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seeds Hate to ask such a noob question but..... (Store bought Jalapeno's)

Generally speaking, I've only had hotter versions of Jalapenos and they've always been used by me as slices in like a taco dip, etc.... and they've always given me a bit of a heat / hot flash. Not terrible mind you, but relatively speaking for me > hotter than I'd like.

Recently I have gotten into Asian food and Pho and they use sliced Jalapeno's. I was at the grocery store (Food Lion) and saw some Jalapeno's. They were rather large but I got them home, sliced them up thin and put them in my homemade pho. They were spectacular. Perfect size, not hot, not sweet, I loved them. So I saved some seeds and put them on a paper plate to dry for a few days.

I'd like to grow them next year. Thoughts? Will it work? Any tips? Thanks in advance.
 
As Nulle said, not being fully matured, green jalapenos most likely contain only inviable seeds. To have your best chance at getting sprouts, look for the darkest pods and ideally find one or more that are beginning to show some red. More mature pods will sneak through now and then and those are the ones to grab. Then it's a numbers game.

If you're not going to plant until next spring, start looking for those best pods now and dry the seeds for next season. Save the bigger seeds in the best pods you can find. When the time comes, plant plenty of them and cross your fingers. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I've planted literally hundreds of seeds into a container when working with suspect seeds, because all you need is that one sprout and then you can red-ripen some of the pods and you'll have plenty of good, viable seeds going forward. Also, be sure to use good germinating practices, keeping the soil warm (preferably around 80-85 degrees should be good for jalapenos) and more moist than wet when you start them.

Good luck!
 
As Nulle said, not being fully matured, green jalapenos most likely contain only inviable seeds. To have your best chance at getting sprouts, look for the darkest pods and ideally find one or more that are beginning to show some red. More mature pods will sneak through now and then and those are the ones to grab. Then it's a numbers game.

If you're not going to plant until next spring, start looking for those best pods now and dry the seeds for next season. Save the bigger seeds in the best pods you can find. When the time comes, plant plenty of them and cross your fingers. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I've planted literally hundreds of seeds into a container when working with suspect seeds, because all you need is that one sprout and then you can red-ripen some of the pods and you'll have plenty of good, viable seeds going forward. Also, be sure to use good germinating practices, keeping the soil warm (preferably around 80-85 degrees should be good for jalapenos) and more moist than wet when you start them.

Good luck!
Got it. Thank you.

Next ? ~ I have *VERY LIMITED* space / but I do have *SOME* space inside. Gun to your head > Best grow light to use during the Feb / March time frame to sprout the suckers and #2 ? ) Best medium to grow them in that WILL NOT PRODUCE Gnats / fruit flies..... I've heard about coconut something or other on Amazon / but it's no soil and no nutrients...... so..... ???

I can't have the gnats. Can't have it. I assume the answers to both questions will work for pretty much a broad variety of peppers. (??)
 
For absolutely gno gnats, I'd go Kratky. Here's a small kratky setup Heatmiser uses and it has a pretty modest footprint. I grow mostly in soil, but I get fungus gnats. Kratky typically produces faster as well.

For lighting, there are many options. I use HLG 100 R-SPecs and they do very well by me. There are definitely lower cost options out there and even lower intensity would work fine for a small number of plants. I'm sure plenty of people here will have good suggestions.

For the jalapenos, I'd sprout using the scottex method (paper towels in baggies, tupperware, or plastic clamshells). That way you can try lots of seeds in the hopes of getting some good healthy sprouts and you'll see right away what's happening as they'll be visible when they sprout. With good viable seeds, I'd sow directly into rockwool, which is commonly used with Kratky.
 
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As long as it was close to ripening, the seeds should germinate. But if you are looking for a mild but flavorful jalapeño, I’d recommend the brown jalapeño. Grow them until the ripen fully brown. They are fantastic pickled into slices.
 
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