Biquinho peppers – also known as Sweety Drop Peppers – are thumbnail-sized sweet peppers with a touch of heat. Learn how to grow biquinho peppers in your backyard or container garden. They’re beautiful plants with attractive, glossy green leaves and look like a well-lit Christmas tree when fruited.
I first encountered Biquinho peppers in a salad bar at a grocery store. They were lightly pickled, crunchy, and thoroughly delightful in my green salad. The bin wasn’t labeled, however, so I spent some time Googling small peppers … without success … to try to figure out what they were. Who knew there were so many small chile peppers in the world!
It wasn’t until several years later that I stumbled on them at the local farmers’ market. I picked the farmer’s brain about what they were and learned that he gets his seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. I ordered packets of each, and they immediately went on my list for the following year’s garden.
Note that Johnny’s doesn’t seem to be selling them this year, but I found them on the equally reputable Baker Creek website, both red and yellow. They classify them as a hot pepper, but I’ve never had one that approaches the heat of even a jalapeno (and the reviews on the site agree).
What are Biquinho Peppers?
Biquinho peppers (Capsicum chinense) – pronounced bee-KEEN-yo – are a Brazilian cultivar, featuring small, 1-inch, tear drop shaped pods with a distinctive tapered point protruding from a rounded end.
They’re also called Sweety Drop peppers, Little Beak peppers (the literal translation of biquinho), and Chupetinho.
The plants are both decorative and culinarily productive. They are very slow to take off, but do grow quite happily in containers, maintaining a compact habit. They also thrive in the ground where they bush out, up to three feet tall.
The plant’s foliage is very attractive, dark and glossy, and fills in to create a striking plant.
Fruits grow prolifically from tender flowering stems distributed throughout the plant. They ripen from pale green to yellow or red as they plump up.
The plants, like many peppers, are fairly late fruiting, but once they get going, they produce freely until cold weather moves in.
What Do Biquinho Peppers Taste Like? Are They Hot?
These Little Beak peppers are a delightful treat for sweet pepper lovers, as you can pop off the stem and eat them whole, seeds and all. They have a fruity flavor with a touch of smokiness on the back end. They remind me a bit of habaneros, only without the heat!
Strangely, Sweety Drop Peppers are often classified as a hot chile. But in my experience, they most definitely are not. At most, there’s a small buzz of spice when you bite into one. On the whole, though, they’re more comparable to bell peppers than, say, jalapeños. Along with Black Cherry Tomatoes, they’re my favorite snack in the garden: just pluck one off and crunch away.
Where these peppers really shine, though, is when they’re pickled in a sweet, vinegary brine. Oh my goodness. From there, they’re the perfect additions to cheese and charcuterie boards, as hors d’oeuvre and crudite – basically all manner of party trays – and also in green salads.
Try this refrigerator-pickle (read: super easy) Pickled Sweety Drops recipe on my food blog – they’re so tasty, you just want to eat them right out of the jar. I love that the harvest is so abundant, because that means pickled Biquinho peppers all winter long.
I also love to pan fry fresh peppers with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers and green onions, for a healthy Mediterranean/Blue Zones-inspired meal.
Buying Pre-Established Sweety Drop Pepper Plants
Biquinho Pepper plants (vs. seeds) are currently not widely available in U.S. garden centers, but if you’re lucky, you can find plants from smaller nurseries that are willing to ship.
Pepper plants, in general, are fairly hardy and robust, and can tolerate spring’s chilly temps for a short period of time. To be on the safe side, plant your peppers outside after your area’s last frost date. Hold them indoors until then near a sunny window.
Early in my gardening career, I regularly thumbed my nose at my last frost date, and got a head-start on getting everything in the ground around mid-March. But now, it’s not uncommon at all to have significant snowfalls and sub-freezing temps through April (as we did here at the end of April, as I’m preparing to publish this post). Temps in the 40s for a few nights is one thing; accumulating snow fall is another!
Starting Biquinho Peppers from Seed
In 2020, I started my peppers on April 4th (below), and here in 2021, I’m running slightly later. No worries. As I’ve mentioned above, these peppers are slow-growing, so getting a late start is not going to impact the fall’s harvest one way or another.
I have a seed-starting set-up in my home that serves all of my various plants’ needs:
- I have two table-top grow lights with vertically adjustable light fixtures to accommodate growing sprouts.
- I have heat mats that fit the grow lights above.
- I have seed-starting soil mix. I’m not married to any particular brand or mixture: frankly, I’ve used them all, and they work just fine. The seeds’ environment has a bigger impact on germination than the specific soil mixture. If you’re new to seed starting, don’t stress over it. Long-time gardeners like myself can get wrapped up in our favorite brands and inadvertently put pressure on new gardeners to duplicate our set up or be doomed. It’ll all be fine.
- And I have a hodge-podge of containers for the actual seeds. Most often, I sow the seeds in either 4″ fiber pots (shown above) or these netted fiber coir pellets.
