Carmen Corno Di Toro is an F1 hybrid Italian frying pepper that reaches harvest in just 60 days from transplants, making it one of the quickest routes to the kitchen garden. This bush-type Capsicum annuum produces elongated, horn-shaped fruits prized for their rich, complex flavor and tender flesh. Whether you're looking to fry whole peppers as an appetizer or add them to pasta dishes, this variety delivers the authentic taste of Italian cuisine with the reliability of modern hybrid vigor.
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Moderate
9-11
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High
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The real draw here is flavor; Johnny's Selected Seeds calls it the best-tasting Italian frying pepper, and the compact bush habit means you can grow multiple plants in tight spaces and still harvest armfuls of tender peppers. Its speed to maturity (60 days from transplants) keeps you eating fresh peppers all season long, especially when black plastic mulch and row covers give the plants an early boost in cool climates. The horn-shaped fruits are thin-walled and perfect for the high-heat cooking that defines this preparation.
These peppers excel when fried whole in olive oil until the skin blisters and softens, a classic Italian preparation served warm or at room temperature. They also work beautifully in pasta dishes, grilled preparations, or sliced into salads where their tender flesh and sweet flavor shine without competing with heavy sauces.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds in late March or about 8 weeks before transplanting, placing 4 seeds per inch in shallow flats at a depth of 1/4 inch. Maintain soil temperatures between 80-90°F for reliable germination; pepper seeds germinate very slowly in cooler soil. When first true leaves appear, transplant seedlings into 2-inch cell packs or 4-inch pots and grow at approximately 70°F during the day and 60°F at night.
Transplant outdoors after the last frost when soil is warm and weather has settled. Ideal seedlings have buds but not yet open flowers. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows.
Carmen Corno Di Toro peppers reach full size and harvest readiness in 60 days from transplants. Harvest by cutting or carefully snapping peppers from the plant when they reach full length and the flesh is tender; they can be picked at the mature green stage or allowed to ripen to red for sweeter flavor.
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