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scorpion_john

The great Limon debate..

scorpion_john
9 years ago

There are always many questions surrounding the limons and lemons. This year i grew out a few for research. From left to right. Aji Limon (chi) Lemon Drop, Aji Limon ( bac) and last Hot Lemon from Burpees. So there's 4 of them side by side for comparison. I would say different peppers. Personally, Aji Pineapple is better than them all. Just thought i would post the pic FYI. John

Comments (32)

  • kentishman
    9 years ago

    Good job! That's a great help.

    Tom

  • jtight
    9 years ago

    If they only tasted like the candies, "LemonHeads." :)

    In all seriousness those look good. Nice shape a/ true color. My Aji Limon didn't survive germination. Going to try again next year.

    Johnny

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    Thanks John . Very interesting how the look.
    I have Lemon Drop (2nd from left in your picture). I bought it as plant. It did fine . And I like its heat and flavor. I will definitely grow it next year.

    BTW: are they all baccatum ?

    PS. I will submit a few packs to Johnny's seeds swap.

    This post was edited by seysonn on Mon, Oct 20, 14 at 22:26

  • lexxluthor
    9 years ago

    Nice comparison and good info S.J.

  • DMForcier
    9 years ago

    There are two "Aji Limon", one C.chinense, the other C.baccatum. He has both above. Lemon Drop is C.baccatum. Don't know about the Hot Lemon (probably not stated by Burpee).

    Dennis

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    OK, thanks Dennis. I leaned something today. So I earned my breakfast. :-)
    BTW: I think I like the flavor and heat characteristic of C. Baccatum ,(LD) more than C. Chinense (Hab). Though LD is not as hot as HAB.

  • 2ajsmama
    9 years ago

    My Aji Limons (what I've been calling them, I need to dig out the package, maybe they're Hot Lemons) from Burpee look like the bacc. I'll post pix of fruit and plants (if still alive, we did have a frost yesterday AM but it was light and they are covered) later. I didn't get out to uncover them yesterday, will do before rain today.

    Edit - added photo. Does anyone know what the small red ones could be? Definitely not the Hinkelhatz I thought that seed was, could be a cross though IIRC I used the last of my Fedco seed this year. It could have been seed Linda Z sent me from the plants I sent her (Fedco) seed for last year, but I don't think she grows anything really hot.

    Burpee Lemon (or whatever they call it) taste - I cut the tip off 1, didn't see really hot, maybe citrusy but I thought I tasted a little grass (?). Cut off another small round - tip of my tongue tingled and then I made the mistake of swallowing (just saliva)! I spit the chewed pepper out, but it was too late - now feel tip of my tongue (maybe from just putting it on that 1st piece from the tip). Lips tingling a little too, but when I swallowed I felt it immediately on the back of my throat - pretzels didn't help. That's subsiding, but the roof of my mouth is burning and my nose is running.

    Definitely hotter than a HH - have to have DH try this. I'm going to put them in pepper jelly, since I can't taste it I don't know what fruit would work best - maybe just the apricots, do a "Peruvian Gold" like I do "Amish Gold" with the HH?

    This post was edited by ajsmama on Tue, Oct 21, 14 at 9:06

  • Big Kahuna
    9 years ago

    Nice comparison John.

    But to add further confusion, I will say that that the picture of the Hot Lemon on the Burpee website looks more like your Aji Limon (bac).

  • DMForcier
    9 years ago

    I agree about preferring the taste of baccatums. The more I grow them the more I like them. Recently got a CARE package with Cheiro Recife (from Brazil near Recife) that are outstanding. And Lemon Drop is a favorite.

    Dennis

  • 2ajsmama
    9 years ago

    Here's a pic of the Burpee plant - they survived the frost but upper leaves touching the fabric got nipped. Look like a bacc to you?

  • scorpion_john
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Lee,

    i will have to check that out. my seed was store bought from Burpee labeled Hot lemon a couple years ago and it grew exactly like the picture they had on the package. maybe they changed their mind on what they are calling hot lemon

  • DMForcier
    9 years ago

    Can't really tell. It does not look like a chinense. (If I'm looking at the right one.)

  • scorpion_john
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Lee,

    i have to agree with you. Although this is gonna drive me nuts now. i could swear it was just labeled Hot Lemon but its been a few years ago. from searching online, it apears to be Hot Lemon Habanero. Which makes perfect sense cause at the time i bought it to compare to the Fatali. I will look for the original package tonight but i doubt i still have it. John

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the reference!
    From what you show here, it looks as though we're growing Aji Limon (bacc.) at the Farm. It is our most popular powder....flavorful, bright and citrusy, and with heat that many folks can tolerate (especially when cooked into a dish of poultry or fish).

    Josh

  • scorpion_john
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Josh,

    from all i have read i would say the bacc. is the most popular. followed by the lemon drop. i got the chi. version from Smoke a couple years ago. Have you ever tried Aji Pineapple?

  • Big Kahuna
    9 years ago

    John, I think you're right on it being Habanero Hot Lemon. I grew seeds this year labelled "Hot Lemon" which looked like yours, only mine came out red...

