NuMex Big Jim
Open-pollinated pepper · Capsicum annuum · introduced 1975
- Breeding
- Open-pollinated
- Growth habit
- -
- Days to maturity
- 75-80 days
- Fruit
- red
- Weight
- -
- Bred by
- NMSU Chile Pepper Institute
Also known as
| Name | Kind | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hatch | Shared name (ambiguous) | Hatch is a valley in New Mexico, not a variety. Chile grown there is sold under the place name whatever cultivar it actually is. |
Commonly confused with
These are different varieties. A name shared between them does not make them the same seed.
- different variety
NuMex Heritage Big Jim
Heritage Big Jim is a 2011 re-selection made because commercial Big Jim seed had drifted; the two are not interchangeable.
Origin & history
Released by New Mexico State University in 1975 and once recognized by Guinness as the largest chile pepper, with pods reaching a foot. Bred for the roasting drum and the freezer, not the spice rack.
Measurements
| Measurement | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Days to maturity | 75-80 days | Consensus range across the cited independent references. |
| Pod length | 25-30 cm | |
| Scoville heat | 6,500 SHU | Cultivar mean measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and published in NMSU Circular 706. |
Traits
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistance, typical of heirlooms and older open-pollinated varieties. See pepper diseases for the cultural playbook that fills the gap.
Related varieties
- open-pollinated
Lumbre
75-90 days
- open-pollinated
NuMex Heritage Big Jim
75-90 days
- open-pollinated
NuMex Joe E. Parker
75-80 days
- open-pollinated
NuMex Sandia Select
75-95 days
- open-pollinated
Alcalde Improved
70-85 days
- open-pollinated
Anaheim
75-80 days
Explore all pepper varieties · compare any two · when to plant it where you are
Sources & References
Evidence: 2 sources, all independent references.
- Chile Pepper Institute research and variety releases · New Mexico State University, University or Government
- The Chile Cultivars of New Mexico State University, 1913-2022 (Circular 706) · New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute (2023-02), University or Government