All flavor, no punishment. Ají Dulce #2 delivers the habanero’s tropical aroma with kid-friendly heat, the Caribbean shortcut to instant sofrito and irresistible roasts.
Seeds: When properly stored, planted, and cared for, we guarantee reasonable germination and true-to-type growth for one year from purchase.
Non-seed products: Free from defects in materials and workmanship for 30 days from shipment.
Excludes factors outside our control (extreme weather, pests, gardener error). If something’s off, contact us—we’ll make it right with a replacement, repair, or refund.
USDA “bioengineered (BE)” foods are those with detectable genetic material that was modified using in vitro recombinant DNA (rDNA) techniques, in ways
not obtainable through conventional breeding or found in nature. The USDA’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard uses “bioengineered” as the nationwide labeling term.
Detectable modified genetic material in the final food
Created via in vitro rDNA techniques (e.g., gene transfer)
Modifications not achievable through conventional breeding or nature
—seeds / pkt
( ~ g )
Description
Perfume without the burn. Ají dulce n.º 2, a Caribbean sweet Capsicum chinense, brings the floral, tropical aroma of a habanero with little to no heat. Its flavor leans toward ripe fruit, green herbs, and a gentle sweetness that turns everyday dishes fragrant rather than fiery. This is the beloved “sweet habanero” used across the Caribbean for depth and perfume in sofritos, stews, and sauces.
Plants are vigorous and tidy, about 2 to 3 feet tall with a branching habit that sets heavily. Dark green foliage frames clusters of pendant, lantern-shaped pods, typically 1.5 to 2.5 inches long with softly wrinkled skin. Fruit mature from glossy green to rich red at full ripeness, with walls that are medium-thin and quick to soften in the pan, yet firm enough for stuffing small bites.
On the palate, Ají dulce n.º 2 delivers a bright, sweet-habanero bouquet with negligible burn, usually at or near 0 SHU. The pods shine minced into sofrito, folded into rice and beans, or sautéed with onions and garlic for braises, seafood, and vegetables. They roast and peel easily for sweet relishes, and they dry into a fragrant, mild seasoning that keeps the chinense aromatics without the heat.
Rooted in Caribbean home kitchens, Ají dulce types have long been staples in Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, and Venezuelan cooking, prized for adding the habanero family’s complexity to family-friendly food. Ají dulce n.º 2 carries that tradition forward with reliable yields, compact plants, and pods that deliver the signature aroma of the tropics in a pepper anyone can enjoy.
Timing: Start seeds 8–10 weeks before last frost.
Depth: Sow ¼" deep in sterile seed-starting mix.
Temperature: Keep medium 80–90°F (27–32°C) for best germination.
Germination Time: 10–21 days under optimal conditions.
Light: After sprouting, provide 14–16 hours of strong light daily.
Air Temperature: Maintain 70–80°F (21–27°C).
Potting Up: Transplant seedlings into larger pots at the first true-leaf stage.
Feeding: Apply a ¼-strength balanced fertilizer weekly.
Soil Temperature & Transplant Timing
Do not transplant by calendar alone.
Check soil at 2–4" depth:
Must be at least 60–65°F (16–18°C) for several consecutive mornings.
Night air temperatures should stay ≥55°F (13°C).
Ideal root-zone: 70–85°F (21–29°C) for vigorous growth.
How to check: Insert a soil thermometer 2–4" deep; take early-morning readings for a few days and average.
Transplanting Outdoors
Hardening Off: Reduce shock by hardening off 5–7 days before transplant.
Location: Choose a site with full sun and rich, well-drained soil (pH 6.0–6.8).
Spacing: Plant 18–24" apart in rows 24–36" apart.
Support: Stake or cage plants to handle heavy fruit set and wind.
How to Grow — Ají Dulce #2
Watering:
Provide 1 to 1½ inches of water per week, especially during dry spells.
Water deeply but infrequently to encourage strong roots.
Best method: drip or soaker hoses at soil level to keep foliage dry and lower disease pressure.
If you must overhead water, do it early morning so leaves dry before evening.
