Red Jalapeños?

DevilDuck

DevilDuck

I am by no means a pepper expert, but this one has me really stumped. I have two jalapeño plants in the ground and they're doing really well considering the lack of heat and all the rain this summer.

One of my plants has a red pod on it. It's small and the plant isn't letting go of it just yet. This happened last year too. Just one pod. The heat isn't any different, it's just red.

Freakish anomily?
 
They should all turn red eventually. Mine go bluish then start getting cracked and corky before turning red. More flavor and possibly heat when red and ripe.
 
That's what I thought, but this pepper is small compared to the rest of them on the plant. Hmmmph.

So if red=ripe, why so much emphasis on the green peppers?
 
I get fresh Jalapenos from a small, mexican-owned produce stand here and all their jalapenos are bright reddish/green, and those peppers have got to be the meanest, hottest jalapenos i've ever tasted.
 
DevilDuck said:
That's what I thought, but this pepper is small compared to the rest of them on the plant. Hmmmph.

So if red=ripe, why so much emphasis on the green peppers?
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I believe that there is the misconception that the "cork" lines are bad. When picked before they cork and turn red the pepper is smooth and looks healthy.
 
Except for cayenne, jalapeno is probably the most widely used chile in commercial salsas, taco sauces, poppers, etc. (in the US) for some basic reasons:
1)WIDELY POPULAR:They've been bred to have a much lower heat than normal, thus making them ideal for the gen. population as an ingredient or as jars/cans of whole or sliced pods.
pods. When your average person will eat it, you can sell tons and tons (acres and acres) of them, instead of much smaller amts. to 'boutique' or specialty markets.
2)EARLY HARVEST:They taste great while still firm and unripe, which means MUCH less spoilage, color variation and handling damage between field and factory.
3)EASY TO PROCESS: Firmer pods handle the rigors of processing machinery better, and have more 'crispness' when packed whole or sliced. They don't need peeling and are easy to seed. They can even be canned whole with the stem!

Red (ripe) jalapenos are also used for sauces, but to what degree I'm not sure. (prob. tons & tons) Both have their 'tastes', both indespensable to the commercial palate. Here's a hint: smoke the red pods with apple or other sweet fruit woods for a great chipotle paste. brookthecook
 
setzuanfire said:
Except for cayenne, jalapeno is probably the most widely used chile in commercial salsas, taco sauces, poppers, etc. (in the US) for some basic reasons:
1)WIDELY POPULAR:They've been bred to have a much lower heat than normal, thus making them ideal for the gen. population as an ingredient or as jars/cans of whole or sliced pods.
pods. When your average person will eat it, you can sell tons and tons (acres and acres) of them, instead of much smaller amts. to 'boutique' or specialty markets.
2)EARLY HARVEST:They taste great while still firm and unripe, which means MUCH less spoilage, color variation and handling damage between field and factory.
3)EASY TO PROCESS: Firmer pods handle the rigors of processing machinery better, and have more 'crispness' when packed whole or sliced. They don't need peeling and are easy to seed. They can even be canned whole with the stem!

Red (ripe) jalapenos are also used for sauces, but to what degree I'm not sure. (prob. tons & tons) Both have their 'tastes', both indespensable to the commercial palate. Here's a hint: smoke the red pods with apple or other sweet fruit woods for a great chipotle paste. brookthecook
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Yep I use apple when I make chipotle. Good stuff!
 
All I can say, those jals are amazing! They are very good red, extremely nice flavour! But they are very nice when green too! So I definetely understand why you would pick them green, they are simply amazing for unripe peppers! In my opinion, cayennes though they are hotter, they taste like rubbish to me compared to jals! Offcoarse that's just my opinion!
 
In Mexican mercados, red, corked xalapas (jalapenos) bring much higher prices and are more valued by the locals.

mex2.jpg


Mexican chipotles are all made from completely red and ripe xalapas.

Green xalapas and other chiles are also used for salsa cruda for the color.

Mexican sauces come in two major subcategories, salsa verde (green sauce) and salsa rojo (red sauce) . Green sauces are frequently made with tomatillos which are green and green xalapas, green serranos or green chilacas. There are other chiles used in salsa verde, but these are the most common.
 
I ran into a few sellers at a farmers market that thought something was wrong with their jals! I told 'em they were prob. worth a little more because of the corking, and their eyes just lit up! Nice pic-what are those yeller pods? brookthecook
 
willard3 said:
In Mexican mercados, red, corked xalapas (jalapenos) bring much higher prices and are more valued by the locals.
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I hate Wikipedia. I can't believe people quote them like they are a true encyclopedia. Anyway, they said Mexicans and Americans prefer green, and red are saved for making chipotles. They also said there is no fresh market for reds in Mexico.
 
There's cilantro to the left, xalxpas and the yellow chiles are manzanos with nopalitos to the right in the photo.

I think that what chile is in the market is what is grown locally, even in the cities. What grows in Gto. doesn't do well in Yucatan. I have never seen a green chile cost more than a ripe chile in the mercados.
 
DevilDuck said:
Ok... I'll leave them on the plant awhile longer. This will contribute to a delay in my sauce making, however.
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Hey, it just might make the sauce even better than before. "Good things come to those who wait."
 
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