🌱 Origin & Story
King Arthur was developed by Seminis (now part of Bayer Crop Science) and introduced in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It was originally marketed under the name "Fat 'n Sassy" — a name that honestly described the pepper pretty well, even if it didn't survive the rebrand.
Seminis built King Arthur to be the definitive open-field bell pepper for home gardeners and market growers alike. They loaded it with disease resistance, bred for wall thickness and blocky uniformity, and made sure it could handle real-world growing conditions — not just greenhouse perfection. It became one of the most widely recommended bell peppers in North America, and it's held that position for decades.
There's a reason extension offices and Master Gardener programs keep recommending it. It just works.
🍴 Flavor & Fruit
Big, blocky, four-lobed bells — 4.5 x 4.5 inches, weighing 6–8 oz. Thick walls, smooth skin, and a satisfying crunch that you can hear across the kitchen. Fruit starts deep green and ripens to a glossy, saturated red.
Green-stage flavor is clean and classic — the crisp, slightly grassy bell pepper taste that defines the category. Let it ripen to full red and you get genuine sweetness with that rich, roasted-pepper depth underneath. The thick walls mean these hold up beautifully on a grill, in a stir-fry, or stuffed and baked without collapsing into mush.
This is the pepper that reminds you why bell peppers are a staple and not just a filler vegetable.
🍽️ In the Kitchen
Stuffed: King Arthur was practically designed for it. The blocky, uniform shape holds filling perfectly, and the thick walls stay firm through baking.
Grilled: Halve or quarter, brush with oil, grill until charred. The walls caramelize without falling apart.
Raw: Thick, crunchy strips for dipping, salads, or just eating straight off the cutting board. Red-ripe King Arthur is sweet enough to snack on like fruit.
Roasted: Broil whole until blackened, steam in a bowl to loosen skins, peel, and you've got the best roasted red peppers you've ever put on a sandwich.
