# My jalapeños turned red -are they going to be really hot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 25, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894 "2010-11-25T17:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/1 "2010-11-25T17:06:00Z")
I finally got something to grow and produce fruit. I kept expecting my jalapeños to get longer so I left them on the plant, but instead of getting longer they just turned red. Are they edible? Are they going to be extremely hot? What should I do with my handful of jalapeños? Should I slice and pickle them so they last longer? ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/2 "2010-11-25T17:14:30Z")
IIRC they will be _less_ hot and more sweet now. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/3 "2010-11-25T17:26:38Z")
How the heck did this get in the pit? I could have sworn I was in GQ. Then again maybe it should be in CS? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/4 "2010-11-25T17:30:37Z")
As a general rule, the redder a sweet pepper the sweeter. The redder the hot pepper, the hotter. Your jalapenos will be hotter the redder they are. Also, the smaller the hotter. You are so lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/5 "2010-11-25T17:34:47Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > How the heck did this get in the pit? I could have sworn I was in GQ. Then again maybe it should be in CS? Moron! Look where you’re going next time. God gave you eyes for reason and it wasn’t _only_ to look at porn. It was also so you didn’t post in the wrong thread on message boards! ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/6 "2010-11-25T17:39:31Z")
Thanks, I was afraid I’d miss out on some pit abuse if the mods moved my thread too quickly. I realize that no one else has ever posted in the wrong forum before so I do deserve some harsh words. Biggirl, thanks for the answer. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/7 "2010-11-25T18:22:43Z")
In before the move: Asshole! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/8 "2010-11-25T18:33:28Z")
To produce chiles chipotle, jalapeños are left to ripen on the vine. They are then dried and smoked. As far as what to do with them you can use them pretty much like green jalapeños. Or you might dry them. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/9 "2010-11-25T18:36:09Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Also, the smaller the hotter. That’s what SHE said! ---
**Author:** ![Snake\_Plissken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@Snake\_Plissken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake_Plissken)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/10 "2010-11-25T18:37:09Z")
Wat a bunch of ignit Dorks.🙂 Actually you really never know what you are going to get in terms of heat with jalepenos. I let half of mine turn red then smoke them. Thats what chipotles are. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/11 "2010-11-25T21:11:50Z")
Moved to GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/12 "2010-11-25T22:48:12Z")
You’re all fuckwads. …oh wait… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/13 "2010-11-25T22:58:42Z")
> [@Snake\_Plissken](#): > > Actually you really never know what you are going to get in terms of heat with jalepenos. Absolutely. All green peppers eventually turn red/orange (or yellow), so far as I know. As they turn from green, they tend to develop sweeter and fruitier characteristics. Think of the difference in flavor between a red bell pepper and a green bell pepper. This is pretty much the difference between a red jalapeno and green jalapeno. The greens have a “crisper”, more grassy and slightly bitter taste, while the reds are a bit sweeter and more fruity. I don’t notice any difference in heat between a red and green jalapeno. The heat levels are all over the map. ---
**Author:** ![badlyburnttoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@badlyburnttoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badlyburnttoast)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/14 "2010-11-26T02:04:48Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > As a general rule, the redder a sweet pepper the sweeter. The redder the hot pepper, the hotter. Your jalapenos will be hotter the redder they are. > > Also, the smaller the hotter. > > You are so lucky. This applies to different types of peppers pretty well, but as far as individual peppers from the same plant… not so much. The heat level, even from the same plant all picked at the same time is kind of random and hard to predict in my experience, and size/color is not much help. **pulykamell** summed it up pretty well as far as the flavor goes. Red ones taste much better IMO and it’s really worth waiting for them to turn all the way (even if it does give you less over time). As far as preserving them, I don’t really like picked jalapeños nearly as well as fresh. I usually just chuck mine in a bag and stick them in the freezer (take the seeds out first if you’re going to save them for next year) - they will last quite some time that way. If you’re going to use them in the next week or so you can probably just toss them in the fridge. If you plan on using them in something like soup or chili you can also dry them either using a dehydrator, or the oven. I’ve heard you can also dry them by just running a string through them with a needle and just hanging them up but I’ve never tried it (always afraid they would get moldy or something). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/15 "2010-11-26T05:45:02Z")
I’ve been known to successfully dry peppers by picking them, setting them down on the countertop “just for a moment” while I put the rest of my garden supplies away, and then forgetting about them for a month. If they didn’t rot or mold from that, then stringing them up and hanging them should be just fine. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/16 "2010-11-26T16:37:22Z")
> [@badlyburnttoast](#): > > If you plan on using them in something like soup or chili you can also dry them either using a dehydrator, or the oven. I’ve heard you can also dry them by just running a string through them with a needle and just hanging them up but I’ve never tried it (always afraid they would get moldy or something). I’ve done the string peppers and it works fine. My father has a pretty nifty method involving a crock pot. IIRC, he set the peppers in the crock pot on low, _uncovered_, gives them a stir from time to time, and out come dried peppers after half a day or a day or so. I’ve only seen him do it with smaller peppers like Thai chiles and habaneros, so I don’t know whether it works as well for something as big as a jalapeno. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/17 "2010-11-28T08:50:17Z")
Interesting. My objection to jalapenos has always been not the heat, but the taste. In fact, the spice always tasted really, really sour to me–like it was the sourness that was making it hot. I may have to try a red jalapeno some time. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-jalapenos-turned-red-are-they-going-to-be-really-hot/561894/18 "2010-11-28T14:04:11Z")
My mandatory jalapeno [recipe.](http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/bacon-wrapped_j/)