Anaheim 'New Mexico Big Jim'
Capsicum annuum 'New Mexico Big Jim'
The king of green chiles and a cornerstone of Southwestern cuisine, producing enormous 8-12 inch peppers with thick walls perfect for roasting and stuffing. These mild to medium-heat peppers are essential for authentic New Mexican dishes like green chile stew and chiles rellenos. The large size and meaty texture make them incredibly versatile, while the distinctive earthy-sweet flavor defines the taste of the Southwest.
Harvest
75-85d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
4–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-3 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Anaheim 'New Mexico Big Jim' in USDA Zone 7
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Anaheim 'New Mexico Big Jim' · Zones 4–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
| Zone 1 | May – May | July – August | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | June – July | — | September – September |
| Zone 11 | January – January | January – February | — | April – June |
| Zone 12 | January – January | January – February | — | April – June |
| Zone 13 | January – January | January – February | — | April – June |
Succession Planting
Big Jim keeps producing from a single planting — it's not a cut-and-come-again crop that needs successive sowings the way lettuce or radishes do. Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before your last frost, transplant once nights stay reliably above 50°F, and the same plants will carry you from roughly day 75 through first frost. One planting per season handles it.
If you want both green and red-ripe fruits across a longer window, stagger two small plantings 3–4 weeks apart in late winter. The first planting hits the green stage around day 75; the second catches up just as the first flush winds down. Don't start new seeds much past early March in zone 7 — anything started later won't accumulate enough heat units to reach full red-ripe before the season closes out.
Complete Growing Guide
This cultivar thrives in long-season growing regions and needs at least 75-85 days of consistent warmth, so start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before your last frost for optimal fruit development. Unlike smaller pepper varieties, Big Jim demands full sun (minimum 8 hours daily) and well-draining soil rich in organic matter to support its vigorous growth and massive fruit production. The plants can stretch leggy in insufficient light, so provide sturdy support stakes early to prevent branch breakage under the weight of 8-12 inch peppers. While generally disease-resistant, this cultivar shows moderate susceptibility to spider mites and aphids in hot, dry conditions—monitor foliage carefully during peak summer heat and increase humidity through consistent irrigation rather than overhead watering. A practical key to maximizing yields: pinch off the first flowers that appear in early summer to redirect energy into vegetative growth, allowing the plant to establish a stronger framework before setting the large, resource-intensive peppers that define this variety's exceptional size and quality.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 8 in.. Spread: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: Low. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Harvest New Mexico Big Jim peppers when they reach their full 8-12 inch length and develop a glossy, deep green color with thick, firm walls that resist slight pressure without yielding. The skin should feel waxy and smooth, indicating peak maturity and optimal flavor development. These chiles can be harvested at the green stage for traditional roasting applications, or left on the plant to mature to red if dried peppers are desired. Practice continuous harvesting by picking mature peppers throughout the season to encourage ongoing fruit production rather than removing all peppers at once. For best results, harvest in early morning after dew dries but before intense heat, as this timing ensures maximum moisture retention and reduces plant stress during the picking process.
Fruits are a non-pulpy berry and vary considerably across cultivars. Some are long, thin, bright red, and spicy; others are thick, large, and sweet-tasting; others still are small and in ornamental shapes and colors, grown as decoration.
Color: Black, Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Red/Burgundy. Type: Berry. Length: 1-3 inches. Width: < 1 inch.
Garden value: Edible, Good Dried, Showy
Harvest time: Summer
Edibility: Fruits edible, but spiciness is unpredictable in intensity.
Storage & Preservation
Store fresh New Mexico Big Jim peppers at 45–50°F with 90–95% humidity in a perforated plastic bag within the refrigerator crisper drawer; whole peppers will keep for two to three weeks under these conditions. For longer preservation, freezing works exceptionally well—simply wash, dry completely, and freeze whole on a baking sheet before transferring to freezer bags for up to eight months. Roasting before freezing concentrates their characteristic smokiness and makes them easier to peel later. Drying is traditional for this variety; hang whole peppers in a warm, well-ventilated space or use a dehydrator set to 135°F until brittle, then store in airtight containers away from light. For canning, prepare roasted and peeled peppers in a vinegar-based brine following tested recipes to ensure safety. These peppers also freeze beautifully whole and unpeeled, making them ideal for later roasting or incorporating into stews and salsas straight from the freezer.
History & Origin
The New Mexico Big Jim represents a direct selection from the broader New Mexico chile pepper breeding program, developed primarily through New Mexico State University's chile breeding efforts beginning in the 1960s and 1970s. While the exact breeder attribution remains somewhat obscured in popular documentation, the variety emerged from deliberate attempts to standardize and enlarge traditional New Mexico chile peppers already cultivated throughout the region for generations. The "Big Jim" designation reflects its most distinctive characteristic—significantly larger fruit than earlier landrace selections—making it an important commercial advancement in Southwestern agriculture. This variety consolidates centuries of Indigenous and Hispanic chile cultivation traditions with mid-twentieth-century agricultural science.