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    Here a picture of my Lemon Drops and 2 kinds of Habs, Red and Orange. I have never grown red habs before. So I cannot tell if they are genine.

    Seysonn

  • scorpion_john
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Lee,

    i have had them go red in fact this year i grew 4 of them and 1 turned out red. i have seen that with other varities too every once in a while. i'm not big on Habs but i like this pepper. i grow a few of these each year. if you want yellow seed just let me know. its drying now. John

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    9 years ago

    John, thanks for that side by side comparison. i grew what I was calling Aji Limon's this year and they in fact match what you are calling the Aji Limon.
    Bruce

  • 2ajsmama
    9 years ago

    Bruce - yours look like the chinense that John posted, mine (Burpee's Hot Lemon, I checked the package though I've learned not to trust Burpee's labeling, esp. with tomatoes) look like the baccatum. And seysonn's are smoother-skinned than any of them.

    Nice looking plant. Mine weren't looking so good the other day, after rain all day and all night, with high winds, I dread what I'll find when it stops (tomorrow?).

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    I also think that what Bruce has is a Chinense, just from the bushy growth and the leaves. C.Bacc. seems to grow taller branches and the leaves are thin and not rigid. I have another baccatum, ie, Bishop's crown, with similar growth habit to my Lemon Drop. ((Unfortunately, the pods on BC won't have a chance to get ripe. So I am not going to grow it next year.))

  • scorpion_john
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ajsmama and Seysonn,

    you are correct, i sent Bruce the seed last fall when he was looking for ideas for hot pepper jelly. if you like bacc. try Aji Pineapple and Rainforest. John

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    I'm planning on growing a number of plants of this fruit type (yellow/elongate/citrus), only want to grow one of the many variations I've seen and Scorpion_John's observations have added both help & hindrance__.

    Taste and productivity are important and the wildcard is season length, there are some disadvantages growing north of the Mason-Dixon Line. In my research I've been hemmin'-n-hawin' between a number of varieties, top candidates are :

    Lemon Drop (C. baccatum.)
    Aji Limon (C. baccatum.)
    Aji Habanero (C. baccatum.)
    Limon (C. chinense.)
    Lemon Drop (C. annuum)

    This post was edited by northeast_chileman on Sun, Nov 2, 14 at 8:20

  • kentishman
    9 years ago

    Have you considered Aji Pineapple? It's yellow/elongate/citrus. A lot of folks rate it highly. I grew it this year next to Aji Lemon Drop. I couldn't tell the pods apart, although the plants looked a little different.

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    9 years ago

    Aji Pear, Aji watermelon, Aji Apple, Aji Avacado, etc....


    Bruce

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    I liked my Lemon Drop. NO Ajis here. hehe

    Yesterday I picked whatever was on the plant. They ripen inside much better. I lik'em better than habs.
    And no, I ain't gonna grow any aji. :-)

  • DMForcier
    9 years ago

    Aji Bacon ???!?

  • scorpion_john
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Chileman,

    I have all them except for the annum if you need them. not to many annums i care for.

    Kentishman,

    i am suprised, the Lemon Drop is shaped different than the Pineapple. now the Aji Limon(bac) is a different story. they look almost the same. although i would say the Aji Pineapple is a little brighter shade of yellow, it would still be a guess till you cut it. then you can't miss the pineapples smell. personally, i would recomend the Aji Pineapple over all the Limons and Lemons.

  • kentishman
    9 years ago

    Scorpion John,

    The plants I'm growing came to me as Aji Lemon Drop and Aji Pineapple, and that's all I know. Now my sense of smell is all shot, but a couple of folks who tried it said there was a pineapple smell. Referring back to the first picture from the original post, my pods look like something between the second and third pods.

    Tom

  • kuvaszlvr
    9 years ago

    Ok John, we got a photo comparison but nothing else (and to keep saying Aji Pineapple is better isn't going to work) ;-) I'd like to hear taste comparison.

    I grew lemon drops in the past, couldn't find them last year so I grew Aji Limon. My comparison might not be valid since I tasted them a year apart, but my take was the aji was not as hot and had a different citrusy flavor. When I bit into a lemon drop it was hotter, but the first thing I got was a very strong lemon flavor, which I liked.

    how about a taste comparison John?

    Pam

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    Now you can go to Johnny's seed swap and get the seeds for ALL kinds of them, with "Aji" or no "aji", Limon, or Lemon .. and grow them. I don't have the resources to do so. Then I'll have to stick my Lemon Drop which I liked a lot. YMMV

    Happy Thanksgiving

    Seysonn

  • scorpion_john
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Pam,
    You know my taste buds are burnt out..I would agree with you. Lemon Drop might be slightly hotter, the chinese is hotter yet. but i perfer the taste of the Aji over the Lemon Drop. The Aji has a little sweeter taste to it. i also grew the pineapple this year and i would recommend it over all the limons. if you have never grown it, pick what seeds you want soon and i can send you a few peppers also. i still have a pineapple in my basement.

    Tom,
    i also grew the pineapple and i liked it better than all the others. the pineapple is the best Aji i have grown so far.