Aroma note: Even, not excessive moisture keeps pods fragrant. Heavy watering can dilute the sweet-habanero perfume.
Fertilizing:
Use a balanced fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks during vegetative growth.
After flowering begins, shift to lower nitrogen and higher potassium to support heavy fruiting and rich aroma.
Avoid overfeeding with nitrogen, which gives lush leaves and fewer pods.
Weeding and Mulching:
Keep beds weed free to prevent competition for nutrients and water.
Mulch with black plastic early, then organic mulch once soils warm to:
retain moisture
suppress weeds
stabilize soil temperature
Be gentle when hand weeding. Pepper roots are shallow and damage can trigger blossom end rot.
Sun and Heat Management:
Grow in full sun for best yield and flavor.
Ají Dulce loves warm conditions. Aim for daytime 75 to 90°F and nights 60°F or warmer.
In heat waves above 95°F, provide light afternoon shade to help fruit set.
Spacing and Support:
Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart.
Use stakes or small cages if branches bend under heavy fruit or in windy sites.
Companion Planting:
Good companions: tomatoes, parsley, basil, carrots, okra, beans, cucumbers, marigolds.
Avoid: fennel and kohlrabi, which can stunt peppers.
The colorful pods pair nicely with green herbs in mixed garden beds.
Container Growing:
Use 7 to 10 gallon pots with high quality, well drained potting mix.
Containers dry faster, so check moisture daily in hot weather.
In midsummer, shade the pot sides to protect roots from overheating and keep growth steady.
Stage options: Pick at glossy orange to red for peak tropical perfume and sweetness. Early green harvest gives milder aroma for light sautés and quick pickles.
Clean cuts: Snip pods with fine-tip pruners, leaving short stems. Chinense pedicels can tear if pulled, which can slow subsequent flowering.
Batch strategy: For big sofrito days, target one or two uniform orange-red harvests. For weeknight cooking, take a steady trickle of ripening pods every few days.
Shade cure: After picking, air-cure 2 to 4 days in a single layer out of direct sun. This evens ripening and deepens the fruity fragrance before refrigeration or processing.
Flavor & Nutrition
Profile: Lush tropical fruit, apricot and guava notes, classic habanero-like bouquet with little to no heat. Occasional plants can have faint warmth.
Nutrient notes: Fully colored pods concentrate vitamin C and carotenoids that support color and antioxidant value.
Kitchen aroma control: For the most fragrance, keep the inner ribs intact during quick sautés. For gentler aroma, deseed and remove ribs before dicing.
Handling
Generally mild: Gloves are optional. If processing many pods, light gloves help avoid lingering oils that can tingle lips and eyes.
Clean transitions: Wash knives and boards with hot soapy water, then a splash of vinegar to cut aromatic oils before moving to fruit or desserts.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh hold: Refrigerate unwashed in a paper-lined container with the lid ajar. Good quality for 7 to 10 days.
Sofrito and recaito: Pulse with cilantro, culantro, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Portion into ice cube trays and freeze for easy use.
Roasting: Broil or pan-char until blistered, then peel for deeper sweetness in stews and bean dishes.
Dehydrating: Dry at 115 to 120°F, then jar whole or grind for a sweet, floral seasoning with no heat.
Pickling: Quick-pickle rings for sandwiches and arroz con pollo. Keeps the bouquet without adding heat.
Freezing: Dice and freeze flat on a sheet, then store in bags. Excellent for last-minute arroz con gandules and soups.
Kitchen Use
Caribbean classics: Sofrito for beans, stews, asopaos, perníl marinades, and rice dishes. Fold into empanada fillings for aroma without heat.
Modern crossovers: Sweet pepper jam, citrus-chinense vinaigrettes, mango salsas, and aromatic compound butters for seafood.
Flavor pairings: Cilantro, culantro, lime, orange, garlic, scallion, oregano brujo, annatto, and pork or shellfish highlight its perfume.
Growing & Pruning Tips
Habit and support: Chinense forms a bushy, lantern-fruiting plant. Use a low ring stake or compact cage to keep branches from lodging when loaded.
