Variety field guide
What to expect from NuMex Big Jim Pepper Seeds
NuMex Big Jim pepper seeds produce red New Mexican chile pepper fruit about 7.68 in long and 1.89 in wide on upright, erect plants reaching 31–36 in; maturity is 90-99 Days.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
NuMex Big Jim pepper seeds grow into upright, erect plants reaching 31–36 in, bearing red fruit about 7.68 in long and 1.89 in wide. Heat category: Hot. It is especially suited to roasting, peeling, chiles rellenos, stuffing, green chile sauce, freezing, red chile, and drying. Maturity is 90-99 Days.
About NuMex Big Jim
NuMex Big Jim is a New Mexican chile pepper grown as Capsicum annuum L. Plants have an upright, erect habit and reach 31–36 in; support is listed as stake. The principal mature or market color is Red, with fruit described as about 7.68 in long and 1.89 in wide. Reproductive classification: Open-Pollinated (OP). Maturity: 90-99 Days. Names associated with this variety include Big Jim Chile, Pepper Seeds - Hot Pepper - NuMex Big Jim.
- Scientific name:Capsicum annuum L.
- Life cycle:Annual
- Planting season:Spring
- Growth habit:Upright/Erect
- Plant height:31–36 in
- Sunlight:Full sun
- Seed depth:1/4 in
- Germination:7–14 Days at 75–90 °F
- Spacing:18 in between plants; 24 in between rows
- Soil:Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5
- Water:Moderate
- Support:Stake
- Reproductive type:Open-Pollinated (OP)
- Fruit:Red; About 7.68 in long and 1.89 in wide
- Heat:Hot; About 6,500 SHU
History and seedkeeping context
New Mexico State University released NuMex Big Jim in 1975 through the work of Dr. NMSU describes it as a New Mexican-type cultivar with mature green fruit averaging about 7.68 inches long and 1.89 inches wide. The pods are long, fleshy, moderately flattened, and tapered, making the cultivar especially useful for roasting and chiles rellenos.
The release also emphasizes field traits. Big Jim is useful as green chile and can also mature red for dry chile products. NMSU notes that its red fruit has stronger extractable color than New Mexico 6-4.
Heat is part of the cultivar story because it is not uniform from plant to plant. The institutional history specifically says some plants produce mild pods and others hotter pods. That variability should remain visible in description rather than being flattened into one guaranteed rating.
The available sources do not establish a named person’s tribal identity.
Fruit, flavor, and kitchen use
Harvest full-sized green pods for roasting, peeling, stuffing, green chile sauce, burgers, enchiladas, stews, freezing, and chiles rellenos. The large cavity and long pod are major practical advantages for stuffing. Let selected pods ripen red for sauce, flakes, powder, or drying where local conditions permit. Because plant-to-plant heat varies, taste individual pods before using a large batch. Mark plants whose heat, pod shape, and culinary quality fit your goals if you intend to save seed. NuMex Big Jim is especially useful for roasting, peeling, chiles rellenos, stuffing, green chile sauce, freezing, red chile, and drying. Flavor and eating quality are described as classic New Mexican green chile character; heat can vary substantially from plant to plant. Heat classification: Hot; listed range: About 6,500 SHU. Pungency can shift with genetics, weather, water stress, and ripeness.
How to grow NuMex Big Jim
Start NuMex Big Jim indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before the last expected frost. Sow 1/4 in deep in a warm, evenly moist seed-starting mix; expect 7–14 Days near 75–90 °F. Provide strong light as soon as seedlings emerge, pot up before roots become crowded, and harden plants gradually before transplanting after nights are reliably warm.
Plant in full sun with loamy soil near pH 6.0–6.5. Space plants 18 in apart and rows 24 in apart. Maintain moderate moisture, mulch after the soil warms, and avoid excessive nitrogen. Install stake early where the upright, erect plant or fruit load warrants it. Mature height is 31–36 in.
Season care
• Warmth matters most during germination; keep NuMex Big Jim seed warm without leaving the medium saturated. • Harden seedlings gradually and wait for warm nights before transplanting, because cold soil and wind can stall peppers for weeks. • Install stake before branches carry a heavy crop, and keep moisture even while fruit is setting. • Harvest at the color stage suited to the recipe, but leave fruit fully mature on selected plants when saving seed. • Use 90-99 Days as a planning range rather than a guaranteed calendar date; weather and transplant stress can shift first harvest.
Harvest and maturity
90-99 Days from transplant to first representative harvest; the same value is used in every description. Peppers can often be used at an immature green or transitional color, but fully ripe color is required for mature seed.
Saving seed
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses. To save NuMex Big Jim true to type, grow several healthy representative plants, isolate them from compatible pepper varieties or use blossom bags or cages, and remove clear off-types before flowering. Allow selected fruit to reach full biological color, handle hot fruit with gloves, remove the seed, dry it in a thin labeled layer until fully hard and dry, then store it cool, dark, and dry. Keep the harvest year, source, isolation method, and selection notes with the lot.
Common questions
When is NuMex Big Jim ready?
Plan around 90-99 Days. The listed range is a planning guide, and weather, transplant stress, and harvest stage can shift the actual date.
How long does germination take?
Expect 7–14 Days near 75–90 °F. Cooler media, excess water, old seed, or uneven moisture can delay emergence.
How large does it grow?
Expect about 31–36 in. Growth habit: Upright/Erect. Support: Stake.
How is it used?
Roasting, peeling, chiles rellenos, stuffing, green chile sauce, freezing, red chile, and drying
Can I save seed?
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses.
