After reading all the great reviews I decided to grow this variety. They look beautiful but the flavor profile is kind of basic…obviously, taste is subjective. I am curious to see what others think? Are these overhyped? Maybe my growing conditions are a factor in the muted flavor.
by o_psaras
22 Comments
I love them because I can get the fruity flavor without blowing my face off. It makes them easy to use casually as a garnish. I also love productive the plants are
try them green too! I looove them in salads and on hot dogs or a pico de gallo or tomatillo salsa
I’ve made some pepper flakes with mine this year and they are delicious.
I’ve grown it every year since I first tried it. I really like the fruity flavor and the fact that it doesn’t taste basic at all.
However, I’ve had a few occasions where some of my purchased seeds seemed to produce the “right” fruit, but as you described, the flavor was very basic pepper flavor (like paprika/annuum).
Long story short: Limón should not taste basic at all, more typical chinense and fruity flavor, but milder.
Edit: I’m sorry, you requested Lemon Drop and I mixed it up. But I grow them too regularly. To me they have a very nice citrusy flavor and are perfect for flakes and power (same for Limón).
My now 17-year-old son has been growing them for 5 years or so and eats them like candy. Mostly fresh but sometimes thrown in a stir fry or the like. I dry them by the handful and then use them all winter long in all sorts of things. They are definitely a staple at my house.
GOAT
Mine were so tasty. I add them to salsa and dried them for my powders. I did not eat them plain very often. I wanted to try them too. They took a WHILE to get yellow for me. They are worth it. I enjoy them mixed in things a lot
What’s the spicy level on these beauties?
Mine don’t have a great flavor. Kind of bitter.
I just grew them for the first time this year and the plant has been slow but seems productive.
I only got my first ripe pepper 2 weeks ago, but there’s easily 30 peppers on the plant. I tasted the one and it was a little hotter than I expected.
I’m probably going to dry them and/or make pepper paste.
I dehydrate them, grind into powder mix with a touch of salt. Sooooo good that way.
Nice dried then powdered for a variety of uses.
I’m growing some hydroponically indoors right now. Just started harvesting them.
https://preview.redd.it/s5z6mnz6u9od1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9bf6641b787b502107cfb6d47b5213fb0dcb221
Lemon drops are amazing peppers that many people have never even heard of and that’s a shame really they are quite unique and very tasty!
Best hot sauce I ever made was with lemon hots, white vinegar, garlic, shallot, agave nectar, lemon juice, salt/pepper and water. Delicious.
This is my first year growing them as well. They taste strongly floral to me. The heat is a bit much for me to casually eat them.
I just harvested… Well … A lot of them. I’m going to make hot sauce with them.
My other Baccatum I’m growing are Brazilian starfish which taste more mild and can be casually eaten as long as the seeds are avoided.
Since I grew both in 28inch raised beds, I have to get a ladder to harvest them. Very tall massive plants.
One of the best imo
Do you save seeds? I’m down to trade: organic zebrange pepper seeds or organic sugar rush peach pepper seeds is all i have currently. Also if anyone is looking to trade or buy DM me, 20 seeds for any strain $5 includes tax/shipping… all organic and both have a very high germination rate!
It’s worth noting, seed vendors use the names interchangeably in the US, but the book *Peppers of the Americas* identifies Aji Limon as different from Lemon Drop. The author describes Aji Limon (from Peru) as subtly citrusy , bitter, and lacking complexity; whereas Lemon Drop (from Brazil) is described as lightly acidic and fruity. I think this may account for some of the hype & the disappointment around these peppers.
Aji Limon were the first capsicum baccatum variety I grew, and I loved them. I mainly used them fresh in place of Thai chilies and dried in place of cayenne, and really loved the lemon zest flavor the ripe peppers added, and the piney flavor the green ones brought. They’re pretty hot, and I guess kinda hoppy? I do think the weather has a significant impact on the heat and flavor. The plant I grew in a drought year was powerfully hot and more bitter than usual, but also comically giant and productive.
After trying Aji Cristal and Sugar Rush Peach, I definitely find Limon less exciting. I’ll still grow one plant every couple years to make more Aji Limon powder, though!
They look like sun dried bananas
Hottest banana ever 🔥😅
I expected way too much from these and couldn’t really detect any citrus aroma from them so I dehydrated some lemon zest and mango along with the peppers and mixed it all together, came out great. It’s a great plant to grow even in a small pot as they are very productive.