There is a variety of peppers that was cultivated and established in a small nursery in Clemmons, NC. They are called Door Knob Peppers because they are about the same size and shape as an actual door knob. They are mild peppers, sometimes red and sometimes green as they ripen, and were a staple in many Brewer kitchens as the Brewer Family had its beginnings in Clemmons.
My Aunt Lena grew her own Door Knob Peppers from plants and seeds she bought at the nursery. Her specialty was to stuff the little peppers with shredded cabbage, packed in brine and canned. They were a staple on the Sunday dinner table of most Brewer families.
About 15 years ago, we were in Clemmons in early April and stopped by the nursery to try to buy some Door Knob Pepper plants as Nancy wanted to try to duplicate Aunt Lena’s recipe. The plants weren’t ready for sale, but the lady offered a few small seeds. Nancy planted them and coaxed a few into ripe peppers and since then, she has been saving seeds and growing and canning Door Knob Peppers.
I am not a huge green pepper fan because they tend to overpower and any dish that has them, but the sweet little Door Knobs are very mild and are delicious either pickled or fresh.
Peppers can be one of the most difficult plants to grow from seed, or so say my friends at Corner Store Nursery. For years, Nancy has planted her peppers from seeds sewn indoors with mixed results. This spring, she said to heck with that, and just planted the tiny seeds in an outdoor garden bed, and they did famously. They grew so well, in fact, there were too many. But like myself, Nancy hates to thin young plants. It’s like Sophie’s Choice – which ones should live and which should die. So, she let them all grow. To make a long story short, she just put up about 6 pints of Aunt Lena’s Stuffed Peppers and has saved many seeds for next year. We have friends who treasure a gift of a pint of Doorknob Peppers and we also enjoy them on special occasions – always remembering Aunt Lena and the Brewer Family of Clemmons.
