A few blog posts back I reported on pepperdews, a South African delicacy. Last week I ran into my local Safeway and was amazed to discover there by the olive bar (not as good as the Whole Foods/ Wild Oats olive bar) were pepperdews!
I immediately bought the largest tub I could find.
They were not called "Pepperdews" but "Sweet Piquant Peppers… a product of South Africa."
I think that Pepperdews sounds much better than Sweet Piquant Peppers. I immediately took a photo before they were all devoured.
17 responses to “Pepperdew Report”
Hey Sal!
Aren’t peppadews The Best Thing?? I love them!! All the big supermarkets around here stock them which is great. Wanna make somethign with them? Here’s a savoury muffin recipe I posted a while back – foolproof & delicious!
http://cooksister.typepad.com/cook_sister/2005/03/peppadew_and_pa.html
Hi Jeanne,
Thrilled to come across your report on Pepperdews. I’ve been trying to get seed from nurseries and the actual fruit from groceries in Melbourne, but no luck. The only ones I found were stuffed with feta cheese or pesto.
Cheers.
Jutta
Hi there
Please can you direct me to a shop / nursery (in Cape Town), that would supply Pepperdew seed ?
Many thanks
Eldred
Hi Sal, I’m South African and I’ve got a huge pepperdew plant in my back garden – would love to preserve them but dont know how to, any ideas? Ta Don
Would like to know what stores carry the pepperdeau or sweet piquant pepper in the metro atlanta Georgia area. thank you
Hi
Firstly the name PEPPERDEW is copyrighted, thats why what you got in the store did not have the label of “pepperdew”.
I got mine from a nursery in Port Elizabeth, South Africa called “Herb Sense”
The plant grows very easily making tons of pepperdews, some sweet and some where EXTREMELY HOT, I think it may have got cross pollinated by some of the chilli’s in the garden though for this to happen.
New plants sprung up by themselves from fallen pepperdews.
So seed does not appear to difficult to germinate.
Cheers
Sheldon
I only recently found Pepperdews, I love them! They sell them in NJ at the Olive bars. I buy them and the little mozzarella cheese balls and use the cheese for stuffing. Another great use is to add chopped PD to cornbread before baking. Everyone loves pepperdew, and no one has a clue as to what it is.
they have pepperdews at Panera Breads chain of restaurants… Wow… so naturally sweet with a little heat…. yummm….
I recently found pepperdews at my local supermarket. I am in love with them. I used them with Osso Bucco Yum! And put them in an aioli sauce for my crabcakes. Double Yum. If anyone can share some seeds with me I sure would appreciate it.
THX
Leona
a great stuffing for pepperdews is mascarpone cheese with a little chopped red onion, and also goes great with polenta smoked mushrroms and bleu cheese
Sally,
Not sure what state you want to preserve them IN. I CAN tell you, but it’ll cost you some of the seeds from your pods, or dehydrated pods, 😉 Just kidding
Two ways you can are freezeing, and dehydration. I would blanch them, then simply freeze on like a cookie sheet, then package.
For dehydration, I simply cut them in half, and put them on like a paper plate for similar device, and put that device on top of my refridgerator for a couple weeks.
A third way I have heard about, but have not tried, is to heat some oil, (olive, peanut, canola, etc.) to about 160F, and put the peppers in for ten minutes, then let the oil cool to room temp. Put the peppers inna glass container, and cover with some of the oil, and refridgerate. The rest of the oil can be used for regular cooking. Well, if you like spicy flavor to the foods you cooked using the peppadew oil.
Feel free to contact me directly at: bluelytes@yahoo.com
Can’t find these in Houston, Texas anymore. I have been told it is a discontinued product. Any info?
I wish I had a life supply of:
— Summer Hill body wash and body lotion from Crabtree & Evelyn — The “Dances with Clouds” essential oil from Mood Star — This kind of Paper Mate pen. Best pen ever invented — Dunkin Donuts iced coffee — Oil…
I heard that pepperdews were a cross between a pepper and a honeydew mellon. It sounds far fetched to me. Any truth to the rumor?
I too have a huge plant and about 8 baby plants that recently sprouted. Does anyone have any info about how I can use the fruit?. I really want to pickle them but have no idea how to start. Any advice please. I am in Gauteng South Africa. davsmith@webmail.co.za
I liked the taste of pepperdew, but at 7.99lb, a bit steep. I recently bought a red pepper about the size of a cherry pepper for 2.49lb. When I cooked them, they tasted just like the pepperdew. I will try to find the name of that pepper, and will share the simple recipe for some pepperdew seeds.