Kitchen Pepper
Aji Amarillo Pepper Seeds
Fruity golden-orange peppers for Peruvian-style sauces. · Aji Amarillo in the kitchen Aji Amarillo is a Capsicum baccatum pepper used in Peruvian cooking. Its ripe golden-orange pods bring fruity flavour, colour and substantial heat to ...
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- Packet
- 10+ seeds per packet
- Maturity
- 85 days from transplant
- Germination
- 26-30 C; allow 10-21 days
- Heat
- 30,000-50,000 SHU
- Type
- Capsicum baccatum pepper
- Plant habit
- Tall productive pepper plant
- Seed line
- Open-pollinated heirloom
- Origin
- Peru / Andes
- Best for
- Peruvian sauces, ceviche, pastes, drying
- Packed for
- Packed for 2026
Start indoors in February or March for Canadian gardens; use bottom heat for steady germination.
Fruity golden-orange peppers for Peruvian-style sauces.
Aji Amarillo in the kitchen
Aji Amarillo is a Capsicum baccatum pepper used in Peruvian cooking. Its ripe golden-orange pods bring fruity flavour, colour and substantial heat to pastes, sauces and seasoning.
Why grow it?
Choose Aji Amarillo when a sauce needs both pepper flavour and colour. It is associated with dishes such as papa a la huancaína and ají de gallina, rather than being just an interchangeable source of heat.
Kitchen notes
- Blend ripe peppers into a paste for sauces.
- Add small amounts to a salsa, then adjust to taste.
- Dry ripe pods for pepper seasoning.
Planning your Canadian pepper garden
Start peppers indoors, harden off the plants gradually, and transplant after frost risk has passed and nights are reliably warm. Match your sowing plan to your local season and the variety, rather than a calendar date for all of Canada.
Explore the pepper collection
Questions about Aji Amarillo
Why does a “yellow” pepper ripen orange?
Amarillo means yellow in Spanish, but the ripe pods of this variety are commonly golden-orange.
Is it a mild pepper?
No. The listed 30,000–50,000 SHU range represents significant heat; it should not be described as a gentle substitute for a mild pepper.
What matters in a Canadian garden?
Allow time for the fruit to reach its ripe colour. Start indoors and choose a warm, sheltered growing position rather than relying on hardiness zone alone.
Growing conditions affect harvest timing, flavour and heat. Variety descriptions are guidance, not a guarantee for every plant.
Also explore: Hot Sauce Garden Pack
Start indoors 8–10 weeks before last frost. Germinate at 26–30 °C on a heat mat; peppers stall below 22 °C. Pot up to 10–15 cm before hardening off outside after nights stay above 12 °C.
Feed balanced through bloom, then bump potassium for fruiting. Stake taller varieties. More detail in our full Canadian growing guide.
Match the pepper to the technique: thin-walled varieties blister fast in a hot pan; thick-walled ones roast or stuff beautifully; fruit-forward ones make balanced sauces and pickles. The variety's flavour profile is your shortcut — see Choosing the right pepper for a use-case guide.
