Cayenne

Cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a slender, fiery-hot chili pepper, usually dried and ground into the bright red powder familiar from spice racks everywhere. Grown as a warm-season annual, cayenne plants are prolific producers once established, often setting dozens of peppers per plant.

Growing Cayenne

Like other peppers, cayenne needs warm soil and a long growing season, so it's usually started indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost and transplanted out once nights stay reliably warm. Consistent moisture and full sun produce the best yields, and pepper plants tend to set more fruit if given a bit of a cage or stake for support once loaded with peppers.

Culinary Uses

Dried and ground cayenne brings straightforward, assertive heat to chili, hot sauces, and spice blends, without much of the fruity or smoky complexity found in some other chili varieties. It's a common component of blended chili powders and a quick way to add heat to nearly any savory dish.