Jalapeno Pepper Guide

The jalapeño (pronounced /ˌhɑːləˈpeɪnjoʊ/; Spanish: [xalaˈpeɲo]) is a fruit, a medium- to large-sized chili pepper with a warm, burning sensation when eaten. A ripe jalapeño is 2–3½ inches (5–9 cm) long and is commonly picked and sold when still green. It is a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum originating in Mexico. It is named after Xalapa, Veracruz, where it was traditionally produced. 160 square km are dedicated for the cultivation in Mexico, primarily in the Papaloapan river basin in the north of the state of Veracruz and in the Delicias, Chihuahua area. Jalapeños are cultivated on smaller scales in Jalisco, Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa and Chiapas.

The jalapeño is variously named in Mexico as huachinango, and chile gordo. The cuaresmeño closely resembles the jalapeño. The seeds of a cuaresmeño have the heat of a jalapeño, but the flesh has a mild flavor close to a green bell pepper.

As of 1999[update], 5,500 acres (22 km2) in the United States were dedicated to the cultivation of jalapeños. Most jalapeños are produced in southern New Mexico and western Texas.

Jalapeños are a pod type of Capsicum. The growing period is 70–80 days. When mature, the plant stands two and a half to three feet tall. Typically a plant produces twenty-five to thirty-five pods. During a growing period, a plant will be picked multiple times. As the growing season ends, jalapeños start to turn red.