- Most importantly, though, I have several sizes of clear, domed trays, in which my newly sown seeds sit until they’re well sprouted. A domed environment keeps the soil moist so that you’re not watering your seeds twice a day. (The square tray shown above has a matching dome.)
If you already have your preferred set up for seed starting, the good news is that Biquinho peppers will not require anything special.
- Fill a pot with dampened starter mix.
- Push one seed into the center of the soil in one pot, about 1/4″ deep. Repeat for remaining seeds.
- Water each pot well, but gently, so that the seed doesn’t float out of position. Firm the seed back into place if it does.
- Place in a domed container on the heat mat. Check at least daily to ensure the soil doesn’t dry out.
- When the seeds sprout, move under the grow lights. You can keep them under the dome for as long as they fit, to control moisture.
- Keep them under the lights until they’re ready to harden off. I keep my grow lights on a 16-hours-on/8-hours-off cycle for all of my seedlings.
Planting time
Biquinho Peppers are ready to be moved to their permanent home when they’re no longer fragile. As a rough guideline, that’s around 4″ tall, with a strong central stem.
Because these pepper plants are slow-growing, they’ll need to be self-sufficient for a long stretch when put outside, especially if going in the ground where furry woodland creatures will be regularly cavorting. Small seedlings would be trampled in no time.
Take a few days to harden off the plants outside: leave them outside in a sunny spot for several hours a day, or in an open window.
If growing in containers, choose a container that’s at least 14″ wide. This will provide not only sufficient nutrition from an abundance of soil, but also stability from falling over as the plant stretches upward. Depending on the plant’s growth habit, it will likely benefit from staking/supporting its main stem later in the season, so keep that in mind as you choose a pot.
If planting in the ground, space plants 24″ apart in a sunny spot, and dig the hole large enough to accommodate the current root ball, with extra space to add fresh soil with a little bit of compost. Firm the ground around the plant and water well.
It’s not a bad idea to place a support cage around the plant at this time. If the cage has wide-open spaces between the wires, consider supplementing the sides with chicken wire, to keep critters off the plants. The chicken wire can be removed once the plants reach a foot tall or so.
How to Care for Biquinho Peppers
Pepper plants in general are wonderfully low-care vegetables, and biquinho peppers are no exception.
Peppers should not be allowed to go bone-dry, but they also don’t like to have perpetually wet feet. So, water regularly, but don’t drown the plants.
Keep an extra eye on potted plants, as they dry out faster than if planted in the ground.
Fertilizer with a regular commercial fertilizer or fish emulsion every two to three weeks through the growing season. If the leaves start to mysteriously yellow, add about a tablespoon of Epsom salts to the soil: sprinkle around the base of the plant, and gently work the crystals into the top layer. Then water well.
Epsom salts are a good source of magnesium, which peppers love.
The plants will produce ripe peppers about 5 months from seeding with an increasingly abundant harvest as the season moves into fall.
I hope you’ll enjoy these fun peppers – they’re beautiful to grow and a delightful culinary addition for peppers lovers!
I hope you found this post helpful, and that it inspires you to grow your own edibles at home, expand your garden repertoire, or try a new technique. If you have any questions or comments, please share them below so that everyone can benefit from your thoughts, advice, and curiosities. Use the buttons above to share this information on your favorite social platform.
Welcome! I'm Karen, Chief Gardener, Tool Cleaner, Tomato Pruner, and Cabbage Worm Picker-Offer.
Thank you so much for this article. I have not been able to find much information about growing these little gems. Your article was a life saver. I recently was introduced to sweety drops in a salad while on a trip in California. I have started my little seeds and hope I have luck. Thanks again.
I too found these peppers on a salad bar in Temecula, CA. No one in the Deli knew anything about them. After much Googling, I found Biquinho peppers. The ones I had were pickled and oh so yummy!
I’m going to order for next year from Johnny’s.
http://www.superhotchiles.com sells live Biquinho plants in red and yellow varieties. I’ve ordered several varieties in addition to the Biquinhos and they arrive very healthy. The downside is minimum order is 6 plants plus shipping which can be about $50. Not bad for a pepper head but for others a bit steep.
This will be my first year with these little peppers. My brother got them in an at home meal kit and fell in love. Do you know if I can dry my own seeds for next year or do I need to order them every year. I planted David’s Heirloom seeds. Thank you for this article it was a big help.
You should be to save them without a problem. So glad my article was helpful. I love these peppers!
KAREN,
THANK YOU FOR THE OST ON THESE WONDERFUL LIL PEPPERS. Could I Reference this page on my Instagram?
Of course, and thank you!
Hi Karen, thanks for the info. I have several plants with lots of white peppers. They are supposed to be red. I put seedlings in the ground just after Mother’s Day and wonder when they will ever turn red? I do have seeds for red yellow and white I believe. Could have been mismarked but hoping for red. Anything I can do to speed up the process? I did eat one and it was fine but looking forward to red. Also, I’d like to pickle them. Could you give me the link to your blog please where I can find that recipe.
