Ornamental peppers as an ornamental plant have become a popular room decoration, especially in autumn. The question: Can you eat ornamental peppers? The answer is simple: yes, if you know where the plant comes from and whether it was sprayed before you bought it. Ornamental peppers are definitely not poisonous.
Can you eat ornamental peppers?
Ornamental peppers are edible, but the taste is often bland or spicy. Consumption is safe and free of harmful substances if the plant itself was grown from seeds and raised without chemical agents. Otherwise, it's better to forego the enjoyment.
Ornamental peppers are edible
Basically, ornamental peppers are edible, just like the large representatives of their kind. However, ornamental peppers are primarily bred for appearance. The taste of the fruit only plays a minor role.
Eating the red and yellow fruits of the ornamental pepper is often disappointing. The taste is usually very bland and cannot be compared to that of real sweet peppers. Some fruits will give you a real surprise because they are very spicy.
Bought plants are often heavily contaminated with harmful substances, so you should not eat the fruits for he alth reasons.
Where do ornamental peppers come from?
If you want to eat ornamental peppers, you should know how the plant was raised. If it comes from the market or garden shop, you're better off not enjoying it. Purchased plants are almost always sprayed and therefore too heavily contaminated with pollutants.
If you have grown it yourself from seeds and have completely avoided using any chemicals in growing it, you are welcome to eat the fruit or use it in the kitchen.
Grow your own ornamental peppers from seeds
At the beginning of winter the ornamental peppers are used up and are put into the compost. You can separate the fruits beforehand and release the seeds. Let them dry until you can sow them in spring. Then you can care for plants you have grown yourself next year.
The seeds of ornamental peppers only germinate if temperatures are consistently above 20 degrees. The pots with the seedlings must be protected from drafts and, if possible, always in the same place.
Sowing begins in February, otherwise the growing season is too short. The fruits will then no longer ripen in time for winter.
Tip
Ornamental peppers need a very bright and warm location. If it is too dark and the temperatures are below 16 degrees, flowers and later fruit will hardly form.