Variety field guide
What to expect from Ají Limón Pepper Seeds
Ají Limón pepper seeds produce yellow hot chile pepper fruit about 2-3 in long on upright, erect plants reaching 31–36 in; maturity is 80-89 Days.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Ají Limón pepper seeds grow into upright, erect plants reaching 31–36 in, bearing yellow fruit about 2-3 in long. Heat category: Hot. It is especially suited to fruit salsas, hot sauces, cooked dishes, bright-yellow harvests, and seed saving from confirmed open-pollinated stock. Maturity is 80-89 Days.
About Ají Limón
Ají Limón is a hot chile pepper grown as Capsicum baccatum L. Plants have an upright, erect habit and reach 31–36 in; support is listed as stake. The principal mature or market color is Yellow, with fruit described as about 2-3 in long. Reproductive classification: Open-Pollinated (OP). Maturity: 80-89 Days. Names associated with this variety include Ají Limón (Lemon Drop), Pepper Seeds - Hot Pepper - Aji Limon Drop.
- Scientific name:Capsicum baccatum 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:10–21 Days at 75–90 °F
- Spacing:24 in between plants; 36 in between rows
- Soil:Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5
- Water:Moderate
- Support:Stake
- Reproductive type:Open-Pollinated (OP)
- Fruit:Yellow; About 2-3 in long
- Heat:Hot; 15,000-30,000 SHU
History and seedkeeping context
The NMSU Chile Pepper Institute identifies Ají Limón as also known as Lemon Drop, records it as Capsicum baccatum, and associates it with Peru. NMSU describes bright yellow fruit about 2 to 3 inches long. Cornell separately records a Peruvian Lemon Drop at 100 days, confirming the name’s long-season association but also showing maturity variation among records.
Limón and Lemon Drop invite citrus-flavor language, and NMSU does describe a citrusy character, but the page treats that as a sourced sensory description rather than inferring flavor from yellow color alone. The old sweet-pepper handle is retained for URL continuity even though this is a hot pepper. The available sources do not establish a named person’s tribal identity.
The NMSU Chile Pepper Institute lists Ají Limón at approximately 80 days, while Cornell lists Lemon Drop at 100 days.
Fruit, flavor, and kitchen use
Use ripe yellow pods in fruit salsas, hot sauces, ceviche-style accompaniments, marinades, cooked dishes, pickles, and drying. The bright color is useful in yellow chile sauces and flakes. NMSU describes a sweet, fruity, citrusy flavor with hot heat. Pungency varies with genetics, temperature, water stress, fruit position, and ripeness; any heat figure is a range, not a promise for every pod. Ají Limón is especially useful for fruit salsas, hot sauces, cooked dishes, bright-yellow harvests, and seed saving from confirmed open-pollinated stock. Flavor and eating quality are described as nMSU describes a sweet, fruity, citrusy flavor with hot heat. Pungency varies with genetics, temperature, water stress, fruit position, and ripeness; any heat figure is a range, not a promise for every pod. Heat classification: Hot; listed range: 15,000-30,000 SHU. Pungency can shift with genetics, weather, water stress, and ripeness.
How to grow Ají Limón
Start Ají Limón 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 10–21 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 24 in apart and rows 36 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 Ají Limón 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 80-89 Days as a planning range rather than a guaranteed calendar date; weather and transplant stress can shift first harvest.
Harvest and maturity
80-89 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 Ají Limón 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 Ají Limón ready?
Plan around 80-89 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 10–21 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?
Fruit salsas, hot sauces, cooked dishes, bright-yellow harvests, and seed saving from confirmed open-pollinated stock
Can I save seed?
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses.
