Please Suggest Jalapeno Hybrid Varieties

[greenthumbomaha]

I've only grown op jalapenos, and they checker like crazy, especially if you leave them to ripen to red on the vine. Johnny's Seeds claims any of their hybrid varieties have less checkering than OP varieties.


I'd like to try a variety that has checkering resistance, but I'd also like it to have a chance of ripening in my climate. I've never taken note of what the market growers with high tunnels sell, but it's a moot point for me with just an open garden.


I'm open to Johnny's varieties (they have several choices but I need just one) or any other seed companies. Any suggestions on jalapeno varieties for my climate?


- Lisa

[DonDuck]

I've grown just about every supposed "large" jalapeno variety I can find with the goal of growing peppers as large as those sold fresh in grocery stores. Each year, I would grow four or five varieties plus the largest of the group from the previous year. I found that out of the many varieties grown, "Mammoth" invariably produced the largest peppers without any checkering or cracking from the green phase to the red phase. I still have not found a pepper as large as the grocery store peppers, but I am happy with Mammoth. It also didn't develop sun scald as many of the varieties did due to it''s heavy foliage which protects the peppers. I've never germinated them from seed because they are so available everywhere as a "Bonnie" plant. I will probably plant ten of them this year purchased from a local farm supply store at one half the price of the same plant at Walmart or Home Depot. Next year, I will germinate my own seeds purchased on line.

[Worth1]

Corking is a much desired trait in peppers.

[pmcgrady]

2 hybrids that did well last year
Mucho Naucho
Biker Billy

OP
Purple Jalapeno (lots of peppers but they were small)

[Rockandrollin]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Corking is a much desired trait in peppers.

Ditto what Worth said!

Generally speaking, the corking indicates that the jalapeno is at or near it's hottest. So if you wait until it's corked and red, then you will have the jalapeno at it's hottest and sweetest.

[greenthumbomaha]

I actually grew the purple jalapenos from my local seed library a long time ago, and they were smaller than the size of my thumb. I don't remember the taste but they were thick walled.



You can always throw two jalapenos in the chil., I'm not sure why size is important in a pepper, except for challenge or stuffing. They look nice in the grocery, but in my backyard other qualities are more important. Disease resistance, production, ripening, BER (don't remember having this on a hot pepper).


I'm not exactly a fan of very hot peppers, so not looking for that. I mostly brine them in a jar and infrequently have them on a burger. I find the checkering is also an indication that the peppers are drying out, which is not really the big juicy plump slice that I prefer.



There must be other qualities that the breeders intended to select for in non-checkered hybrids. apparently preference plays a big role here. Anyone have this info handy?


I'd prefer to grow from seed over winging it with Lowe's Bonnie selections for $4. I want to grow two plants and keep disease far away.

[DonDuck]

I like my Jalapeno peppers, large, thick walled, perfectly smooth with a waxy texture, medium hot, productive; and tasty in both green and red.

I believe the mammoth pepper is supposed to be about 36" tall. With the late season (fall) growth spurt, mine reached about 45" and produced heavily on both old and new growth. I'm in zone 7b and my peppers performed (and lived) well even in 110 degree F weather last summer.

I grow really hot peppers for my "really hot" needs. I grow jalapenos for good eating which can also be eaten by people who don't like "really hot" peppers.I put a lot of Jalapenos and whole kernel corn in my corn bread. Folks who don't normally like hot peppers, do like my cornbread.


I'm not really a Bonnie fan, but they do provide a few things other companies don't provide. I will buy some Husky Cherry Red tomatoes from Home Depot this year and some Mammoth pepper plants from a different provider this year. The Bonnie plants usually cost over three bucks each. The plants from a different nursery cost $1.65 each at the local farm supply store.


I also grow some small peppers of other varieties for different purposes. I grow large Poblanos, large jalapenos; and large New Mexico or California style Anaheims for stuffing or slicing; or smoking.

[greenthumbomaha]

We're very much on the same page, especially the smooth characteristic. I imagine growing conditions play a role in heat the jalapeno pepper too. One year I grew regular jalapenos for stuffing with cream cheese and were too hot for my daughter to eat, and she loves Thai foodand requests it extra hot.

[Ozark]

I've grown various jalapeno varieties for several years now, trying to find one to stick with. I like a moderate amount of heat for salsa and poppers, and it seems every jalapeno I grow is either too hot or too mild for my taste.

This year, I've ordered seeds from Tomato Growers Supply of a hybrid jalapeno that sounds Goldilocks-like "just right". I'm hoping so, anyway - here's their description:

"Emerald Fire Hybrid. ALL AMERICA SELECTIONS WINNER. Extra large and tasty jalapenos grow on vigorous, compact plants that set a huge amount of concentrated fruit. Thick walled and glossy green, these 4 inch long peppers are great for stuffing, grilling, canning, or using in salsa. They have 2500 Scoville units of heat, which is perfect for most tastes. Disease resistant plants, 65 days."

That's gotta be worth a try, I think.

[creeker]

Emerald Fire is my choice, also. Smooth straight peppers with a rather pointed tip.
It seems to me that many peppers with a pointed end are usually hotter than those with a rounded end. Another good choice is Jalamundo.

[DonDuck]

i thought about trying the Emerald Fire pepper this year, but since I tested the Mammoth pepper against other varieties over the years with good results in my climate; I decided to stick with the Mammoth peppers. If I tried the Emerald Fire, I would have to give up one or two spaces where the Mammoth plants would have been planted.


I've grown Jalamundo, Whopper, and Mucho Nacho in the past and found them to be very good peppers, but in my garden, and in my climate; not as good as Mammoth.


I've always thought the outer skin of Jalapeno peppers which crack (corking) is very similar to the opaque outer skin on tomatoes. On Jalapenos which "cork", the skin seems to stop expanding or stretching as the pepper expands within' causing it to crack. If I eat a pepper before it corks, I don't notice the skin. If I eat a jalapeno after it corks, the skin seems to have the texture of plastic wrap and I don't like it.

[bitterwort]

I've grown Jalafuego and Jedi (both from Johnny's) and they get as large as the large ones we see in the grocery stores here in Minneapolis--especially the first fruits that develop. Both were productive to me too.

[zipcode]

TAM Jalapeno had for me minimal cracking. Size is nice, but not sure how big one can expect, the bigger ones were around 45 grams. I would have liked the plants to have more vigour though, they set well but the plants are just small compared to other peppers (like padron), and overall production not as high.

[DonDuck]

Originally Posted by zipcode

TAM Jalapeno had for me minimal cracking. Size is nice, but not sure how big one can expect, the bigger ones were around 45 grams. I would have liked the plants to have more vigour though, they set well but the plants are just small compared to other peppers (like padron), and overall production not as high.

TAM was the first Jalapeno variety I grew many years ago. It seems to be the most popular for most vendors and the most available. I tried it two or three years with very little success. It didn't grow well in my climate and often simply died. It was never productive. Being new to growing peppers, I had no idea if the problem was my lack of skill or if the problem was with the variety. I started trying other varieties which performed much better, so I stopped trying to grow TAM.


I had the same problem trying to grow bell peppers. They would grow and perform well into early summer, and when the consistent high heat of summer arrived, they died. I tried shade cloths and changed varieties often without success. I still have no luck with bell peppers growing, producing; and living through the summer.

[gssgarden]

Been growing Goliath jalapeños for years. Huge peppers and plenty of them. We eat them all season and can a good amount of pints as the season ends and frost is approaching. I grow 2 plants. That’s enough for us. Never a doubt about it. Always healthy plants.

Greg