Bulgarian Carrot Pepper

Bulgarian Carrot Pepper – Seedling

• Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum ‘Bulgarian Carrot’
• Alternative Name: Shipka Pepper
• Variety Type: Heirloom, open-pollinated
• Pepper Type: Medium-hot chili pepper
• Heat Level: Approximately 12,000–30,000 SHU
• Fruit Color: Green, progressing through yellow to bright orange
• Fruit Length: Approximately 7–10 cm
• Fruit Shape: Slender, tapered and carrot-shaped
• Fruit Texture: Thick-walled, crisp and crunchy
• Flavor: Fruity and slightly sweet, followed by noticeable heat
• Maturity: Approximately 65–75 days after transplanting
• Growth Habit: Compact, upright and productive
• Mature Height: Approximately 45–60 cm
• Bulgarian Carrot is a distinctive heirloom chilli pepper producing bright-orange fruits that closely resemble small carrots.
• The compact, upright plants carry generous crops of slender peppers that ripen from green through yellow to a vivid orange. The thick, crunchy flesh begins with a sweet, fruity flavor before developing a strong, lingering heat.
• Its colorful fruits and manageable plant size make Bulgarian Carrot an excellent choice for containers, raised beds and productive kitchen gardens. The peppers are especially suitable for fresh salsa, pickling, hot sauces, roasting, stir-fries and drying into chili flakes or powder.
  Heat Comparison

Bulgarian Carrot is usually:

• Hotter than an average jalapeño
• Comparable to a mild-to-medium serrano
• Considerably milder than a cayenne or habanero
• The perceived heat varies between individual fruits and is influenced by temperature, irrigation stress, maturity and plant genetics.

Growing in Kuwait

• Recommended transplanting period: October to February, with October–December preferred for the longest productive season.
• Sunlight: Provide 6–8 hours of direct sunlight during the cooler months.
• Spacing: Allow approximately 35–45 cm between plants.
• Container growing: Use a pot of at least 15–20 liters per plant; 25 liters is preferable for extended production.
• Soil: Plant in fertile, well-drained soil enriched with mature compost.
• Watering: Maintain consistent moisture without waterlogging. Severe drought stress may increase heat and reduce fruit quality.
• Feeding: Use balanced nutrition during establishment, followed by a tomato-and-vegetable fertilizer after flowering begins.
• Support: The plant is naturally compact and upright, but light staking may help when branches carry many fruits.
• Harvesting: Peppers may be harvested green, but their characteristic fruity flavor and bright colour develop when fully orange.
• Heat protection: Provide afternoon shade as Kuwait’s temperatures rise to limit blossom drop and sunscald.