annuum Green or red jalapeño

Murciano · Sep 17, 2011

Hi

I can see the first jalapeños pods growing and Im wondering if is better pick up green or wait till red

whats the difference? all the jalapeños I see in market are green, has more heat or flavor ?

thanks..

RedtailForester · Sep 17, 2011

I prefer the flavor of red, ripe jalapenos over green ones. They have always tasted much sweeter to me when red. In my opinion, the heat is slightly more when they are red. Basically, it all depends on personal preference and what flavor you are looking for. Hope that answers your question.

OldManNinja1912 · Sep 17, 2011

Yup..........just as Redtail said

RaelThomas · Sep 17, 2011

Yeah, unless you want to do the whole pickling thing, they are much nicer red.

chileaddict · Sep 17, 2011

The red ones taste sweeter and might have a little more heat. I used to always eat them green until I discovered on this site that many folks here at THP preferred them red. I tried that and immediately noticed the difference.

SuperHot · Sep 17, 2011

RF is right on the mark!!

Murciano · Sep 17, 2011

thank you all for the answers, I think I'm gonna pick up some red and compare with the green one

Dorkasaurus · Sep 17, 2011

I'm also with the red crowd here. Sweeter and spicier in my opinion. Plus I can buy truckloads of green Jalapenos here all day long, but red ones are rare to see available so I consider them a treat. Also, if you ever want to make your own chipotle you'll need them red.

Crusher · Sep 17, 2011

I prefer green with my green salsas using tomatillos and red ones with my red salsas or mango salsas.

UltraZelda64 · Sep 18, 2011

Tabasco is the only variety that I would even consider picking unripe. I always pick my jalapenos red. I have tried a green Bhut (or Naga?) or two and I did like the flavor, but I'm not sure I'd do it again. They're like a million times hotter fully red-ripe.

Omri · Sep 18, 2011

Reds have a more sweet peppery taste to them and are somewhat hotter. greens have a very green, grassy flavor to them, but if you pick them right before they ripen they are quite hot and tasty too. it's a matter of personal choice.

I personally like them green better. in salads, roasted, poppers etc.

Beaglestorm · Sep 18, 2011

Before you give up on the green.... Make sure you try them roasted. Try them with some steak. Roasting really brings out the green flavor. I like red also, but sometimes they are just too sweet. Overall, I prefer green.

chileaddict · Sep 19, 2011

Last night I gave a chile-loving relative of mine a red ripe Biker Billy jalapeno straight from the plant. After one bite, he had the most pleased look on his face. He had no idea of the difference between red and green. Dude was in heaven...