Jalapeños are native to Mexico and they are named after their home in Jalapa, Veracruz. Cooks have used them for hundreds of years as a way to add heat with flavor. Though the jalapeño plant is very healthy, it is not a native plant in Mexico or anywhere else.
Jalapeños are small peppers that can have a bright green color and a fabulous taste when harvested at the right time. Harvesting jalapenos when they are too ripe will yield an overly spicy pepper, not to mention the excess seeds. When is the right time to harvest jalapenos? Find out when to pick jalapenos when it is the right time to harvest jalapenos.
When to pick jalapenos?
Jalapeños take about 70 days to mature after they have been transplanted. In warmer climates, jalapeños can be harvested earlier. Cooler temperatures tend to yield a spicier pepper than when to pick jalapenos when it is warmer. When to pick jalapenos when it is the right time to harvest jalapenos include:
The best-looking peppers should be picked for use in salsas, salads or other recipes. Extra-long stems can be cut off and the pepper can be hung in a cool, dry area for future use.
Peppers that are picked too soon tend to taste immature. They will have a strong bitter flavor and the resulting peppers will actually be tough. When to pick jalapenos when it is not the right time to harvest jalapenos include: When the peppers are left on the plant too long, they will change color from bright green to a dull brown. They will also become wrinkly and they will begin sprouting new leaves. Green jalapeños can be stored in some manner for future use, but if harvested too late, they will eventually rot instead of ripening.
Avoid picking peppers with any kind of blemishes or fungus. These can spread disease and also make the pepper inedible. Remove all leaves from your harvested jalapeños if you plan on hanging them up for later use. This will keep the pepper dry and stop it from rotting prematurely.
When to harvest jalapenos?
Jalapeños should be harvested before they turn red because their heat level increases considerably at this stage of maturity. While some people think that turning red adds flavor, it makes them spicy hot instead of just a mild choice for cooking.
Pick jalapenos off the plant
The best way to do this is to use clippers or a sharp knife. Cut the pepper off and leave about an inch of stem attached. This will help keep moisture in the pepper while it dehydrates naturally over time.
Jalapenos should be hung out of direct sunlight for a few days to dry before storing them in airtight containers. They can be kept this way for a few months to use in recipes and salsas.
Do jalapeno plants come back every year?
Jalapeño plants will return for several years, but they will slowly get smaller each year. It is best to replant some jalapeno seeds every 4-5 years. They should never be grown in the same place twice as this will cause them to become weak or even die of old age.
Are jalapeno pepper and chili pepper the same?
The answer to this question would be no. Jalapenos are one kind of chilis, but other varieties are hotter, like habanero and cayenne peppers. The jalapeno is a versatile chili pepper that can be dried and ground up for seasoning or used fresh in cooking.
The jalapeño has a much milder flavor than other chilies, but they have several spicy seeds inside the pepper’s flesh. When eating jalapenos, removing the seeds will make them much less spicy and easier to eat.
How long does it take jalapenos to grow?
Jalapeño plants can reach over 3 feet tall in about 70 days. They thrive in warmer climates and they are a good choice for containers, raised beds or even in hanging baskets. The plant produces green peppers that ripen to bright red and it produces several per plant.
Pick jalapenos when they turn color from green to a golden brown for the best flavor. If you pick too soon, these chilies will be very spicy, but they do not have much flavor at that stage of growth.