Origin: Tropical North and South America
Advantages
- +Enormous 8-12 inch peppers with thick walls ideal for roasting and stuffing
- +Mild heat level (500-2,500 Scoville) makes it accessible to heat-sensitive palates
- +Distinctive earthy-sweet flavor with smokiness defines authentic Southwestern cuisine
- +Easy to grow with reasonable 75-85 day maturity for most climates
- +Meaty texture and large size provide excellent versatility in the kitchen
Considerations
- -Susceptible to multiple serious diseases including bacterial spot and verticillium wilt
- -Vulnerable to multiple pest pressures including pepper weevils and spider mites
- -Requires consistent moisture and well-draining soil to prevent phytophthora blight
- -Long growing season demands warm climates and extended frost-free period
Companion Plants
Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) earn a spot at the bed edges — their root secretions suppress soil nematodes, and the flowers pull in predatory wasps that work through aphid colonies faster than most sprays will. Basil fits well at 12–18 inches away; it shares Big Jim's heat and water requirements almost exactly, so you're not managing two different irrigation schedules. Onions and carrots sit at different soil depths than pepper roots, so there's no real competition — onions may also disrupt the scent cues aphids use to find host plants.
Fennel is the one to keep entirely out of the pepper bed. It releases allelopathic compounds that suppress root development in a wide range of vegetables, peppers included — you'll see the stunting before you figure out the cause. Black walnut produces juglone, a compound that's toxic to many Capsicum species, so give Big Jim at least 50 feet of clearance from any walnut trees on the property. Brassicas are a poor fit for a different reason: they prefer soil temps 20–30°F cooler than what Big Jim needs, and trying to run them together creates a scheduling problem that one of the two crops always loses.
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, spider mites, and thrips while potentially improving pepper flavor
Tomatoes
Share similar growing requirements and can help deter hornworms when planted together
Oregano
Deters pests like aphids and spider mites with its strong aromatic oils
Marigolds
Repel nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies while attracting beneficial insects
Carrots
Help break up soil for pepper roots and don't compete for space or nutrients
Onions
Deter aphids, thrips, and other pests with their sulfur compounds
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control pepper pests
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles while repelling squash bugs
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone which is toxic to peppers and causes stunting and yellowing
Fennel
Releases allelopathic compounds that inhibit pepper growth and development
Brassicas
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt pepper growth through root competition
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #169394)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good resistance to tobacco mosaic virus
Common Pests
Aphids, spider mites, pepper weevil, cutworms
Diseases
Bacterial spot, phytophthora blight, verticillium wilt
Troubleshooting Anaheim 'New Mexico Big Jim'
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Sunken, papery, brown or black patch on the bottom or side of the fruit — shows up after fruits are sizing up
Likely Causes
- Blossom end rot — localized calcium deficiency in the developing fruit
- Irregular watering or drought stress preventing calcium uptake
- High ammonium-nitrogen fertilizer levels interfering with calcium movement
What to Do
- 1.Water consistently — aim for 1 inch per week and don't let the soil dry out hard between waterings
- 2.Get a soil test before adding calcium amendments; if calcium is actually low, side-dress with gypite or gypsum at the labeled rate
- 3.Back off high-nitrogen synthetic fertilizers, especially ammonium-based ones, once plants are flowering
Dark, water-soaked spots on leaves and fruit — spots may have a yellow halo, and fruit develops raised, scabby lesions
Likely Causes
- Bacterial spot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria) — spreads fast in warm, wet weather
- Overhead irrigation or heavy rain splashing bacteria from soil or infected tissue onto leaves
What to Do
- 1.Switch to drip irrigation or soaker hoses to keep foliage dry
- 2.Apply copper-based bactericide at first sign of symptoms — repeat every 7–10 days during wet stretches
- 3.Pull and bag any heavily infected plants rather than composting them; rotate out of nightshades for at least 2 seasons per NC State Extension's rotation guidance
Plant wilts during the day even with adequate soil moisture, then collapses entirely — no obvious spots on leaves
Likely Causes
- Phytophthora blight (Phytophthora capsici) — a water mold that rots the crown and roots, especially in poorly drained beds
- Verticillium wilt — soil-borne fungus that colonizes vascular tissue and cuts off water movement
What to Do
- 1.Dig up one plant and check the crown and roots — Phytophthora shows dark, greasy rot at the soil line; Verticillium shows brown streaking in the stem when you cut it lengthwise
- 2.Don't replant peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, or potatoes in that bed for at least 3 years — NC State Extension's organic gardening guidance specifically calls out rotating nightshades to break soil-borne disease cycles
- 3.Improve drainage before next season — raised beds or ridged rows help considerably; Phytophthora capsici thrives in waterlogged soil and moves fast once established
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Anaheim Big Jim take to grow from seed?▼
Can you grow Big Jim peppers in containers?▼
What does Big Jim pepper taste like compared to regular Anaheim?▼
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Is Big Jim pepper good for beginners?▼
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Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.
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