How to grow and cook Padron Peppers
May is the time to plant your Padron peppers. Find them at good garden nursery near you. I found my Padrons at the Half Moon Bay Nursery.
Padron peppers originated from the Galicia area of Spain. Padrons are mostly mild, with one in ten spicy hot.
You can buy Padrons in the San Francisco Bay Area in selected gourmet stores and at many Farmer Markets. If you can’t find Padrons, a similar tasting pepper is the Japanese Shishito pepper.
It is almost mandatory that while you are eating Padrons, you must sip a glass of Spanish Albariño wine. It is how we discovered Padrons. We were at an outdoor Tapas bar in Santiago de Campostella. We saw folks at other tables with bowls of green peppers. We asked our server about them, and within a few minutes, we had ourselves a bowl of Padrons, along with our glasses of Albariño wine.
If you love the taste of Padrons, you should plan on growing a couple of plants. Padrons in farmer’s markets are expensive, so growing your own is a better option. The best time to plant them is around May 1. Find a sunny spot in your garden that gets six hours of sun each day. They are easy to grow and cultivate. July and August are the most prolific time for Padrons. I have two plants and, each day this month, I’ve harvested five to ten peppers and immediately sautéd them. What a treat!
Tip: Golden Nursery in San Mateo, CA has Pardon peppers in 4 inch cell pack. Plant them now in a sunny spot.
You can find Padron seedlings at good garden nurseries in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can also grow them from seeds. Here is one source for Padron seeds. Renees Garden
How to cook and eat Padron Peppers
In a sauté pan, heat some good olive oil at medium. The amount of oil depends on how many peppers you have. See the video below. Once the oil is hot, put the peppers in the pan. Use tongs or a fork to move and turn the peppers. When the peppers have sufficient blisters, take them off the pan and put them into a dish. Sprinkle your favorite salt over the peppers. Enjoy with a glass of Spanish Albariño wine.
Watch us grow and cook Padron Peppers
Albariño Wines
Other Spanish Dishes
- Spanish Lentil Soup
- Spanish Tomato Bread
- Stuffed Piquillo Peppers
- Paella – Recipe from the Spanish Table
