jalapeno help needed

[Chufi]

I was very excited when my market started selling jalapenos. I bought a couple and used them for my first ever skillet cornbread. When I was chopping them up I had a bite and was surprised at the bland flavor. I could take a bite, seeds and all, without noticing any heat (or much flavor, for that matter).

The cornbread turned out great but I feel the peppers did not contribute any flavor or spicyness. All they added was nice flecks of green.

I never tasted a jalapeno in my life. What should they taste like? What's the best way to bring out their flavor? or maybe my dutch supermarket is selling me inferior jalapenos?

here's what they look like:

[NulloModo]

That certainly _looks_ like a jalepeno.

However, there are tons of chile hybrids out there, and also lots of chiles which just plain look like other chiles... I think it is a jalepeno, but there is no real way to be 100% sure..

The other problem is that the conditions under which the chiles are grown has a huge impact on the heat level. If you treat the plants well, lots of water, not much heat, etc, they grow very mild fruit. If you abuse them, they provide a superior product. (odd, isn't it?)

I myself have occasionally been the victim of purchasing wimpy chiles. In fact, earlier this year I picked up a bag of scotch bonnets that were milder than your average Jalepeno.

And just for future reference - a Jalepeno is not an ultra-hot chile to begin with, but it should have a nice fresh full flavor, and a moderate amount of heat. If you are unused to eating chiles, then you certainly have felt some tingle in your mouth when you chomped down.

For corn bread use though, I'm really a fan of the jars of picked jalapenos one can find. They retain a lot of heat, and the vinegary undertones really round them out well.

[shelora]

I have had jalapenos with no heat - very disconcerting. I thought there was something wrong with my tastebuds or my chilie tolerance had advanced at a surprising rate.

With eating experience, I have discovered that a chilie's heat changes a great deal. Whether its growing conditions, the weather or the introduction of GMO seeds, I'm not sure. I've had jalapenos that just ripped your face off -even without the seeds - and ones like you experienced.

Don't give up. Try another. You're bound to get lucky.

[Anna N]

Bought jalapenos yesterday and I swear a sweet green pepper has more of a kick - very disconcerting.

[Chufi]

when I was 'investigating' chiles for the Mole Poblano cook-off, I learned a very interesting thing: the chile peppers that are sold all over Holland as 'spanish peppers' are actually botanically known as Dutch red and Dutch green. Apparently these are professionally cultivated from Indonesian cayenne's to create a sweeter, less pungent, more marketable product. This has resulted in a pithy seedy inside (which needs discarding before use), and a medium-hot which makes them suitable for use in salads and cooked dishes. (quoted from this website, a very extensive chile database)

So now I'm thinking maybe the Dutch are also growing a new kind of jalapeno that has no heat and no flavor, just to make it more 'marketable'? Ugh.

[NulloModo]

when I was 'investigating' chiles for the Mole Poblano cook-off, I learned a very interesting thing: the chile peppers that are sold all over Holland as 'spanish peppers' are actually botanically known as Dutch red and Dutch green. Apparently these are professionally cultivated from Indonesian cayenne's to create a sweeter, less pungent, more marketable product. This has resulted in a pithy seedy inside (which needs discarding before use), and a medium-hot which makes them suitable for use in salads and cooked dishes. (quoted from this website, a very extensive chile database)

So now I'm thinking maybe the Dutch are also growing a new kind of jalapeno that has no heat and no flavor, just to make it more 'marketable'? Ugh.

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It isn't just the Dutch. There was a thread in Food in the Media and News a while back about some American company trying to grow Jalapenos and Habaneros with little to no heat... heh...

I am fine with GMO soybeans, corns and wheat, and even chicken protein material grown in a lab on a big flat piece of metal... just stop messing with my chiles.

[John S.]

when I was 'investigating' chiles for the Mole Poblano cook-off, I learned a very interesting thing: the chile peppers that are sold all over Holland as 'spanish peppers' are actually botanically known as Dutch red and Dutch green. Apparently these are professionally cultivated from Indonesian cayenne's to create a sweeter, less pungent, more marketable product.

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You are right, Holland has successfully bred hybrids or rDNA varieties for color only (bells). I wouldn't be surprised if anyone would do the same for traditionally hot chiles. Best bet is to find a supplier (or grow your own) for consistent results. Too bad, for you guys have an Indonesian influence (i.e. sambals) and I would hope that your industry would market hot fresh chiles. Especially so since my wife is Friesian and we will be visiting soon. I have plans to seek out the heat there.

John S.

[purplewiz]

One of the varieties of these "no heat" jalapenos is called a Tam Jalapeno - all the garden centers around here sell the plants in the spring. I tried growing one once, and it wasn't worth the work - no heat, but no flavor, either.

I've found that the heat and flavor of the jalapenos we get varies a lot from day to day, place to place, and month to month. When I use them, I always taste a little of each, and adjust how much I use based on the current heat/flavor levels.

Marcia.

