Charlie's Bell

Thin-skinned, long, tapered bell pepper with valleys and non-distinct lobes. Matures from light green to red. 3.5-4.5 inches long, 2-3 inches wide. Fair flavor. Medium-low sweetness. Crunchy texture. Fairly thin walls. Brix 7.6. Plants up to 2.5 feet tall. Moderately productive. Mid-season. Slight variability in fruit shape and color. Capsicum annuum. Charles DeCarlo of Truro, Iowa began growing this pepper in 1971 when he received seeds from his great-uncle, Rocco DeCarlo. The variety is named for Charles's grandfather, Charles ("Charlie") DeCarlo (1888-1970), who lived in Des Moines, IA. Grandpa Charlie emigrated from Abruzo, Italy in the early 1900s. It's not known whether the peppers came from Italy too, but they are featured in several family recipes such Sardas (savory rolls), stuffed peppers, and fried peppers in salt and corn oil. Charles cherishes these seeds. He grows over 100 plants each year and stores seeds in several different places. He shared this variety with SSE in 2017. SSE Accession # 133280