I tried locating seeds of this elusive pepper and finding it, in 2024, in the USA was not possible. I had read praises about its flavor and productivity and searched far and wide for seeds. I took a chance importing seeds from Australia and they arrived in good shape. At last, after starting seeds under lights in February, the plants are setting many pods.
This small relative of Aji Amarillo is one of many Capsicum baccatum peppers with intense citrusy flavors. Unlike Aji Amarillo, Madre Vieja set pods and did not go pollen sterile when July roasted the garden with day temperatures well into the 90s F (32°C +).
The 2–3 1/2 inch ( 5–9 cm) peppers ripen from green to yellow, with a faint orange tint. They, like many C. baccatum, concentrate a fiery heat primarily in the septa, the “veins” and core. They would be classified as very hot, unless most of the septa and core are removed. The seeds are tiny for the species. Unlike a similar pepper, Lemon Drop, the bush is upright and much taller, making them easier to find and pick. Despite descriptions that it’s a compact plant, mine are over five feet ( 1.5 m) tall. I’m sure it could perform well in large containers.
The flavor has notes of lemon and grapefruit. It’s very fresh, bright and juicy. Unless one is tolerant of high heat, this is best experienced by carefully slicing sections between the septa, getting none of the pale tissue so as to avoid the heat. It’s crunchy and, so far, appears to hold a bright yellow color in vinegar. Time will tell if this persists. My intention is to make one or more hot sauces with it. I may try fermenting some to see how the flavor profile evolves.
Wearing thick nitrile gloves, seeds are being extracted for distribution in this country (USA). The plan is to list them in the Seed Savers Exchange and to mail seeds to interested people in this country. In other words, to introduce new pepper seeds here and get it established. I may even contact some seed vendors to see if commercial distribution is possible. There are no C. baccatum in the garden area, though there could possibly be a trans-species cross with Aji Limo (see separate post). Any hybrids would be obvious, but unlikely.
It’s named Madre Vieja, “Old Mother”, for the Madre Vieja river in Guatemala. The Americas are so rich in Capsicum varieties, it’s hard to even scratch the surface to explore them.
If I were younger, I’d try hybridizing this pepper with Aji Amarillo, which is heat sensitive (see separate post). Given the floral dimansions, it would likely be best to start with
Aji Amarillo pollen x Madre Vieja receptacle/ovary. This is because the pollen tube on Aji Amarillo is probably longer than Madre Vieja, which has a smaller flower. Importantly, this cross would likely maintain the grapefruity flavors in Aji Amarillo. Such a hybrid should be easily distinguished from the parents.
Seeds for Madre Vieja should be ready for distribution this October. I can be reached at my gmail address. Just add rob.botanique in front of the usual dot gmail dot com suffix. This email is associated with our nursery business, Botanique, which sells carnivorous plants. Please put Madre Vieja in the title, so I can sort emails.
