Super hot jalapeno

[mdvpc]

I have noticed in the last 3 years that the seed I have bought for Jalapeno has been producing fruit that is less and less hot. My seed has come from 3 different vendors. I have also noticed that the fruit is getting smaller over the past 3 years. The jalapeno I have this year is very mild in heat.

My wife came back from Mexico yesterday after seeing her mother and father and brought back some Jalapeno's that her mom got for me. These are big, about 2 ounces and super hot. I mean super hot! I saved seed from one I used on a pizza last night and am going to grow it out next spring. Hopefully its not a hybrid.

Here is a photo of the fruit she brought back for me last night.

Has anyone else noticed that the fruit is getting smaller and milder?

[DeanRIowa]

I know there are many different types of Jalapeños, it appears every seed company in the world has there own Jalapeño hybrid, maybe that is having an effect.

My wife is from Mexico as well, and even there in Mexico, I have had Jalapeños that were hot and then the next time they were mild. Last night I had hot dogs and put some canned jalapeños on it and they were of the mild type.

From my understanding the weather and the amount of stress put on the plants has an affect on the heat of a pepper as well. For example watering to much has been mentioned as lowing the heat level of a pepper.

I just picked a handful of Jalapeños this morning and I will report back on their heat level.

Plant "Habanero" plants and you will not have the heat level issue. I have 8 habanero plants going now.

Good luck.

Dean

[mdvpc]

Dean-I am growing Hab also, but we like the flavor of the jalapeno in our salsa that we make with the molcajete. The 3 different varieties of jalapeno seed I have bought all make the claim that they are very hot. Growing conditions do affect the heat-we have always noticed it with green chile-one plant of the same variety from the same seed packet can be different-even fruit from the same plant can vary-but to strike out 3 times in a row makes me think the gringos are trying to take over the jalapeno world! We like serrano's also and have not noticed the heat going down.

[DeanRIowa]

I agree for some salsas, I like the Jalapeño flavor better. My wife and friends do say as well that making the salsa using the molcajete gives the salsa a better flavor. I use a blender half the time as well, cheating I guess. The texture is different with a blender.

If my Jalapeños are hot I will save you some seeds. Maybe you could try and early version of the Jalapeño and maybe they will be hotter.

[mdvpc]

Dean-Thanks for the offer-I will be happy to send seed from these jalapeno's in return. Something about the molcajete that just makes better salsa.

[duajones]

I have grown jalapenos a few times over the past few years. Whether from seed or store bought seedling, my experience has been that they have been mild for some reason. Even the serranos that I grew last year were mild compared the ones bought in the store. This year I picked up a hot jalapeno plant and grew it in the same bed with my tomatoes. We have had plenty of rain this year, so not much in the way of stress that supposedly increases heat. Yet, these are the hottest jalapenos I have grown. The early ones were pretty small but the later ones have gained a little size. But they are definitely hotter than any I have grown before. I have no idea why

[Granny]

Some years back the nice folks at the University of New Mexico developed a milder jalapeno strain for those with dumbed-down taste buds. These days it seems to be the most prominent strain out there and about all you can buy in the stores in some places.

I got the golden jalapeno strain this year - will be making salsa with it over the weekend and will let you know about the heat factor.

[mdvpc]

Duane-These jalapenos are huge though-are 5-6 times the size of the ones I am growing myself.

Granny-Let us know.

[spyfferoni]

I haven't noticed that here, my neighbors jalapenos and serranos are extremely hot, much more than what we buy in the store. I think it is because our summers are so hot and dry. They are smaller though.

Tyff

[mdvpc]

Tyff-I live in the desert where we get almost no rain-humidity about 10% average during the summer. So I dont think its the dryness and heat, cause I got plenty of that!

[Earl]

Michael, could it be your tastebuds are getting harder to please when it comes to the amount of heat in a pepper? :-)

I'll bet what you have would set me on fire. LOL.

[mdvpc]

Earl-I dont know, but its possible. I can tell you these guys are hot-real hot. I had some tonight on a salmon sandwich and I had to take a time-out to catch my breath. Completely unblocked my sinuses, thats for sure! I have not had this hot a jalapeno for years.

How is your harvest going?

I just potted up some sweet peppers in a 15 lt grow bag-3 Lipstick and 2 Franks.

The wife and I will drive to Hatch, New Mexico in a couple of weeks to buy a few bushels of green chile-they roast it for you, put it in plastic bags and we freeze them to use all winter. I cant even begin to grow enough in my garden to supply us-actually, I could, but then I couldnt grow tomatoes, etc.

[Earl]

Michael, most of my crop is starting to come in. The last ones to put on fruit are Pasada [a six foot big leaf type of unknown origin with cigar shaped, yellow blunt-ended, mild fruit], Datil Sweet, Trinidad Perfume, Aji Dulce and I can't remember the other few. My Balloon pepper is really good, mildly hot which suits my taste. :-)

[Granny]

Hot. Really, really, really HOT! I used to eat these things raw for breakfast - the hot New Mexico kind in New Mexico. These are too hot for that I think. They were a little bit immature - might mellow some as they ripen I suppose. But good

[cmpman1974]

Nice jalapenos. However, unless you got some ripe red pods you won't be able to grow plants from the saved seed because they are immature.

Chris