Sun and airflow: 6 to 8 hours of sun with good spacing. Light tip pinching at 8 to 10 inches encourages branching and heavier set.
Heat and set: Flower set can stall in extremes above 95°F or nights below 55°F. Provide 30 to 40 percent shade cloth during heat spikes and keep soil evenly moist.
Containers & Watering
Container size: Minimum 5 to 7 gallons. Larger volume improves fruit size and uniformity.
Moisture: Aim for steady, even moisture. Wide dry to soak cycles can toughen skins and mute sweetness. Mulch to steady root temperature.
Companion Planting & Pollinators
Beneficials: Interplant with basil, marigold, coriander, and sweet alyssum to attract hoverflies and parasitic wasps for aphid and thrips control. Blooms invite bees that help with heavier fruit set.
Seed Saving
True-to-type selection: Choose from plants with typical squat to bonnet-like pods that ripen orange to red with rich perfume and minimal heat. Avoid off-type elongated or unexpectedly hot pods.
Isolation: Separate at least 150 feet from other C. chinense to reduce crossing. For higher purity in small gardens, bag flower clusters or individual branches with mesh.
Dry and store: Air-dry seeds 7 to 10 days after thorough cleaning. Bottle with a small desiccant packet and store cool and dark. Test viability annually with a simple 10 seed germination check.
Aphids (leaf curling, sticky honeydew or sooty mold)
Controls: Blast with water, insecticidal soap or neem, encourage lady beetles and lacewings.
Spider mites (fine stippling, webbing in heat or drought)
Controls: Raise humidity, hose undersides, horticultural oil or neem, release predatory mites if available.
Whiteflies (clouds when disturbed, honeydew)
Controls: Yellow sticky cards, early morning vacuuming, insecticidal soap or neem.
Thrips (silvery scarring, distorted new growth, virus vectors)
Controls: Blue or yellow cards, remove weeds and old blooms, spinosad or insecticidal soap.
Flea beetles (shot-hole damage on young leaves)
Controls: Row cover until flowering, trap crops, diatomaceous earth around stems.
Pepper weevil or fruit borers (warm regions, premature fruit drop)
Controls: Prompt harvest, destroy dropped fruit, tight sanitation, consult local extension for targeted traps.
Pepper maggot (regional, stings and larvae in pods)
Controls: Timed harvests, remove infested fruit, baited traps per local guidance.
Cutworms (seedlings severed at soil line)
Controls: Collars around stems, clear plant debris, hand pick at dusk.
Caterpillars including hornworms and loopers (chewed leaves or pods)
Controls: Hand pick, Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki on small larvae.
Slugs and snails (seedlings or fruit touching soil)
Controls: Beer traps, iron phosphate baits, copper barriers, pull mulch back from stems.
Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot (small water-soaked spots that turn brown, defoliation)
Prevention: Clean seed, avoid overhead watering, rotate 3 or more years away from Solanaceae, sanitize tools.
Management: Remove infected leaves, copper sprays can protect new growth.
Anthracnose on ripe pods (sunken, moldy lesions)
Prevention: Mulch to reduce splash, provide airflow, drip irrigation.
Management: Remove infected fruit, consider protectant fungicides labeled for peppers.
Phytophthora blight or root rot (sudden wilt, dark stem lesions, fruit rot in wet soils)
Prevention: Excellent drainage, raised beds, avoid low spots and over irrigation, long rotations.
Management: Pull and discard severely affected plants, do not replant peppers in that spot the same season.
Powdery mildew (white powder on leaves late season)
Prevention: Airflow and spacing, avoid excess nitrogen.
Management: Remove worst leaves, approved biofungicides can suppress.
Verticillium or Fusarium wilts (one-sided yellowing or wilt, vascular browning)
Management: Rotate out of Solanaceae, solarize soil where feasible, remove plants since there is no in-plant cure.
Mosaic viruses (mottled, puckered leaves, stunting - often aphid or thrips vectored)
Prevention: Control vectors, rogue infected plants, sanitize hands and tools, avoid handling tobacco before work.
