Everything To Know About Jalapeño Peppers

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The jalapeño pepper is one of the world’s most well known spicy chili peppers. They are grown in huge numbers in Mexico and the United States and are used in a wide variety of cuisines across the globe.

They are also one of my personal favorite peppers to grow at home. The plants are easy to maintain, and very productive in the garden.

If you’re curious about the jalapeño pepper, or just want to know how to use it in your cooking, you’re in the right place. In this article, I will share everything about jalapeños, from their flavor and heat level, to how to grow them at home, to how to safely store them.

Skip ahead:

• Origin & history
• Characteristics
• Jalapeno Peppers Scoville Rating
• Other Varieties of Jalapeno
• Growing Jalapenos
• How To Use & Store Jalapenos

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Where Are Jalapeños From?

Usage of ancestors of the jalapeño dates back thousands of years in South America. They were most notably cultivated and smoked for long-term storage, and thus the chipotle pepper was born.

Modern jalapeños have origins in Mexico, with the name literally meaning “from Jalapa” (or Xalapa), a large city in Mexico. This is where the pepper was originally bred and cultivated.

Mexico is still the most prolific country for producing jalapeño peppers, with an estimated 70,000 acres (approx. 109 square miles) dedicated to growing them. They are also produced in large numbers in the United States, primarily in Texas and New Mexico, which both border with Mexico.

The climate is ideal, as this region is where the pepper was originally bred and cultivated to become what it is today. Jalapeños are more tolerant of an arid climate, while many other pepper varieties prefer higher humidity.

In order to taste the most original type of jalapeño pepper, you should look for seeds deemed “heirloom.” These are varieties of the jalapeño that have not been crossbred or hybridized. They will give the most authentic and original flavor of the generations-old pepper.

However, if you want to grow disease-resistant jalapeños, hybrids can give you much better yields. In our experience, our favorite variety was the goliath jalapeño.

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Characteristics of the Jalapeño Pepper

The jalapeño pepper is known as the “fat chili” pepper (or chile gordo), due to its rotund shape. When compared to other spicy chili peppers, like the serrano pepper, it is much thicker. This means that the pepper has a great crunch and thickness for chunky salsa and spicy guacamole.

Appearance Of Jalapeños

Unlike many of the super-hot peppers, like the Carolina reaper or the ghost pepper, the jalapeño is a very consistent looking pepper. Plants tend to produce very similar-looking peppers, across the board.

Depending on soil nutrition and especially variety, peppers can vary in length, width, and spiciness. In ideal conditions, the peppers will reach between 3-5 inches in length, and about 1 inch in diameter.

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How Hot Is a Jalapeño Pepper?

Jalapeño peppers rank between 2,500 and 8,000 SHUs on the Scoville scale. This gives them the perfect heat level for most casual home cooks. The heat is not overwhelming and can easily be reduced further by removing the seeds and inner pith.

Jalapeños are commonly used in salsa, taco fillings, guacamole, and lots of other spicy dishes. But compared to some other hot peppers, jalapeños are pretty tame.

Depending on growing conditions, jalapeño pepper heat can range from almost unnoticeable to very spicy. It is well below the heat of a habanero but is above a poblano or ancho.

Tip: Try testing your jalapeño pepper’s heat by slicing off the very tip of the pepper and quickly dabbing it on your tongue. This is the least spicy part of the pepper and will have just a bit of heat if the pepper is a spicy one. The white inner placenta holds most of the heat.

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Other Types of Jalapeño Peppers

Over the years, plant breeders have crossed many other pepper varieties with the jalapeño to create many spectacular types of jalapeños. This process has produced some of the hottest, and most bizarre pepper varieties that exist.

Here are a few hybrid varieties of jalapeño peppers that exhibit different characteristics than the original.

Lemon Spice Jalapeño

This yellow variety of jalapeño was produced by New Mexico State University and has a vibrant color. They have excellent flavor, but the fruits are much smaller than your average jalapeño.

The Nadapeno Pepper

This variety of jalapeño has the same great taste of a true jalapeño but has none of the heat. It is a sweet, green pepper for those who can’t take the heat!

Orange Spice Jalapeño

Another vibrantly colored hybrid, the orange spice jalapeno will stand out in your garden. With great heat and high productivity, this is a great pepper to spice things up. These would also produce a beautiful color for homemade hot sauce!

