Peppers grown from Guajillo chile peppers seeds are a wonderful addition to any garden and are called Mirasol peppers when fresh. They are a bit smaller than many other types of chile peppers in the Anaheim class but are incomparable for their rich chile flavor and color with a limited amount of heat. The Mirasol chile peppers plant produces large yields of bright red peppers that are 4-5 inches long and up to two inches wide when mature.

 

When dried the Mirasol chiles, now called Guajillo peppers, are often ground into a fine powder and used in a similar way to paprika. Guajillo chile peppers are the second most commonly used chile pepper in Mexican cooking. They often cooked with chicken but also added to soups, sauces, and salsa.

 

These medium sized peppers are long and tapered. Mirasol means "looking at the sun" because some cultivars of these peppers do not hang from the pepper plants but instead the pods grow upwards into the air at the top of the plants. Our variety is designed for easy harvesting and do hang down from the plant. The peppers are also called "Chile Trompa", or Elephant's trunk, and "Travieso chile", or naughty pepper.

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Plant Guajillo chile pepper seeds indoors in temperate climates at least eight weeks before the outdoor planting date. About 1-2 weeks after your areas frost free date. (mid to late May in Northern Illinois where we are) The Guajillo chile pepper seeds should be sown 1/4 in deep and kept moist but not wet. The seeds should also be kept in a warm place to promote germination.

If your home is cool or drafty, a seed mate available at nurseries or a heating pad on low can be placed underneath the containers with the Guajillo chile pepper seeds to make sure they remain warm. Remember, these are tropical plants that require warm, moist conditions to sprout. Germination should occur is 10-20 days, possible longer if conditions are less than ideal. Do not allow the soil to dry completely out during this time because doing so will cause seeds in the process of germination to die. Once the Guajillo pepper seeds have germinated we will call them Mirasol pepper plants.

If you started more than one seed in each pot, thin them to one plant each leaving the strongest looking plant. 4-6 inch plants are ideal for transplanting outside to your garden. Mirasol chile pepper plants should be set in full sun in well draining soil 18-24 inches apart in rows that are 24-36 inches apart. This is ideal placing so if you have limited space in your garden as I do, they can be placed a bit closer and still do well.

Once well established and the weather is warm, the Mirasol chile pepper plants should be mulch with untreated grass clips or another organic material and watered well during dry weather. The Mirasol chile peppers should start to ripen about 75 days after transplant. There is no reason to wait that long, these spicy peppers can be picked and eaten while still green and immature. I always do! Dry The fully ripped Mirasol peppers in warm, dry conditions to make dried Guajillo chiles that can then easily be ground into Guajillo chile powder.

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