Physiological and Environmental Issues
Blossom end rot (dry, sunken black end on fruit)
Cause: Irregular moisture or root damage leading to calcium transport failure.
Fix: Keep moisture even, mulch, avoid root disturbance, steady feeding without excess nitrogen.
Poor fruit set
Cause: Heat above 95°F, nights below 60°F for many C. chinense, low light, drought, excess nitrogen.
Fix: Provide light afternoon shade during heat waves, steady moisture, moderate fertilization, good airflow.
Sunscald (white or tan patches on fruit after sudden full sun)
Fix: Maintain a healthy canopy, avoid heavy defoliation.
Edema or water stress (blisters or corky patches)
Fix: Water on a rhythm, avoid big wet to dry swings.
Cracking or splitting (after heavy rain following drought)
Fix: Keep moisture consistent, harvest promptly at full color.
Flavor dilution
Note: Excess water and high nitrogen can mute aroma. Slightly lean conditions give a stronger sweet-habanero perfume.
Monitoring & Prevention - Quick Checklist
Scout weekly, check undersides of leaves and new growth.
Water at soil level with drip or soaker hoses, morning if overhead is unavoidable.
Space plants and prune lightly for airflow, remove only problem leaves.
Mulch once soil is warm to stabilize moisture and block splash-borne disease.
Rotate 3 or more years away from peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes.
Sanitize tools and harvest promptly, discard diseased fruit when unsure rather than composting.
Q: How hot is Ají Dulce #2?
Ají Dulce #2 is a sweet to very mild pepper, typically 0–500 Scoville Heat Units. Expect the floral, tropical aroma of a habanero with little to no burn.
Q: How long does it take to mature?
Plan on 90–110 days from transplant for full color and peak aroma. You can harvest green for milder flavor, but orange to red fruit carry the classic sweet-habanero perfume.
Q: How long does germination take?
Seeds usually sprout in 10–21 days when kept at 80–90°F with steady moisture. Cooler media slow and reduce germination.
Q: Do Ají Dulce plants need special soil conditions?
They thrive in rich, well-drained loam with a pH of 6.0–6.5. Keep the root zone warm, ideally 70–85°F, and avoid waterlogging.
Q: What spacing do they need?
Plant 18–24 inches apart in rows 24–36 inches apart. This spacing supports airflow and sturdy branching.
Q: Do I need more than one plant for pollination?
No. Ají Dulce #2 is self-pollinating, although airflow and pollinators can improve fruit set.
Q: Can I grow Ají Dulce #2 in containers?
Yes. Use 5–10 gallon pots with high quality potting mix and good drainage. Stake lightly if branches bow under heavy fruit.
Q: How many peppers will one plant produce?
With good care, expect dozens of pods per plant, often 40–80 in a long warm season.
Q: How should I harvest them?
Cut pods with clean pruners, leaving a short stem. Harvest at orange to red for the fullest aroma, or pick green for a gentler flavor profile.
Q: What is the best way to store or preserve Ají Dulce?
Refrigerate fresh pods in a breathable bag for 1 to 2 weeks. Freeze chopped or whole pods for later cooking. Orange to red pods can be dried and ground into a fragrant, mild seasoning. Ají Dulce also shines in sofrito, relishes, and quick pickles.
Q: Will peppers lose their aroma when dried or cooked?
Drying preserves most aroma, while slow cooking softens the perfume slightly. Quick sautés and roasting concentrate the sweet-habanero character.
Q: Are Ají Dulce peppers perennial?
Yes in frost free zones 10–12. In colder regions, grow as annuals or overwinter potted plants indoors in bright light at 60–70°F after trimming back.
Q: Why are my peppers not setting fruit?
Extreme temperatures above 95°F or nights below about 60°F, low light, drought, or excess nitrogen can reduce set. Provide steady moisture, moderate feeding, and light afternoon shade during heat waves.
Q: Can Ají Dulce cross-pollinate with other peppers?
Yes with other Capsicum chinense nearby. If you are saving seed, separate varieties by distance or bag blossoms and hand pollinate to maintain purity.
