Farming Supplies
Jalapeno Hot Pepper
Named for the town of Jalapa, Mexico, this is the most popular chile pepper in the United States. This pepper produces 3-inch, thick-walled, moderately hot pods with deep green color that matures to a bright red. The skin may show a netting pattern as fruit ages, but it does not affect flavor. Often, the heat of the peppers will vary, even those from the same plant. If peppers grow fast, get plenty of water, and are harvested soon, they may be milder than peppers that stay on the plant a long time, or that develop slowly and under stressful conditions.
Widely adapted, Jalapeņo plants yield a bountiful harvest in dry or humid, hot or cool climates. The compact plants grow well in containers. Use Jalapeņo on nachos, in salsa, or smoke the mature red ones over mesquite chips to make your own chipotle sauce. Jalapeņo became the first pepper in space when a bag full of pods accompanied astronauts on the shuttle Columbia in November 1982!
- Light: Full sun
- Fruit size: 3 inches
- Matures: 72 days
- Plant spacing: 18 to 24 inches
- Plant size: 24 to 48 inches tall
- Scoville heat units: 2,500 to 5,000 (medium)