Jalapeños are a type of chili pepper that originated in Mexico. Jalapeños are very prominent in Mexican cuisine, but they can also be used in many other types of dishes. You can harvest jalapeños at any stage of ripeness. But it’s important to know when and how to do so so that your harvest yields the best results possible. If you want to harvest a lot of jalapeños, you should harvest them regularly when they are green. You can also pick them when red or orange, but they will be more spicy because the seeds and membranes will have had time to develop.
Harvest jalapeños with the right size
Jalapeños are a type of chili pepper that are easy to grow in your garden or on your balcony. You can wait until they’re ready to harvest them, but it’s better to know when to harvest jalapeños so you don’t have any left over at the end.
As with any fruit or vegetable, there’s no one-size-fits-all rule for picking when harvests should occur. The flavor of a jalapeno depends on the variety you’ve planted and how well it thrived throughout its growing cycle (which may vary from year to year). But generally speaking, harvesting jalapeños around 3 to 5 inches in length is ideal; anything smaller than that will likely be too small and not worth eating.
Harvest jalapeños with the right color
Most gardeners pick jalapeños, when they have a dark green color. An ideal mature green pod feels firm when squeezed. When you pick your green fruits, over time, they might still ripen and become red. So do not wonder! If you want to avoid this behavior, you need to pick them even earlier.
You can also wait until they are fully ripened out and red. In general, the longer you leave them, the hotter jalapeños get. But once they are fully red, its time to harvest.
In the United States, jalapeños are more common in the Southwest.
If you’re growing jalapeños at home and you want to know when to harvest them, it’s important to understand what factors influence the growth of this plant.
In the United States, jalapeños are more common in the Southwest. This is because they thrive on a warm climate—that means temperatures above 70°F or 21°C. Jalapeños also need high humidity and lots of sunlight (at least 6 hours per day). The New Mexico State university has published an excellent growing guide for the region.
They can also be grown indoors if you have an artificial light source that mimics sunlight (such as fluorescent bulbs). But keep in mind that indoor growth can take longer than outdoor growth due to lack of natural sunlight exposure during winter months.
You can use jalapeños in a variety of cuisines
Jalapeños are a versatile chile pepper. They are used in a variety of cuisines. Used fresh, they add heat to Mexican and South Asian cuisine alike. You can also use them in salads, pickles, soups and sauces. And of course, you can eat them raw like an apple!
Eat them fresh, pickled or dried.
When you harvest your jalapeños, eat them. It’s best to eat your fresh peppers right away! They’re really only meant to be eaten at the day of harvest or soon after, as they don’t keep very long in storage.
If you have more jalapeños than you can eat on their own and want them for later, there are a few alternative uses for them:
You can pickle or dry jalapeños. Pickling preserves peppers in vinegar and spices like salt, sugar and garlic (or other herbs). Drying also helps preserve your peppers but it removes their water content by transferring heat from the pepper into dry air around it. This makes dried pepper flakes more concentrated than pickled peppers; therefore, when making spicy food with dried peppers add less than you would if using pickled ones!
If you want spicy jalapeños, let them ripen!
Jalapeño peppers are best when they’re fully ripe, which is when you’ll notice their color has become deep red and the stems are dry. If you pick early, they’ll be mild and sweet; if you wait longer, they’ll be hotter! But if you really want them hot, you need to pick the right variety.
Now that you know more about jalapeños, you’re ready to start cooking! Jalapeño peppers are a great addition to any dish, and they make an excellent alternative for those who want more spice in their food.