Red Cheese Sweet Pepper, Heirloom Seeds

Red Cheese, Sweet Pepper Seeds — The Heirloom Pimento Built for Roasting

Named for its distinctive squat, round shape — reminiscent of a wheel of aged cheese — Red Cheese is one of the most charming and flavorful heirloom peppers you can grow. These compact, deeply ribbed fruits ripen to a vivid, glossy red with exceptionally thick, sweet flesh that makes them the definitive roasting pepper. Peel back the blistered skin after a turn over an open flame and you’ll find flesh so tender and sweet it barely needs seasoning.

A favorite of Italian and Spanish home cooks for generations, Red Cheese is equally at home stuffed whole, preserved in olive oil, or sliced raw into antipasto. Its compact size makes it an excellent container variety, and its prolific nature ensures a generous harvest through the season.

Why Grow Red Cheese?

• Distinctive squat, round shape — a visual standout in the garden and on the table
• Exceptionally thick flesh — the definitive roasting and pimento pepper
• Rich, concentrated sweetness — flavor intensifies beautifully when roasted
• Compact size — excellent for containers and small-space gardens
• Open-pollinated heirloom — save seed year after year
• Non-GMO, USA-grown seeds

Growing Notes

Start indoors 8–10 weeks before last frost. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep in fertile, well-draining soil. Transplant outdoors after all frost danger has passed, spacing plants 18 inches apart in full sun. Water consistently. Allow fruits to ripen fully to red for peak sweetness and roasting quality.

Days to maturity: 75–80 days
Packet size: ~25+ seeds
Heat level: None (0 SHU)
Type: Heirloom, Open-Pollinated
Spacing: 18 inches or 1 per container
Origin: US
Sun: Full sun
USDA Zones: 3–12