Bruce - thats a good question, and i will be watching to see the answer cause i have never grown the red. From what i have heard, the orange is more productive. My opinion, ditch the Habs and grow Congo's. Same heat, better taste, and alot bigger.

John: Same as me, I have seed for both but have only grown out the Orange. I am thinking about making some Pepper Jelly next year and the recipe that I am looking to make calls for Habaneros. It says other varieties can be used but I was thinking that staying close to the standard pepper would be best for my first batch. I figured I could experiment later...In fact, I am thinking I would prefer something a bit less hot than a Hab but like I said, I want to start with the baseline or something real close, which I guess the Congo would be. I was thinking the Red Hab simply because I think it might add a bit of color that the orange will not. The Congo seems to fit that bill I guess. Are the physical characteristics similar to a Hab? I just don't want the recipe to bomb and then have to wonder if it is because I used the wrong pepper. Still looking for more comparisons on the Orange vs Red Hab.
Bruce

I grow the orange ones. I do not grow any red varieties, but I do buy them at the farmers market occasionally. I don't know what variety of red habanero is sold at the farmers market though, so the difference may vary between varieties.

I find the red ones to be hotter, but less flavorful. So you get the burn, but there is less of that characteristic fruity pepper habanero flavor. The plants seem about the same size. I can't comment on whether one or the other is more productive.

I'm planning to grow between 2 and 4 carribean red habaneros next year as an experiment. I have read lots of other people saying their experience of the difference was the opposite of mine, and that they found the red ones to be more flavorful rather than less. But, by way of comparison, I tend to grow 10-12 orange habanero plants in a year and I'm thinking of adding to that number next year. I guess that shows where my loyalty lies. :)

Angie

Orange habs are rubbish, in my opinion. Awful chemical-like garbage flavor. Now, in full disclosure, I don't enjoy the Habanero flavor at all, but the Chocolate is the best of the bunch to my taste. I've grown Caribbean Red hab's and they were hotter than the orange, and they didn't have such an overwhelming spoiled perfume flavor / aroma.... which meant that I liked them more than the orange. I thought they were quite useful in a salsa (especially when roasted).

Josh

I've grown both, and much prefer the orange ones. The reds are smaller and not as productive as the orange. I don't plan on raising the reds again. There is no comparison with Congos or any other brown or chocolate. If you like more heat & less flavor, go with the chocolates. Just my opinion -:)
John A

I have limited experience growing habs but I do know that they requre a hot environment and lots of sunshine but they also like to stay dry. They do not like soil or any growing combination that retains any moisture at all. They like to be watered only when they are dry. If the soil remains too damp it causes the peppers to develop a bitter taste and they will not be as productive.

Now as far as doing extensive research I have discovered that they way your tongue handles the heat and taste of the pepper determines how the pepper will taste to you. If you feel the heat more then you will not get the taste and flavor correctly. If you can handle the heat then you can taste the flavor of the pepper. I also discovered that different cultivars have different tastes and textures. The reds are suppose to have a thicker skin and produce heavier fruit but yet they are as productive as the orange. The reds are the hottest of the group.

I also discovered another conversation about red vs orange in a thread on this site posted in 2011. I have enclosed the link. I will hopefully be able to contribute more from experience next year. Remember to always match your planting mixture to the needs of your plant and that also includes water and fertilizer. Otherwise environment makes a big difference. Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Battle

Boy, you really opened a can of worms, there, didn't you Bruce! LOL

I have only grown the standard orange habanero, myself. I like it, but, haven't grown any in a few years, been trying different varieties.

If you're worried about changes from a flavor perspective, just stick to the orange habs for the first round. If you're worried about making changes from a safety perspective, just substitute the same quantity by weight / volume (not number of pods) and I think you'll be ok.

If you want to try something with less heat, you may want to consider Lemon drops. I think it might work well but not be as hot. Another option to consider is a mixture of regular habs and no/low-heat habs. Similar flavor, but not much heat.

Bruce, i just suggested the Congo because i am like Josh. In general, i don't really care for habs. The Congo is close in heat but has a much better flavor in my opinion. I grow it every year. I don't remember if you tried it before? But it is very productive for me. I have never made jelly, but i wouldn't think twice about substitutig the Congo. A friend of mine makes it all the time and they just use whatever peppers i give them. Like i said, i know nothing about making jelly, but from what they tell me, you just add more sugar to bring the heat down. Like you said, sticking with the recipe might be your safest bet till you learn more about making jelly. Or just grow a couple of each, make two small batches and see whats better so you know. If you waant some Congo seeds let me know and i will throw them in with the Reapers. John

John, sounds good. I guess I would take a few Congos too. They are pretty peppers if nothing else. I think I would like to get a hold of some Lemon Drops as well. Seems to be a pretty popular pepper on this forum.
Geez, I need to quit finding reasons to grow more peppers.
Bruce

Congos are larger more productive and the plants get 4 or 5ft tall John is right Unless you like the apricot taste of the orange hob Take John up on his offer You might not grow orange anymore.The plants are a lot bigger though Ive never grown them in a pot I know a lot of members do

Does 'Red Savina Habenero' count as a red hab? I'd suggest that as another alternative that, like Trinidad Congo, has great flavor, great heat, and a little bit better texture than your standard hab. In my book, I'd rate it a little higher than Congo as I find them to be a little fleshier. Both are great peppers.