Q: How do I use Ají Dulce in the kitchen without overpowering a dish?
Use generously for aroma rather than heat. Mince into sofrito, sauté with onions and garlic for stews and beans, fold into rice and seafood, or roast and puree for sweet, aromatic sauces.
Q: Can Ají Dulce be ornamental as well as edible?
Absolutely. Compact plants loaded with glossy orange to red pods are attractive in beds and containers while providing a steady harvest.
Q: Are Ají Dulce peppers safe to handle and eat?
Yes. Heat is minimal, but capsaicin can still irritate sensitive skin or eyes. Wear gloves for big batches, work in good ventilation, and wash hands and tools after processing.
Q: Why are my peppers lacking aroma?
Overwatering, heavy nitrogen, or picking too early can mute fragrance. Allow pods to color fully and keep moisture even for the richest sweet-habanero perfume.
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Fair pricing with fair wages — quality never compromised
Sustainable from seed to shipment (eco packets, low-impact mailers, paper-light ops)
Heirloom & open-pollinated, non-GMO — seeds belong to the people, not corporations
Lab-tested & climate-controlled; germination standards that exceed regulations
Thousands of seed packets donated yearly for education & food security
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Shipped from U.S.A.
Our seeds are grown and sourced from the US. They're then packed and shipped from Colerain NC.
Triple tested
We regularly test the quality and germination rate of our seeds. We're so confident that our seeds are backed by a 1 year warranty!
Ají Dulce #2 belongs to a lineage first domesticated and stewarded by Indigenous peoples of the lowland Amazon Basin, where Capsicum chinense was shaped over thousands of years for flavor, productivity, and use in medicine and ceremony. Long before European contact, Indigenous trade routes carried these chiles north through the Orinoco and along canoe corridors into the Antilles, where the Taíno and related Arawakan communities cultivated ají as an everyday seasoning.
In Taíno foodways, ají joined yuca, batata, maize, and herbs like culantro in a cuisine centered on open-fire cooking and barbacoa. Early chroniclers noted that “axi/ají” was essential at the table—used fresh, dried, and in pepper waters—long before later terms like “sofrito” were recorded. Across the islands, Indigenous growers selected plants for perfume as well as heat, a preference that set the stage for the later emergence of sweet, low-heat chinense types.
Through centuries of Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean stewardship, that selection intensified. Gardeners saved seed from the most aromatic, least pungent plants, giving rise to the family of “sweet habaneros” known today as ají dulce, ají cachucha, ajicito, and ají gustoso. Ají Dulce #2 is a named, reliable strain within this broader heirloom complex: compact plants, lantern-shaped pods, and the tropical chinense bouquet with little to no burn.
Migration and diaspora extended the tradition to markets and backyard plots from San Juan to New York and Miami, where seedkeepers continue the Indigenous practice of selection and sharing. Growing Ají Dulce #2 honors that lineage—an unbroken thread from Amazonian domestication and Taíno gardens to today’s kitchens—bringing ancestral aroma to stews, beans, seafood, and the everyday pot.
Goal: Maintain the distinctive sweet chinense identity, aromatic seasoning pepper with minimal to no heat, typically 1 to 2 inch lantern to blocky pods that ripen green → orange → red, with rich tropical aroma, while ensuring purity within C. chinense and excellent seed vigor.
1) Selecting Plants for Seed Saving
Choose exemplars: Select 8 to 12 vigorous, disease-free plants with balanced branching and steady fruit set. Fruits should be uniform small lantern to blocky shape with slight lobing, glossy skin, and thick, juicy walls for size class. Prioritize plants that finish clean orange to red with strong chinense perfume and sweet flavor but negligible heat.
Cull off-types: Exclude plants expressing noticeable heat, elongated or thin cayenne-like pods, very thin walls, muddy color that fails to reach clear orange or red, weak branching, very late ripening, or grassy or bitter flavors. Remove plants with virus-like mosaics, chronic sunscald, or internal placental browning.
Maintain breadth: Save seed from multiple mother plants to preserve the sweet, low-heat profile, aromatic intensity, and compact lantern shape that defines Ají Dulce #2.