Farmer’s Jalapeño

One of the more strange varieties, the farmer’s jalapeño pepper has lots of “corking” or striation marks. Some refer to this pepper as the potato pepper due to its appearance. However, the white marks do not change the delicious flavor. Also, these peppers grow to be very large for a jalapeño.

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Growing Jalapeño Peppers

It is satisfying to grow and eat your own produce at home. Growing jalapeños is extremely satisfying because you often end up harvesting dozens of peppers from each plant! Here is the basic overview of how to grow your own jalapeño peppers at home:

Where to Buy Jalapeño Seeds Online

There are a number of great resources for jalapeño seeds, but if you are looking for a traditional pepper, simply use Amazon. Seeds are very affordable, and one packet should keep for 3 years or more when stored in a cool, dark place.

If you want to grow more unique jalapeño peppers, try either rareseeds.com or Johnny’s Seeds. Both have a great variety of seeds and offer affordable pricing. You can also order in bulk if you want to grow lots of peppers!

When to Plant Jalapeño Seeds Indoors

Depending on your climate, you may need to start your plants indoors. In areas with a freezing winter, plant jalapeño seeds indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost date. Plants are then hardened off and moved outdoors around May 1st, or whenever the risk of frost is gone.

How Long Until Jalapeño Plants Produce Peppers

Most jalapeno varieties are harvested mid to late season. This means that generally speaking, jalapeños are ready to pick about 70-80 days after transplanting outdoors. For most people in hardiness zones 4-7, this means that harvesting starts in late July.

To get the best harvests, jalapeño plants need as much sun during the day as possible. If you do not have a location with full sun, try to relocate your plants for ideal conditions. With full sun, you can expect your peppers to produce within a typical period of time. With less sunlight, the peppers can take longer to mature.

What Are The White Lines on Jalapeño Peppers?

Jalapeño peppers will often develop small white lines along the pepper’s skin during ripening. These are scars from the peppers expanding and breaking the thin layer of skin. When the skin breaks, the pepper heals and forms these lines.

This is completely normal and is known as “corking.” It is actually a desirable characteristic (to some) and often indicates a pepper is nearing maturity.

One myth regarding these marks is that they mean the pepper is spicier. This is not true, although a more mature pepper is usually hotter than an under-ripened pod.

How can you tell when jalapeños are ripe?

It is easy to know when your jalapeños are ready for picking. Look for these telltale signs of a ripe jalapeño:

• Peppers turning red
• White marks appearing on peppers
• Growth has slowed or stopped
• Recommended harvest period has arrived

Don’t be afraid to pick your peppers. They can be harvested at any time during the growth period. However, one consequence of picking a pepper too early is that it may not have a fully mature flavor.

You may also experience lower heat levels. Maximum heat is reached just as a pepper is starting to ripen, and may be lower before or after this point. However, you should pick the peppers as soon as you feel they are ready so that the plant can focus energy on producing more fruits!

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What To Do With Jalapeños

Do you have a bunch of jalapeños in the fridge? Need some ideas on how to use them? There are tons of ways to cook, preserve and store your jalapeño peppers after you have harvested. Here are a few ideas.

Make Salsa

A key component of salsa? You guessed it, jalapeños. The other ingredients are tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, salt, and maybe a little bit of lime juice. Experiment with proportions and use your peppers to add the desired amount of heat. Whip it all together and dig in! See our jalapeño salsa recipe here.

Make Pickles

Why do cucumbers get all the love when it comes to pickles? Making pickled jalapeños at home is easy. All you need is some vinegar, water, salt, spices, and your peppers. Make our pickled jalapeños.

Make Hot Sauce

Making your own hot sauce can be a fun experiment at home. If you have a blender or a food processor, you can make jalapeño hot sauce in about 1 hour! Be sure you be careful and follow our guide to avoid any of the common mistakes and issues.

Use in Recipes

Jalapeños make a perfect addition to countless recipes. From jalapeño poppers to salsas, dips, and even mac n cheese. Check out 21+ tasty jalapeño recipes here.

Dry Them For flakes

One last option is to dry your jalapeños to store them for many months. This method also allows you to grind the peppers and produce a hot pepper flake or powder. This is one of the simplest methods to use your jalapeño peppers and can make for a great addition to many meals.

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I hope this article gave you some great ideas about jalapeño peppers, and how to get the most out of them. They are one of the most versatile hot peppers available, so it’s no wonder you can pick them up at almost any grocery store.