contrast, it really enlivens salads and dishes from raw vegetables. Can also be eaten baked or fried.
My review: The average weight of these peppers was 60 grams. They looked very beautiful, like toys. The bush is low and productive, literally covered with peppers. The purple ones were bland at technical maturity, and the red ones had a classic pepper taste, quite sweet, but not the most delicious in my garden. These peppers will fit very well into a decorative garden and can be grown in pots.
Pepper “Gheorghesku chocolate”
Romanian variety. Well suited for cool climates. Initially green fruits ripen from dark salmon pink to rich chocolate brown in a fairly short season. The fruits are elongated, cuboid-cylindrical, slightly irregular in shape, 10-15 cm long. It has a rich, sweet, slightly “smoked” taste. Develops well in containers. Ripening period: 90-100 days. Plant height: 40 cm. Fruit weight: 150-180 g. Wall thickness 5-7 mm.
My review: The most remarkable property of this pepper: an interesting rich smoky taste. Also noteworthy is the chocolate color and a very unusual shape. In my plot, this pepper has not proven to be particularly fruitful. The average weight of the fruit is 70 grams, small, thin wall.
Pepper “Black Hungarian”, “Black Hungarian”
A very rare variety of mildly hot pepper from Hungary. The bush is compact up to 40 cm in height with strong structural shoots. Its almost black skin turns deep red when ripe, and the taste acquires a certain sweetness, not at all like other chili peppers in the same range of hotness. This pepper is both in form and in function, works well both as an ornamental pepper and as a vegetable with medium hotness (from 1000 to 5000 units on the Scoville scale). The taste is very similar to Bulgarian pepper, crisp and fresh.
They are conical in shape with a slight bend at the tip. Plant height: 70-100 cm. Vegetation period to technical maturity is 110-120 days. Fruit length: 15-16 cm, wall thickness 5-7 mm. Only the skin is black, when you cut the pepper, you will find red flesh. As soon as the fruits turn red, the game begins in terms of taste. They not only acquire an unexpected sweetness, but also increase the spiciness. It is very good to use in salads. You can also stuff these peppers. Hungarians love to marinate its fruits, thanks to the thick fleshy walls, they also dry well for paprika. Or just try frying them as a side dish.
My review: Black fruits in technical maturity have a neutral taste without an unpleasant peppery aftertaste. Red ones acquire a very rich taste and are truly delicious. Contrary to the description, fully ripe peppers, in my case, never developed any spiciness, not counting a little spice near the stalk. Pleasant smoky notes are clearly felt in the taste and smell of the pepper. The walls are 4-5 mm. The fruit is very juicy. The variety is mega-productive, early and not tall. It grew in my container and looked very beautiful among the flowers.
It is very impressive that in the process “Black Hungarian pepper” becomes two-colored – shiny black and deep red. Also, the stocky bushes look very impressive thanks to the delicate purple flowers blooming among the fruits.
Pepper “German cello” (Violgo)
A variety native to Germany. The ripening period is mid-early. It has a sweet, crispy, delicious taste. The plants are compact, 40-50 cm high. In technical ripeness, the fruits are bright lilac. During ripening, they change from lilac to yellow-orange with several dark stripes. It has a high yield. Fruits weigh from 120 to 150 g, walls are 8-9 cm. Fruits are cuboid, 10 to 12 cm long and 6 cm in diameter. The pulp is thick-walled. The bush is compact, does not require garters. It is used fresh, for stuffing, canning, and as an ornamental plant, since the curves and color of the fruits really resemble a cello.
My review: Purple peppers of this variety have a grassy taste. Almost all of my ripe ones turned a uniform bright yellow color, almost without streaks, so they were different from how they are depicted in pictures. These peppers are not large, the average weight is 60 grams. They are cuboid in shape, but slightly deformed, due to smooth bends. The bushes are low, branched, the yield is high. The taste is peppery, slightly sweet.
Pepper “Black Cube”
An early variety of pepper with chocolate fruits. Plant height: 40-60 cm. Bushes are low, compact, well-foliated. Fruits are small, cuboid, with thin walls. Fruit color is black-violet, later becoming more chocolate. Taste qualities are high. Hardy, productive and disease-resistant variety. Ripening period: 95-110 days.
My review: The shape of the fruit is cuboid, broadly conical. The average weight of the fruit is 130 grams. The pulp has a strong paprika aroma. The fruits in technical ripeness have a pleasant taste, but without sweetness. As they ripen, the fruits turn red and become sweet. The most delicate pepper with a sweet taste of all the chocolate varieties that I have grown. The pulp is juicy, but the wall is thin. The fruits on the bush are directed upward. The bush is low, the yield is average.
Zulu Pepper
Very unusual shiny purple-black sweet peppers of small size. The shape of the fruit is cuboid-prismatic. “Zulu” is certainly one of the most attractive dark-colored peppers, which will appeal to those who like a sweet, fresh and mild taste. Depending on how long the fruits are left on the bush to ripen, you can also get a little red on them, but it is the magnificent, shiny eggplant black color that distinguishes this sweet pepper from the rest. Ripening period: 110-120 days. Plant height: 60 cm. Fruit weight: 150-200 g.
My review: Forms a low bush of 20-30 cm. In technical maturity, the fruits are black and very glossy. Then they become chocolate, after which they turn red. They are shaped like a “crumpled cube”. Weight 80 grams, the skin is all cracked. They have a peppery sweetish taste. For me, it seemed tart. The fruits are medium-sized, ideal for stuffing and freezing. Unusual dark purple color, really very beautiful. But after heat treatment, it turns green.