[MarkinHouston]

One of the varieties of these "no heat" jalapenos is called a Tam Jalapeno - all the garden centers around here sell the plants in the spring. I tried growing one once, and it wasn't worth the work - no heat, but no flavor, either.

I've found that the heat and flavor of the jalapenos we get varies a lot from day to day, place to place, and month to month. When I use them, I always taste a little of each, and adjust how much I use based on the current heat/flavor levels.

Marcia.

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"Tam' refers to Texas A & M University, the perpetrators of these heatless jalapenos. They have spread so much that it is hard to find hot jalapenos in a grocery store. Fortunately, Houston has some good Latino markets which still sell the good ones!

[rgruby]

I've found that the heat and flavor of the jalapenos we get varies a lot from day to day, place to place, and month to month. When I use them, I always taste a little of each, and adjust how much I use based on the current heat/flavor levels.

Marcia.

←

The jalapenos sold here in Toronto vary wildly in heat levels. I don't know if it is because some of them are grown here in greenhouses and some of them are from Mexico, or if they're different varieties, or there's a big seasonal variation, or whatever. It doesn't seem to matter if I buy them from a supermarket or a Latino grocer - the heat level is variable, and not in a predictable way, so far as I can discern.

So, yes, those look like the jalapenos we get here. And, given the enormous variance in spiciness, I recommend trying one or two and compensating accordingly every time you buy them. I've found pretty drastic differences though even from peppers bought at the same place at the same time (and presumably from the same producer). I think there has been a trend towards producing less heat-intensive jalapenos, or there's at least a perception that this is so. (I've read articles to this effect - but I still come across incredibly picante jalapenos from time to time).

AT the end of the day, I think this is a product with a fair bit of natural variability in heat levels, and what you found at your local produce stand today might be different a month from now. If you see a constant trend of non-spicy jalapenos, I'd suggest encouraging your source to find a spicier supplier - if that's what you want. But honestly, around here, fairly to incredibly mild jalapenos are not uncommon.

Let us know what the next batch brings.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

[joiei]

we started picking our "Biker Billy" jalapenos, and man are they ever hot. We have them in 5 gallon pots. Lots of flavor but definitely hot. yee haw and hot damn.

[purplewiz]

"Tam' refers to Texas A & M University, the perpetrators of these heatless jalapenos. They have spread so much that it is hard to find hot jalapenos in a grocery store.

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I didn't know that - that's really interesting! But yeah, it's hard to find a good spicy jalapeno these days....but sometimes I get pleasantly surprised :-).

Marcia.

[NulloModo]

I've found that the heat and flavor of the jalapenos we get varies a lot from day to day, place to place, and month to month. When I use them, I always taste a little of each, and adjust how much I use based on the current heat/flavor levels.

Marcia.

←

The jalapenos sold here in Toronto vary wildly in heat levels. I don't know if it is because some of them are grown here in greenhouses and some of them are from Mexico, or if they're different varieties, or there's a big seasonal variation, or whatever. It doesn't seem to matter if I buy them from a supermarket or a Latino grocer - the heat level is variable, and not in a predictable way, so far as I can discern.

So, yes, those look like the jalapenos we get here. And, given the enormous variance in spiciness, I recommend trying one or two and compensating accordingly every time you buy them. I've found pretty drastic differences though even from peppers bought at the same place at the same time (and presumably from the same producer). I think there has been a trend towards producing less heat-intensive jalapenos, or there's at least a perception that this is so. (I've read articles to this effect - but I still come across incredibly picante jalapenos from time to time).

AT the end of the day, I think this is a product with a fair bit of natural variability in heat levels, and what you found at your local produce stand today might be different a month from now. If you see a constant trend of non-spicy jalapenos, I'd suggest encouraging your source to find a spicier supplier - if that's what you want. But honestly, around here, fairly to incredibly mild jalapenos are not uncommon.

Let us know what the next batch brings.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

←

I'm not one to go out of my way for organic or heirloom produce, but if someone started selling chiles that they guaranteed packed an extra punch I would gladly pay double the normal price for them.

Perhaps there is a market for true chiles out there still... at least I hope.

[viva]

I'm not sure if this has any basis in fact, but my old Mexican produce guy used to insist that the jalapenos with what I call "stretch marks" on them are hotter. The "stretch marks" look like short light brown lines on the skin of the pepper, rather than the usual smooth shiny surface like the picture above.

True or not, I've always followed this rule in selecting my jalapenos, and have never been disappointed with the level of heat.

[joiei]

The wive's tale that I always heard was if it came to a point it was hotter. I think it might have more to do with soil it is grown in, growing conditions, and is possibly variety of jalapeno as to hotness. And I am not suprised to learn that some ag school has developed a milder version of peppers. Here is a link to the U of New Mexico with info on 3 varieties they have developed for different reasons. 1 - for roadside markets

2 - for eastern markets who demand milder peppers

3 - for uniform slices for pickled pepper packers

[BarbaraY]

I have found it to be true that many of the Jalapeños now being sold taste like bell peppers. This has been going on for about ten years in this area.

