Celebrate Chicago and Italian-American heritage with this delectable, sweet pepper! We are blown away with Melrose’s earliness and high yield – so many peppers that we were giving them away! This heirloom was brought to Melrose Park, IL by the Napolitano family (later renamed Naples), and the pepper has remained culturally significant in restaurants, farmers markets, and home gardens there ever since. Fruit are 4-6” long, pointed peppers have thinner walls than bells but are crunchy raw - Lily, age 11 says, “they’re delicious!” The flavor is sweet, with a subtle smokiness when raw but the real magic comes through cooking Melrose. Sauté or roast with garlic and olive oil and serve with Italian bread for a simple, exquisite appetizer. These plants are highly productive, so you can experiment with new recipes, like “cruschi.” Hang peppers to dry for 3-4 weeks, then deep fry in olive oil for a crunchy pepper chip that adds flavor and texture to any dish. 65-70 days to maturity.