It's a little hard to make a general comparison, but my experience is similar to others:

With red habanero's there's a lot of variation, but most would fall under, what i call, the "red chinense flavor" profile. Besides heat level, some are sweeter, some have less of that "petroleum" essence, some are juicier. My Caribbean reds and Red Savina's had better flavor than the so-called standard red habs i've grown.

In my experience, the two or three orange hab types i've grown were more uniform in flavor. One was a little larger, sweeter and more productive though.

In general I prefer red, yellow and chocolate over orange.

I am also the type to substitute other Chinenses. I wouldn't think twice about using Fatalii's, Scotch Bonnets, Numex varieties etc in place of standard hab's. It's not what a purist would do, but ....

Steve

This post was edited by sjetski on Mon, Nov 25, 13 at 10:39

I have grown red scotch bonnet. The red habanero and
red scotch bonnet look the same to me. Anyway, the red
scotch bonnet is sweeter and better tasting than the orange habanero.

Ricky- you're getting a little hot for Bruce with a Savina. I think the Congo has a much better taste than the savina. Like Steve said Fatali would be good. Devils Tongue is another. I'd do the Congo's same heat better taste, and red like you were looking for.

Yah, I was kind of looking for Hab and below for heat but I have really enjoyed this thread with a lot of great discussion. What do people think about substituing Monzono peppers for a jelly recipe that calls for Habaneros? I know they are quite a bit lower heat but I seem to remember that they are prized for taste. Also, do they ripen Orange or Red or what?
Bruce

Bruce i cant help you there haven't grown it yet. I have seeds forr next year. If you wanna go lower, i grew Rain Forest this year. Its not real hot but, great taste i think its my new favorite mild. I broke into the baccutum family this year and they were all good but the Rain Forest was great. Its red, a little smaller than a Hab. but very productive.
Bruce.... BTW i knew you would fall off the wagon. John

Bruce, are you referring to Manzano peppers (Cap. Pubescens) ? If so then they may be the most difficult pepper to grow, long grow times with no guarantees of good production. You can always substitute, but i guarantee the flavor profile will come out a lot different. They come in most colors, flavors and sizes. I don't recall an orange, but i've seen yellow and golden. And different colors = different flavors, as usual. You would have to start your Manzano plants very soon if you wanted to get some production by August / Spetember.

John and Dave's Congo recommendation seems like a winner all around though imho, big productive plants, less of that petroleum taste, middling heat level. I wouldn't hesitate with this one.

Any chance on substituting orange peppers with a yellow ones? If you are open to that suggestion then your choices really open up. There's a bunch of great tasting yellow Chinense's, especially the one's already mentioned ~ Fatalli, Devil's Tongue, Scotch Bonnet. But note that you lose the orange flavor by substituting (I think Dave nailed it when he said "apricot flavor")

Another way to tame heat on Habanero recipes is to mix in a portion of low heat Chinense's like Amazon Chile Roma, Numex Suave varieties, Datil Sweet, the Seasoning peppers, Aji Dulce, Zavory, Trinidad Perfume, etc. Might be fun to grow out one or two of these plants.

Sorry for blabbing so much :-I

Steve

I have grown Red Habs for years and I can tell you that they are one great producer. Just as much as the Orange imo.

One thing I have noticed is that you can tame the flavor of a Red or Orange Hab by drying the pepper. Give that a try the next time you make a sauce. Or sprinkle some flakes on your food. You might be surprized. The heat will still be there btw.

sjetski, I saw your comment about the Fatalli's. I got ahold of some of those seeds and looking forward to trying those out next year. Awesome looking pepper.

Kclost then you'll have a true standout. Unique flavor, good flesh thickness and not filled with pesky seeds which means that de-seeding is optional. Fatalii leaves are less prone to bacterial spot than other Chinense's in my experience.

Steve

This post was edited by sjetski on Mon, Nov 25, 13 at 17:11

Bruce i cant help you there haven't grown it yet. I have seeds forr next year. If you wanna go lower, i grew Rain Forest this year. Its not real hot but, great taste i think its my new favorite mild. I broke into the baccutum family this year and they were all good but the Rain Forest was great. Its red, a little smaller than a Hab. but very productive.
Bruce.... BTW i knew you would fall off the wagon. John

{{!gwi}}

All you guys are doing is creating a lot of stress for me. I thought I had my pepper habit controlled. Now it seems I have four or five new varieties that I just have to try. Sheesh. I need to go to an AA meeting or something. OK, I am just going to hold off on looking for the seed for a while, maybe it will all pass. At this rate, I will be setting up the lights and seed starting equipment before Christmas. God, grant me the serenity...................

