The jalapeno is one of the worlds most popular peppers. From stuffed jalapenos to jalapeno jelly, we love this pepper. With its blend of sweetness and spicy this little pepper seems to compliment any meal. However this pepper can be confusing for the home chef. One time you buy jalapenos from your local market and they have no more heat than the average bell pepper. The next time you buy them they are so hot your mouth burns for a week. How can the same pepper be so different?
The heat of a pepper is caused by capsaicin. The Scoville heat scale is the measurement of capsaicin or heat in peppers. On this scale jalapenos are between 2,500 and 8,000. That is a wide range. Some factors that determine the heat levels in jalapenos are variety, age, and preparation. Unless you grow your own plants you will not be able to control the variety, but you can control the age and preparation.
The older the pepper is the hotter the pepper is. Jalapenos start green and get red as they ripen. Jalapenos also get striations as they age. These marks and blemishes are similar to stretch marks. So if you want a mild jalapeno look for a smooth skinned green one. If you want the hottest jalapeno look for a bright red on with lots of “stretch marks.” Now that you picked out your peppers it is time to cook them up.
Most of the capsaicin of the jalapeno is located in the seeds and the white membrane around the seeds. To get a milder jalapeno remove as much of the seeds and white membrane as possible before cooking. If you would like a little more kick from your jalapeno consider whole roasting or sauteing to release the caspsaicin into the flesh of the jalapeno before you deseed and add it to your recipe.
Now you know how to get the most consistent results from your jalapenos. Following these few tips your love for the versatile jalapeno will grow stronger. So, enjoy one of the worlds most popular peppers.
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