Kitchen Pepper
Padrón Pepper
The small frying pepper for a simple plate of tapas. · Padrón in the kitchen Padrón peppers are traditionally blistered in olive oil and finished with coarse salt. Their variable heat is part of their character: many pods are mild, but ...
Shop all pepper seeds in Canada
- Origin
- Spain
- Season
- 2026
The small frying pepper for a simple plate of tapas.
Padrón in the kitchen
Padrón peppers are traditionally blistered in olive oil and finished with coarse salt. Their variable heat is part of their character: many pods are mild, but some can be hot.
Why grow it?
Choose Padrón for a fast skillet dish rather than a large stuffed pepper. Cooking a batch lets you enjoy the blistered skins and tender flesh with very little preparation.
Kitchen notes
- Dry washed peppers well before adding them to hot oil.
- Cook in a single layer, turning until blistered and tender.
- Finish with coarse salt and serve promptly.
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 Padrón
Are all Padrón peppers mild?
No. Heat varies between pods. A fixed promise such as “one in ten is hot” is not a guarantee for your harvest.
Should I remove the stems before frying?
They are commonly left on as a handle when serving; discard the stems when eating.
Can I use them beyond tapas?
Yes. Grill or roast them as a side dish, or use them in a pickle.
Growing conditions affect harvest timing, flavour and heat. Variety descriptions are guidance, not a guarantee for every plant.
Also explore: the best pepper varieties for Canadian gardens
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.