Bruce

Bruce i cant help you there haven't grown it yet. I have seeds forr next year. If you wanna go lower, i grew Rain Forest this year. Its not real hot but, great taste i think its my new favorite mild. I broke into the baccutum family this year and they were all good but the Rain Forest was great. Its red, a little smaller than a Hab. but very productive.
Bruce.... BTW i knew you would fall off the wagon. John

{{!gwi}}

I grew the yellow / orange Manzano this year and last (same plant), and finally tasted the pods this season. Bruce, I think you could handle the tender thick sweet flesh of the Manzano. Really easy to remove the innards. The flavor would be unique. Better than orange habanero for sure.

Josh

Cool Josh, I knew you grew one and I also remember you talking about liking the taste. I have some seeds for them already and will probably put them into production this next season.
Bruce

My plant is out there in the frost still...has about ten green pods on it. I think I'm going to compost it this year. A very interesting taste, but just not worth the trouble. I think it would awesome in a jam, relish, or a savory garlic sauce/spread.

Josh

Yah, seeing as how they are supposed to be tough to grow...maybe I should not try. I have a shorter season than you by a good month. I pulled all my plants about 5 weeks ago.
Hmmmm, I have a couple months to decide.

Thanks to everyone for all the advice and information. I expected a thread of 5 or 6 posts but this one turned into a pretty long one. Thanks.
Bruce

Scorpion_John's puts up the best most logical opinion concerning Orange vs Red habanero pepper debate. I fall into the uniformed category because I have never tasted the Congo. But, I do not understand his unfavorable opinion of the standard yellow habanero because I do really like them along both the Caribbean Red and the Regular Scotch Bonnet habs. So I am going to get some Congos and try them so that I can experience a wider spectrum of peppers odors and tastes. What variety does Scorpion_John recommend to get started (any one else who grows Congo's recommend).
Has anyone had the pleasure to taste the Florida Orange Pepper that grows wild in the Lake County, FL area? What do think about Datil peppers? I will not grow them because they attract white flies like eggplants do and they get all over all the other plants. Do you think the Congo peppers originated in East Africa (trick question). I think we all must have something in common because we all love peppers. I have been growing peppers for about 60 years and do not worry about the heat because you can vary the amount of any pepper used in cooking. I also enjoy jalapeño peppers for their great flavor. I am a new member and this is my first post. I am looking forward reading the posts of all other members. Thank you. Drchilie1

now that this thread has been resurrected, I guess I will update. I grew out the Mazano (not sure red, yellow, orange) but they grew amazingly fast. They took a couple extra days to sprout but within a couple weeks over took most of the other seedlings. They continue to grow fast to this day. They were one of the first to put out pods this year and I have one that is about the size of a "shooter" marble. They don't seem to put out many blooms or pods though. And pretty sparse foliage over all but tall and gangly. In addition, I am growing some Aji Limons and plan to try both in a jelly recipe this fall. I was a bit worried about the heat in the Habaneros and similars. I like to grow peppers, but I have not done my due diligence in working on my heat tolerance.
Mazano Blossom below:
Bruce

Drchilie:

The Scotch Bonnet is not a habanero. It's a Scotch Bonnet. A similar, but different pepper variety. :)

As far as orange vs red, I prefer orange. When cooking with habaneros, I have had more success in getting the orange pepper taste to blend in with others. For some reason, red habaneros don't usually seem to blend as well. I also find that red ones tend to have less taste aside from the heat. And I love habaneros for their flavor, not just their heat.

So I think I'm in the minority here, but I vote orange!

Angie

Good resurrection, Bruce. Especially talking about Manzano.
Last year I got seeds (Fresh pods) from Tim. And I am growing a Manzano.
It was kind of weak looking inside, but it has been performing better than the rest of my peppers outside. Seems like it likes our cool PNW weather so far. It has been blooming for weeks now. I am not sure of any pods at this time. If any, they are still very tiny.

I will take a picture and post here soon.

BTW: I am growing a red hab plust couple of orange ones too. So we will find out (hopefully) how they are.

About Manzano : It is my most favorite. The heat is very mild (~25k SHU ?) but the texture and flavor is something else. I bet it is a delicacy. You cannot find them in stores. About 6 years ago i saw it the first time in an Asian market. What surprised me most was that the seeds were black and looked like onion seeds. The other thing was the meaty/juicy and flavorful texture. So I got hooked.

I already have pods growing on my Mazonos. They are not putting out a lot of blooms or pods but the did so early.
Here is one of them.
Bruce

Good Grief ! You already have pods .

Here is a picture of mine

That's a gorgeous plant, seysonn!

Angie

Yah, Seysonn: your plant looks better than mine actually. Mine are much less full, but are putting out pods already.
Strange. Here is a photo of the plant with the pod pictured above. It has a few more tiny pods. The other Manzanos that I am growing have pods also, but smaller.
Bruce

This post was edited by esox07 on Thu, Jun 12, 14 at 21:56

I find red habs much better because of their distinct fruit like flavor and their a bit hotter then orange ones. Also reds are more productiv.