Know your Jalapeño Pepper
The jalapeño is a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum originating in Mexico.
Jalapeños are a pod type of Capsicum.
It is named after Xalapa (also spelled Jalapa), Veracruz, Mexico, where it was traditionally produced.
The jalapeño is variously named in Mexico as huachinango and chile gordo.
The jalapeño is one of the most common types of peppers in Europe and the United States.
The jalapeño is a fruit, a medium- to large-sized chili pepper with a warm, burning sensation when eaten.
Many people like this type of pepper because of its spicy yet not overwhelming taste.
These peppers, when used sparingly, add just the right amount of spicy flavour to most Mexican dishes.
Growing Jalapeño Peppers
A ripe jalapeño is 5–9 cm (2–3½ inches) long and is commonly picked and sold when still green.
Once picked, individual peppers ripen to red of their own accord.
The peppers can be eaten green or red.
The growing period is 70–80 days.
When mature, the plant stands two and a half to three feet tall.
Typically a plant produces twenty-five to thirty-five pods.
During a growing period, a plant will be picked multiple times.
As the growing season ends, jalapeños start to turn red.
Jalapeño hotness
Jalapeños have 2,500 - 8,000 Scoville heat units.
Compared to other chilis, the jalapeño has a heat level that varies from mild to hot depending on cultivation and preparation.
The heat, caused by capsaicin and related compounds, is concentrated in the veins (placenta) surrounding the seeds, which are called picante.
Handling fresh jalapeños may cause skin irritation. Some handlers wear latex or vinyl gloves while cutting, skinning, or seeding jalapeños.
When preparing jalapeños, hands should not come in contact with the eyes as this leads to burning and redness.
Farming of Jalapeños
160 square km are dedicated for the cultivation in Mexico, primarily in the Papaloapan river basin in the north of the state of Veracruz and in the Delicias, Chihuahua area.
Jalapeños are cultivated on smaller scales in Jalisco, Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chiapas.
As of 1999, 5,500 acres (22 km2) in the United States were dedicated to the cultivation of jalapeños. Most jalapeños are produced in southern New Mexico and western Texas.
Related peppers
The cuaresmeño closely resembles the jalapeño. The seeds of a cuaresmeño have the heat of a jalapeño, but the flesh has a mild flavour close to a green bell pepper.
Jalapeño Cuisine
A chipotle is a smoked, ripe jalapeño.
Jalapeño jelly can be prepared using jelling methods.
Jalapeño peppers are often muddled and served in mixed drinks.
Texas Toothpicks are jalapeños and onions shaved into straws, lightly breaded, and deep fried.
Jalapeño Poppers, also called Armadillo eggs, are an appetizer; jalapeños are stuffed with cheese, usually cheddar or cream cheese, breaded and deep fried.
