Jalapenos from the same plant?

[Half Baked]

My most prolific jalapeno plant was very disappointing with the lack of heat from the peppers. All summer, I've just chopped them up and used them like regular green peppers.

This morning I picked a few red and green jalapenos (from the same plant) to put in a macaroni salad. I chopped them up like I have been and put a lot of them in the salad for color.

Well, the first bite had my mouth on fire and that's what I had been looking for.

My question is: Why were they so mild in the beginning and now have great heat?

 

[amber]

I guess your particular jalapeno had to mature more and turn red. Usually the seeds are the hottest part of the pepper.

 

[Half Baked]

The green ones were hot also... It was just a weird summer for my bush.

 

[Chef_Jen]

was it a new plant Jan?

 

[jpmcgrew]

Actually its not the seeds that give the heat, its the veins in the pepper so for a milder Jalapeno scrape those out

 

[GB]

Actually its not the seeds that give the heat, its the veins in the pepper so for a milder Jalapeno scrape those out

Well this is only kind of true. The seeds themselves do not contain any of the oil that the heat comes from. That does come from the veins. However, because of the close proximity of the seeds to the veins, the oils rub off and get all over the seeds so because of that the seeds do actually contribute to the heat and removing them will lessen the fire in your mouth.

Jan I am curious about your peppers as well. I have never had luck with jalapenos until this year. My past two years mine were as hot as bell peppers, but yesterday I pulled in my first one of the year. I took a bite and thought I was going to die. Needless to say, I am thrilled that this years peppers have heat!

 

[Chef_Jen]

I find my plant takes 2 blooms for it to be spicy

 

[karadekoolaid]

Is your jalapeño plant close to any other hot pepper plants? Cross-pollination is very common and if, for example, you have a habanero next to the jalapeño, cross-pollination will affect the "heat" .

 

[GB]

cliveb, does it matter if the hab plants have not produced a single fruit?

 

[jpmcgrew]

Well then GB! I stand corrected.

 

[Constance]

As a horticulturist, I should be able to give you a technical answer to this question, but I can't.
As an experienced gardener, I can tell you that peppers don't really start maturing until the end of the season approaches. They need that long hot summer to make them really do their thing.

In regard to peppers cross-pollenating, that does happen, just as it does in many other plants. That's the way hybrids came to be.
In my very first garden, I planted 2 jalapeno peppers in the same row with 2 dozen green bell peppers. Most of the peppers ended up HOT!
That usually only happens with open-pollenating plants...the old heirlooms.

Hybrid peppers will PROBABLY not cross-pollenate. I'm not a geneticist, so I can't explain it any better than that, except to say you never know what might turn up.

Sure wish I'd finished college.

 

[Half Baked]

I find my plant takes 2 blooms for it to be spicy

Well, that could very well be the answer, Jen.

Clive, it is only by tomatos and another Jalapeno plant.

 

[Half Baked]

As a horticulturist, I should be able to give you a technical answer to this question, but I can't.
As an experienced gardener, I can tell you that peppers don't really start maturing until the end of the season approaches. They need that long hot summer to make them really do their thing.

In regard to peppers cross-pollenating, that does happen, just as it does in many other plants. That's the way hybrids came to be.
In my very first garden, I planted 2 jalapeno peppers in the same row with 2 dozen green bell peppers. Most of the peppers ended up HOT!
That usually only happens with open-pollenating plants...the old heirlooms.

Hybrid peppers will PROBABLY not cross-pollenate. I'm not a geneticist, so I can't explain it any better than that, except to say you never know what might turn up.

Sure wish I'd finished college.

Constance, thank you. It is getting to be the end of the summer....and they have had several sets of blooms.

 

[Andy M.]

If the later blooming peppers grew in hotter weather, that would make them hotter.

 

[Alix]

OK, can I toss in a pepper question? When is it time to harvest my peppers? I have two pots of Mucho Nacho peppers. They similar in size to jalapenos (but are supposed to be hotter). They started out green and now the stem end is a lovely dark colour but the tips are still green. Are they ready now? Can I leave them until I have a batch of tomatoes ready to make into salsa? Can I freeze them if I have to harvest them now?

 

[jennyema]

Alix,

You can harvest them now or later -- they'll ripen and change flavor. Usually peppers that have ripened are deeper and less "green" tasting. But if you like a fresh "green" taste, pick them now and freeze them.


Geebs,

No fruit on your hab plants even now? I have tons and they are starting to turn orange. I have about 5 fully orange ones now. Am not telling you this to boast ... just to tell you that perhaps something is amiss..... But I guess that's a "duh"


Halfbaked,

That's happened to me before, too. Peppers can be a mystery.

 

[Alix]

Thanks jennyema! Will they continue to ripen if I pick them and leave them in the fridge, or on the counter?

 

[GB]

Jenny, I think the prob with my habs is that they were planted too close to my tomato plants. They are not getting as much sun as I expect they need. I did not plant well this year. Things are a bit too crowded unfortunately. The ironic part is that I expanded my garden by about 60% this year.

 

[jennyema]

Things are a bit too crowded unfortunately. The ironic part is that I expanded my garden by about 60% this year.

Me too, on both counts.

I got too excited at mahoney's ....

 

[GB]

Yep my eyes get bigger than my garden lol