Eros

Eros is a modern United States sweet mini bell pepper developed by Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Maine through the breeding work of Janika Eckert. It was created as the yellow-ripening companion to Johnny’s red mini bell cultivar Cupid, with the breeding project beginning after the older mini bell Jingle Bells was discontinued. Johnny’s own breeding history states that Eckert built new populations by crossing an older hybrid bell pepper, miniature red and yellow bell heirlooms, and a sweet regular-sized bell pepper, then selected uniform mini-bell lines over multiple generations before the team chose the yellow line that became Eros. The line was in successful seed production by 2014 and was introduced in 2015.

The plant is described as early, sturdy, leafy, and productive, usually reaching about 60.0 to 90.0 cm tall. Its large leaf canopy is repeatedly noted as a useful trait because it helps protect the fruit from sunscald. Eros was bred as a snack-sized sweet pepper rather than a large stuffing bell, and it became associated with home gardens, small farms, and fresh-market mini pepper mixes in the United States.

The fruit is small, slightly tapered, and bell-shaped to round-oblong, usually about 5.0 cm long and 4.5 cm wide, with 3 to 4 lobes, smooth glossy skin, and crisp juicy flesh. The mature colour is described by the breeder as golden yellow, while produce descriptions describe it as ripening from light green to golden yellow-orange. The flavour is consistently described as sweet and slightly fruity, and the pepper is used fresh for snacking, salads, and stuffing, as well as for roasting, grilling, baking, pickling, relishes, and chutneys. Its small size, bright ripe colour, and sweet flavour are the traits that define its identity.