This is the first year I’ve grown any Demon Red (Capsicum anuum) chillies. I wanted a small, compact variety that would grow well on a south facing windowsill and produce lots of edible pods. Anther key requirement was that plant had to look good in order to be ‘granted permission’ to live inside our kitchen. Demon Red turned out to be an excellent choice to be grown indoors….
The plant has been covered in tiny (1-2cm long), upright pods all summer long. It was one of the first varieties to produce pods and is still throwing out flowers and pods deep into October. Although they are small, the ripe pods pack a fair bit of heat and have a decent flavour too. One or two pods is more than enough to liven up a pasta dish. They make an idea chilli plant for a kitchen window as a hit of heat is always to hand.
With the pods being very small and thin skinned they are also ideally suited to drying. To do this I simply pick them and place them on a tray somewhere warm (like the airing cupboard) for a couple of weeks. They can be used whole or ground down into flakes or even a chilli powder. Check out our preserving chillies article for some more ideas about how to preserve your crop.