I find that, in growing my own, the stretch marks are a pretty reliable way of telling if they have any heat.

[Corinna Dunne]

when I was 'investigating' chiles for the Mole Poblano cook-off, I learned a very interesting thing: the chile peppers that are sold all over Holland as 'spanish peppers' are actually botanically known as Dutch red and Dutch green.

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I think your pepper could be a pimiento de padron (pepper of the patron), which is very popular in Spain. They are small, (but larger than a chilli) and are generally quite mild. But about one in ten is hot. They are a very popular tapas dish. The peppers are griddled (a la plancha) with olive oil and plenty of salt and then served hot. You eat the whole pepper (apart from the stalk) and play a game of Russian Roullette as you wait for the hot one to strike. They are absolutely delicious and wonderful washed down with a cold beer. Unfortunately, they are not available in Ireland but are catching on in London where a few of the better vegetable shops stock them.

[budrichard]

What

I suspect has happened is that the Jalapeno has gone the way of the commercial tomatoe, bred for mechanical picking and to look good for sales but devoid of any redeeming features. Most of the Jalapenos found in even the midwest SuperMercardos have no heat. We don't use them anymore and have substituted Serrano, Habeneros and others. I have even found Poblanos with no heat and only mild habeneros which have not been mistaken for other varieties like Peron. -Dick

[Briarhill]

Here in Atlanta, my experience has also been that the level of heat can vary considerably from jalapeno to jalapeno. I fixed a nice western omelette last night, using a somewhat largish jalapeno diced finely (sans ribs and seeds) for 8 eggs, thinking it would be only modestly hot. Curiously, it was scorching hot, but only on the lips, not in the back of the throat, where I would have expected it.

[bleachboy]

I've been told before that if you look for the jalapenos that have the thin vertical "cracks" running down the skin, that those are hotter. My personal experience tells me that this is true, but your mileage may vary.

If you really want more heat (IMO, chiles should be used for flavor and not heat, but...) use a serrano chile instead. The flavor is very similar, but it's usually considerably hotter.

[mrbigjas]

I think your pepper could be a pimiento de padron (pepper of the patron), which is very popular in Spain.  They are small, (but larger than a chilli) and are generally quite mild.  But about one in ten is hot.  They are a very popular tapas dish.  The peppers are griddled (a la plancha) with olive oil and plenty of salt and then served hot.  You eat the whole pepper (apart from the stalk) and play a game of Russian Roullette as you wait for the hot one to strike.  They are absolutely delicious and wonderful washed down with a cold beer.  Unfortunately, they are not available in Ireland but are catching on in London where a few of the better vegetable shops stock them.

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those things are awesome. when we were in barcelona in march, we probably ate 10 plates of them throughout the week.

but they're just not hot, despite their reputation. i kept waiting for the hot one and it never came. some were hotter than others, but none more than a mild poblano.

damn they are good though.

[Corinna Dunne]

The heat in pimientos de padrons varies. I too had them in Barcelona a few months ago and didn't hit on a killer padron either. However, I have had some eye wateringly hot ones. A friend of mine brought some back from Madrid some time ago that were nearly impossible to eat... but wonderful all the same!

[mrbigjas]

if i knew where to find the peppers here in pennsylvania, i'd make pimientos al padron all the time.

Edited July 12, 2005 by mrbigjas (log)

[anzu]

Chillies cross-pollinate like mad, to the extent that you can never be really sure that the chilli you are about to use will be hot.

The amount of water, etc. that the plants got also play a role, but often the really important question is what types of chillies were growing alongside. If they were growing next to a field of green bell peppers, then the chances are that your chilli is going to have only minimal or no heat. On the other hand, I have at times unsuspectingly cooked green bell peppers while living in India that were as hot as chilli peppers. It didn't happen very often. Rarely enough, in fact, that I got caught by surprise every single time, when I started wondering why my hands were tingling from cutting up the vegetables... And I can be pretty sure that those peppers were growing next to a crop of chillies.

So while it is not totally impossible that chillies are being modified to make them less hot, it is far more likely that those particular chillies were being grown some place where they were cross-pollinating with peppers that were not hot. And if the trend is for chillies you are buying to be less hot in general, then it might simply be due to the fact that maybe more chillies are being grown in areas where this cross-pollination is likely to occur.

Seriously, I wouldn't get paranoid about genetic modification and so on here. When I got chillies in India (I can't say buy here, as the vegetable seller always tosses a handful in for free ), it was never possible to know in advance if they would be hot or not. Some were, some weren't, that's it.

The chillies I use now are imported from either India or Pakistan, and sometimes I use chillies imported from Thailand. Same thing with all of them, sometimes hot, and sometimes not.

The only rule is not to simply toss them into the pot without checking them for heat first. That could really spoil your food if it does turn out to be really hot.