Peppers are easy to grow, but many cultivars take so long to mature that I get very few red fruits in my Zone 5 climate. This year I grew a few varieties of miniature bell peppers that turn red as early as mid-July.
I grew ‘Mini Belle’ and ‘Cherry Pick’ which both performed well, but my favorite was ‘Red Popper.’ The fruits are tiny—only 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter—but the plants churn out peppers from mid-July until frost.
The longer you leave them on the plant, the sweeter they get. I ate a few raw ones this weekend that tasted like apples.
The plants grow about 2 feet tall and are loaded with little red fruits all season long, so they can even add interest to a flower garden. The peppers are delicious and great for appetizers, eating raw or even adding to stir fries.