Thanks so much!
Hi Leesa,
About the white peppers … hmm, that’s a good question. I grow both yellow and red, and have never seen a stage where the fruit is white. In both cases, the peppers go from pale green directly to yellow or red. So, I do have to suspect a mislabeling of the seeds and that you did, indeed, end up with white peppers. They’re a fairly new variety and should be pretty flavorful!
As for pickling, here’s my recipe: Pickled Sweety Drops . I hope you enjoy your peppers!
All the best!
Karen
Hi, glad to find your article as there isn’t alot of info about growing these peppers. I have a question for you – my plants look great have lots of flowers but no peppers. I had them in a greenhouse & moved them outside thinking they weren’t getting pollinated but once again lots of flowers but no fruit. They are the red variety. Any help would be appreciated. I will mention we had a long cold spring & then a hot dry summer but they have been watered regularly. I live on Vancouver island in BC Canada. Many thanks
Hi Brenda,
I’m in the same boat – cold spring right into a super hot summer (although I’ve had a ton of rain). I’ve already had one harvest, but the plant is gearing up again and it’s kind of stalled in this awful heat. Peppers actually do love the heat, so it’s a matter of hanging tight and making sure that nutrient support is there. Simple epsom salts do wonders – the kind that you can buy at the drug store or grocery store. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the crystals around the base of each plant and water it in. If your soil has seen a lot of growing seasons, maybe apply some liquid fertilizer first, then the epsom salts.
thank you for your reply
I finally had 5 plants grow from seed this year and produce peppers but few made it to the red stage before frost. I harvested all of the yellow and orange peppers -not fully “ripe”. Is there any way to ripen indoors now?
I am also trying to overwinter the plants in my garage for next year- wish me luck. I’m in Colorado! Thanks for the information and your pickling recipe!
That’s the bummer of this awesome pepper — it’s very slow-growing, in terms of production. Its native environment is more tropical and naturally has a longer growing season. I have loads of light green peppers right now … but the growing season seems to be ending earlier than usual, as we’re already having sub-freezing temps and snow here in the Midwest. The peppers should be edible at all stages — it’s just a question of how tasty they are. As for indoor ripening, I can’t think of a sure-fire way to accomplish that before they begin to rot. I would taste some and see what you think. Depending on your intent, they might be just fine!
I grew these last year because of this post, and just wanted to stop back to say how awesome the harvest was. We pickled some with your recipe, and enjoyed them into the holidays. I’m starting the seeds earlier this year to see if I can push the harvest up a little bit. Can’t wait!
That’s wonderful! It’s been so warm here this last month or so that I’m really getting antsy to get all my seeds going. 😀
We have been trying to start these from seeds this spring and they pop up and either turn yellow and die or something in my seedling greenhouse is eating them. My jalapeno, serranos, bells and shishitos are all growing great but the biquinhos are going nowhere. This season our spring in Southern California has been, well, lackluster. Do these guys need more warmth?
One thing I’ve definitely noticed with these guys is that they spend a very long time in the seedling/juvenile plant stage. Over the last several years, I’ve experimented with different environments – including just planting them in the ground – to see if it makes a difference. It didn’t (or actually, some were worse than others, not better). They seem to need a lot of nutritional support in those early weeks in a way that other seedlings don’t: light, water, very light fertilizing. I’m in a northern state but it gets freaky 90s-hot here in May, so they get enough heat here, I think. It’s not exactly normal to feed juvenile plants, but I think I would try a diluted solution of fertilizer once they get a small canopy of leaves. Good luck – they’re a bit of a puzzle, given how prolific they become once they take off.
I planted a “jalapeño” seedling… it now has two very different chimes on it, what look to be either banana chimes or yellow Hungarian on the bottom and what I think must be biquinho on the top. I’ve been trying to research before we try them.
Very strange little plant in my garden!
So interesting! I hope you’ll report back with the results!
One year, Burpee accidentally sent out some of their hybrid testing plants, and I got one. Weirdest tomatoes I ever had 😀
Thank you for such a comprehensive guide. I recently had these at a restaurant and using your advice I’m excited to try growing my first plant from a seed.
I just found the yellow and the red at Jungle Jim’s deli bar in Clermont County, OH. I bought a pack of yellow to try. I’m considering making a cream-cheese ball with pepperoni and the peppers. I had no idea what they were, so did a search and found your wonderful post. Thank you.
That sounds delicious! You can always count on Jungle Jim’s to have the unusual thing (red AND yellow). I hope we have great gardening weather this year [crosses fingers].
Karen thank you for this article – it’s pretty hard to find any info on them. Do you know if they would do well in Florida zone 9b?
They would do great in Florida! Just make sure the soil you plant them in is more loamy than sandy.
Thank you!!!
Excellent article plus Karen’s replies to questions are a mine of info as well!