How hot is Tennessee Cheese Pepper?

Capsi’s sourced range is 0 SHU (Vendor Claim). Capsi uses a sourced range and a trust tier, not a single marketing number. How we verify heat: https://web.thecapsi.app/learn/heat-and-capsaicin/how-we-measure-heat

How do I grow Tennessee Cheese Pepper?

Tennessee Cheese Pepper: about 82 days to maturity, temperate climate, full sun, hardiness zones 3-11.

What can I substitute for Tennessee Cheese Pepper?

pimiento peppers, sweet bell peppers, cherry peppers for pickling

Tennessee Cheese Pepper (Cheese Red Pepper)

Also known as Cheese Red Pepper · Cheese Red

The Tennessee Cheese Pepper is a sweet heirloom Capsicum annuum cultivar known for its thick-walled, tomato- or apple-shaped fruits that ripen from green to vibrant red. It delivers a candy-like sweetness with zero heat and excels in stuffing, pickling, and paprika production.

Growing

~82 days to maturity

Fruit size

6–10 cm

Flavor & Use

Exceptionally sweet with a candy-like taste and no heat.

sweetcandy-like

Culinary

stuffingpicklingpaprika productionfresh eatingsaladscooking

About

The Tennessee Cheese Pepper, also known as Cheese Red, is an open-pollinated heirloom variety originally from Spain but preserved by a family in Kingston, Tennessee. Plants produce good yields of upright, apple- or tomato-shaped peppers with very thick flesh and walls. Fruits measure approximately 3 inches long or 76-102 mm in diameter, starting green and maturing to rich red. The flavor is exceptionally sweet with a candy-like taste, making them addictive when eaten fresh. They are excellent for stuffing due to their shape and thick walls, as well as for pickling, fresh salads, cooking, and drying into high-quality paprika. The compact plants grow 18 to 36 inches tall, mature in 60-90 days from transplant, and thrive in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil. This non-GMO variety is suitable for garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses.

Backstory

An heirloom variety recovered from seeds donated by a couple living in Kingston, Tennessee, originally from Spain where similar pimiento-type peppers are traditional staples in many dishes.

Appearance

ShapeTomato-shaped or apple-shaped with flattened base and scalloped edges

ColorGreen · Red

Size6–10 cm

WallThick

Growing

SunFull

WaterModerate

ClimateTemperate

Days to maturity82 days

Plant height45–90 cm

Soil pH6–7

Germination7–14 days

Spacing60 cm

HardinessZones 3-11

Heritage

Explore

We don't have a documented family for this pepper yet.

Sources

FAQ

How hot is Tennessee Cheese Pepper?: Capsi’s sourced range is 0 SHU (Vendor Claim). Capsi uses a sourced range and a trust tier, not a single marketing number. How we verify heat: https://web.thecapsi.app/learn/heat-and-capsaicin/how-we-measure-heat
What does Tennessee Cheese Pepper taste like?: Exceptionally sweet with a candy-like taste and no heat.
How do I grow Tennessee Cheese Pepper?: Tennessee Cheese Pepper: about 82 days to maturity, temperate climate, full sun, hardiness zones 3-11.
What can I substitute for Tennessee Cheese Pepper?: pimiento peppers, sweet bell peppers, cherry peppers for pickling