Numex Joe E Parker Hatch Pepper is a New Mexican chile cultivar bred specifically for roasting, offering mild heat without overwhelming the palate. Growing 24 to 36 inches tall with a compact 18-inch spread, this half-hardy annual reaches harvest in just 70 days, making it accessible even in shorter growing seasons across zones 3 through 11. The peppers deliver genuine flavor complexity, ranging from 500 to 2000 Scovilles, that lets you enjoy the chile's character rather than chase heat alone.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
36in H x 18in W
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Moderate
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This New Mexican chile thrives as a roasting pepper, its thin-walled fruits perfect for charring over flame until the skin blisters and blackens. The heat is restrained enough that you can use these peppers as substitutes for bell peppers in everyday cooking while still adding distinctive flavor depth. Its quick 70-day maturity and moderate water needs make it manageable for gardeners in most climates, and the compact plant size means you can tuck several into a sunny garden bed or container.
These peppers shine when roasted whole over an open flame, their thin skins charring until they blister. Once roasted and peeled, they become the foundation for sauces and salsas, or serve as a standalone side dish with just salt and oil. Their mild Scoville range makes them suitable for recipes where you want genuine chile flavor without the fire, giving cooks the flexibility to use them in place of sweet peppers while adding depth.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Maintain soil temperature between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit for reliable germination. Keep the seed starting mix consistently moist but not waterlogged, and provide bright light once seedlings emerge.
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant outdoors after your last frost date when soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees, though these half-hardy plants prefer warmer conditions of 70 degrees or higher. Space plants 18 inches apart to allow good air flow.
Peppers reach full maturity around 70 days after transplanting. Harvest when fruits have reached full size and the skin shows a deep, glossy color; these peppers are best used fresh for roasting while still slightly firm. Cut peppers from the plant rather than pulling them to avoid damage to branches. For roasting, pick peppers when fully mature but before they begin to wrinkle or soften.
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