Tabasco Seeds

Fermented Sauce Hero

Tabasco seeds offer an excellent way to grow one of the most iconic chillies in the world. Best known for its role in the Louisiana-style hot sauce that bears its name, the Tabasco plant has a personality of its own: upright, productive and full of small, juicy pods with a bright, tangy heat.

Germination is straightforward, and seedlings grow with the typical frutescens rhythm — slim, upright stems that soon branch into a tidy, compact structure.

With warmth and good light, the plants can reach around a metre in height and produce an impressive number of small, slender pods over a long season. Outdoors they appreciate a sheltered spot, though they are at their most reliable in a greenhouse or polytunnel in the UK.

The pods ripen through a sequence of colours, moving from pale yellow to orange and finally a rich, glossy red. They have a distinctive flavour: sharp, lively and slightly smoky, with a heat level generally between 30,000 and 50,000 SHU. Unlike many other hot varieties, Tabasco pods are notably juicy, which makes them ideal for fermenting, saucing and bottling.

As a seed-grown plant, Tabasco is uncomplicated, prolific and rewarding. If you enjoy making your own hot sauce or simply want a plant that produces generously from early summer to autumn, it’s an excellent addition to the garden.

For a quicker start, I also grow Tabasco plug plants, ready to pot on.