2) Harvesting Seeds
Timing: Allow pods to reach full orange to red on the plant. Holding fruit 5 to 10 days past color improves embryo completion and seed density, weather permitting.
Collection: Clip pods with sanitized pruners to protect nodes. Select fully colored, sound fruit from each chosen plant and keep each mother plant’s lot labeled and separate.
3) Cleaning Seeds
Separation: Slit pods lengthwise; scrape seeds and placenta into a labeled fine sieve or bowl.
Rinse: Rinse gently with lukewarm water, rubbing to free placental threads until water runs clear and seeds settle.
Dry-rub plus winnow option: With field-dry pods, crumble seed mass over mesh and winnow chaff. Finish with a light rinse if needed for a polished lot.
Inspection: Remove pith. Discard flat, pale, or discolored seeds and any with off odors.
4) Drying Seeds
Method: Spread seeds in a single layer on labeled coffee filters, paper plates, or mesh screens.
Environment: Warm 70 to 85°F, 21 to 29°C, shaded, well ventilated area. Avoid direct sun and temperatures above 95°F, 35°C.
Duration: 7 to 14 days, stirring daily until seeds are hard and freely flowing. Optionally finish with 24 to 48 hours sealed over fresh silica gel to equalize moisture.
5) Storing Seeds
Packaging: Place fully dry seeds in paper envelopes inside an airtight jar or foil pouch with silica gel.
Conditions: Cool, dark, dry. Refrigerator 35 to 45°F, 2 to 7°C, recommended for longevity.
Viability: 3 to 5 years refrigerated, 5 to 8 plus years when ultra dry and frozen. Warm sealed containers to room temperature before opening to prevent condensation.
6) Testing Seed Viability
Paper towel test: Germinate 10 to 20 seeds on a damp towel in a vented bag at 80 to 85°F, 27 to 29°C. Read at 6 to 12 days, chinense can be a touch slower than annuum.
Targets: At least 80 to 85 percent germination for fresh chinense seed.
Priming, optional: 30 to 60 minutes in 0.5 to 1 percent H₂O₂ or a mild kelp solution can synchronize older seed.
Tips for Successful Seed Saving
Isolation: Ají Dulce #2 is C. chinense. Isolate by about 300 ft, 90 m, from other chinense types to protect the sweet, low-heat expression. For foundation purity, bag or cage selected branches or hand pollinate.
Pollinators: Encourage beneficials generally. For bagged branches, tap or gently vibrate flowers daily during bloom to ensure set.
Record keeping: Note plant IDs, isolation method, harvest dates, aroma intensity, flavor notes, heat verification, pod size and shape, and any off-types. Photograph representative orange and red pods next to a ruler.
Selection cues: Favor plants with a strong chinense aroma without heat, uniform lantern to blocky shape, thick crunchy walls for the size, and clean color finishing orange to red. Taste-test a few fully colored pods from each mother plant to confirm sweetness and negligible heat before committing seed.
Culinary Uses, habanero-family flavor without the burn
Sofrito (signature): Dice and sauté with onion, garlic, culantro/cilantro, tomato, and sweet peppers. This forms the base for beans, rice, stews, pasteles, and soups across Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Venezuelan kitchens.
Fresh garnish: Chop raw into mango salsa, guacamole, or cabbage slaw to add chinense perfume without fear of heat.
Stuffed peppers: Halve, deseed, and fill with seasoned ground beef, rice, or cheese. Bake until tender for sweet, aromatic appetizers.
Stews & rice dishes: Stir into arroz con pollo, asopao, or lentil soups for flavor depth.
Pickled rings: Slice into mild escabeches with carrot and onion; use as a table condiment.
Pepper jelly & chutney: Cook with sugar, vinegar, and fruit (peach, pineapple) for cheese-board preserves.
Table vinegar: Steep slit pods in cane vinegar for a mild, aromatic finishing splash.
Heat control tips: Usually no heat, but test each harvest; occasionally a plant produces faint warmth.
Preservation and Pantry Value
Freezer sofrito cubes: Batch sofrito with Ají Dulce #2, freeze in ice-cube trays, and pop into pots year-round.
