11 New Veggie Varieties For 2019 That Will Blow Your Mind
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Usually, I recommend only growing food that you like to eat, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try some fun new things. This year, we’re adding in what could be one of the coolest plants we’ve ever grown. But I’ll get to that in just a minute because first I want to tell you about some amazing new vegetables you need to try this year.
the best new vegetables for 2019
Some of these new veggies are unique and interesting hybrids. You should not avoid growing hybrid veggies – there’s really nothing to be scared of there. If you do, in my opinion, you are really missing out on some cool stuff.
But if you’ve got your mind stuck on growing only open-pollinated or heirloom veggies, there’s some of those in this list, too.
New Jalapeno varieties
2019 is a great year to try some cool new jalapenos. Jalapenos are super easy to grow and very versatile in the kitchen.
Two varieties carried by Baker Creek this year were developed at the New Mexico State University. So you know they can tolerate intense heat of summer some of us gardeners have to deal with.
We’ve grown some of their varieties before, but this year they have come out with some really beautiful peppers. Newly distributed by Baker Creek the lemon spice jalapeno and the pumpkin spice jalapeno are sure to stand out in your garden.
Wait, did I just say pumpkin spice jalapeno?! Yep! But don’t totally freak out. This pumpkin spice is not the same as what you add to your latte. It’s actually just referring to the color of the fruit.
What got me really excited was their description of the flavor that is said to be very fruity and hot – a combination which I personally love!
The lemon spice jalapeno isn’t supposed to taste lemony, although I kinda wish it did. It’s a hot pepper and based on the description, it’s more of a stand out when used for the ornamental value of the bright colored fruit.
Another cool jalapeno that you might like is the Nadapeno. It’s got all the yummy goodness of jalapeno flavor, but no heat. You can find the Nadapeno at Baker Creek.
Try a fun new type of Lettuce
Who would have thought that there could be anything cool about new lettuce varieties? But trust me, lettuce has a lot to offer in terms of variety.
First off, we have a new bright purple and pink lettuce variety from Burpee called Burgundy Delight. This lettuce has stunning color, and it would be great to add to salads or even for edible landscaping projects.
The second new lettuce I’m excited about is actually a combination of celery and lettuce called celtuce. Celtuce is cool because you harvest leaves off the stalk and you can eat the thick stalk when it’s done growing.
Celtuce is new to me and most Americans, but it’s been grown in China since the 1800s. Learn more about this interesting veggie. Baker Creek has 3 varieties of celtuce available.
Grow the super healthy Bitter Melon
Bitter melon is actually a type of squash that is prized for its exquisitely bitter flavor and surprising health benefits. If you like the flavor, it’s supposed to be great in curries and for pickling.
What is really mind-blowing about this veggie is its health benefits. The fruit actually helps reduce sugar and fat levels in the blood (source). But before you take a big bite of this unique veggie, prepare yourself for the most mouth puckering bitterness you’ve ever tasted!
Baker Creek offers several varieties of bitter melon for you to try. I’ll be growing the newest variety for 2019 pure white bitter melon. Mainly because I think it will be beautiful, but you betcha I’m going to have to take a taste of this amazing fruit.
New varieties of Sweet melons to try
In the category of sweet melons, we’ve always had a ton of variety especially from sources like Baker Creek. They’ve offered some unique melons for several years, and if you haven’t browsed through their selection before you’re sure to find something new and interesting.
I highly recommend the Sakata’s sweet melon, but those are not new for 2019. However, at Burpee, there are some cool varieties I found that are making their debut this year.
In terms of being something truly new, Burpee is winning with their new melon hybrids. The most unique is probably their new mango hybrid. It is said to have the scent, color, and sweetness of the mango fruit.
It would truly be mind blowing if this were a melon crossed with a mango but no such luck. The mango in the name is only referring to the scent and flavor of the fruit.
They also have something called a Whatamelon. The Whatamelon is a Turkish hybrid that has a unique bright yellow skin with green speckles. The sweet flesh looks like a honeydew but tastes like watermelon. That sounds fun!
Burpee is also releasing 2 bright yellow watermelon varieties that have truly stunning color! The yellow rind on these melons is definitely something to talk about.
I like the contrast with the red meat and yellow rind, but that bright yellow meat looks pretty cool, too.
Amaze your friends with super Long beans
Long beans aren’t really new for 2019, but if you haven’t grown them before, I highly recommend it. They’re good for eating, of course, but they’re also really fun to grow.
Kids love them because they get so crazy long, and they grow fast up a trellis so they’ll make a big statement. Here again, Baker Creek has lots of options for both green and purple long beans. But you can also find long beans at other seed retailers.
What is truly new for 2019 are these crazy python snake beans from Baker Creek. These ‘beans’ are actually gourds, but I put them in with the long beans because their description says their flavor is like green beans but more delicious.
That intrigued me plus the long curly gourds are crazy cool looking! I can’t wait to see how these do in our garden. They could be the coolest looking veggie I’ve ever grown!
So those are my 11 new veggies to try in 2019.
What’s new on your grow list? Let me know in the comments below.
