Variety
Cayenne
The classic long red chilli — versatile, prolific, and essential for dried chilli flakes
Cayenne is one of the most productive and versatile chilli varieties for UK kitchen gardens — long, thin-walled red fruit that can be used fresh, dried, or ground into the ubiquitous cayenne pepper powder. Plants are vigorous and highly productive under glass, producing dozens of fruit over a long season. The heat level is genuinely useful in cooking — hot enough to add serious warmth but not so intense as to be unusable.
Flavour
Bright, direct heat (30,000–50,000 Scoville) with a clean, sharp spiciness and relatively simple flavour compared to more complex varieties. The thin walls mean the flavour is mostly about heat rather than fruit character. Excellent as a background heat component in rubs, marinades, and sauces. When fresh and green, there's a grassy sharpness; fully ripe red fruit is hotter and slightly sweeter.
In the kitchen
Outstanding dried and ground for cayenne pepper or chilli flakes — slice the ripe red fruit into rings and dry in an oven on the lowest setting or in a food dehydrator. Fresh cayenne adds heat to marinades and sauces. Excellent pickled in brine or vinegar. The thin flesh means they can be dried by simply hanging bunches in a warm, dry place.
Growing
Sow under glass in January–February at 21–24°C. One of the more productive varieties in UK greenhouse conditions. Plants are vigorous and prolific. Harvest from green but allow most fruit to ripen to full red for drying. Good resistance to pests and disease. Excellent for container growing in a warm conservatory or polytunnel.