Pickling: Rings and whole pods stay crisp and aromatic for months.
Dehydration & powder: Sweet chinense “aroma powder” adds bouquet without heat; blend with salt for finishing.
Fermentation: Produces mild, tangy pepper relishes ideal for family tables.
Flavor Benefits beyond heat
Offers all the tropical perfume of habanero-family peppers—citrus blossom, apricot, guava—without the burn.
Expands pepper use to children, elders, and heat-sensitive cooks.
Garden and Ornamental Benefits
Compact, high-yield plants with small lantern pods ripening green → orange → red.
Perfect for container gardens; highly productive for home sofrito supply.
Consistent, long harvest window.
Traditional and Practical Uses (Indigenous & Afro-Caribbean foodways focus)
Caribbean lineage: Ají Dulce is central to Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Venezuelan cuisines, where peppers anchor sofrito/sazón bases—descendants of Indigenous Taíno and Kalinago seasoning traditions enriched by Afro-Caribbean continuities.
Communal cooking: Mild perfume lets peppers flavor the pot without excluding anyone—key to communal stews and rice dishes.
Preservation echoes: Pickling, sun-drying, and storing pastes alongside maize, cassava, beans, and plantains aligns with Indigenous preservation cycles adapted to island climates.
Safety and Handling always
Gloves optional; usually no heat but wash hands after handling.
Label jars/powders (“sweet / aromatic, no heat”) to avoid confusion with hot chinense types.
Herbs & extras: parsley, thyme, annatto (achiote) for golden color.
Soil Readiness
for Pepper Plants (Capsicum spp.)
Where to get a soil test
Best option: your state’s Cooperative Extension soil testing lab.
Tip: Arid/alkaline regions (e.g., AZ, NM, UT, parts of CA) often use Olsen (bicarbonate) for phosphorus.
Interprets P by extractant; assumes ppm. Results are approximate.
Enter at least one value above, then Calculate.
Summary
Recommended Amendments (per 100 sq ft)
How to Use
Mix P & K sources into top 3–6″ a week or two before planting.
If pH is low, apply lime 3–4 weeks pre-plant (or fall/winter).
Side-dress peppers with ~0.1 lb N / 100 sq ft at first bloom & fruit set.
Add 1–2″ finished compost yearly to build organic matter.
Container mix? Use a peat/coco-based mix with compost and slow-release organic fertilizer; pH is usually already correct.
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Alliance of Native Seedkeepers
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Ají Dulce #2
$200 USD
$600
Unit price /
Unavailable
Description
Perfume without the burn. Ají dulce n.º 2, a Caribbean sweet Capsicum chinense, brings the floral, tropical aroma of a habanero with little to no heat. Its flavor leans toward ripe fruit, green herbs, and a gentle sweetness that turns everyday dishes fragrant rather than fiery. This is the beloved “sweet habanero” used across the Caribbean for depth and perfume in sofritos, stews, and sauces.
Plants are vigorous and tidy, about 2 to 3 feet tall with a branching habit that sets heavily. Dark green foliage frames clusters of pendant, lantern-shaped pods, typically 1.5 to 2.5 inches long with softly wrinkled skin. Fruit mature from glossy green to rich red at full ripeness, with walls that are medium-thin and quick to soften in the pan, yet firm enough for stuffing small bites.
On the palate, Ají dulce n.º 2 delivers a bright, sweet-habanero bouquet with negligible burn, usually at or near 0 SHU. The pods shine minced into sofrito, folded into rice and beans, or sautéed with onions and garlic for braises, seafood, and vegetables. They roast and peel easily for sweet relishes, and they dry into a fragrant, mild seasoning that keeps the chinense aromatics without the heat.
Rooted in Caribbean home kitchens, Ají dulce types have long been staples in Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, and Venezuelan cooking, prized for adding the habanero family’s complexity to family-friendly food. Ají dulce n.º 2 carries that tradition forward with reliable yields, compact plants, and pods that deliver the signature aroma of the tropics in a pepper anyone can enjoy.
