J Is For Jalapeno Peppers

Growing up, my parents would always grow Jalapeno peppers in our garden. These little bundles of spice would be chopped up and used in my mother’s homemade garden salsa. Salsa has always been one of my favorite snacks, I can thank all those years of eating homemade the concoction for my preference for mild heat. If you like a spice, but can only handle a little bit, Jalapeno peppers are what you are looking for; my family never liked to much spice so these peppers were exactly what they needed.

Jalapeno Pepper plant

On a scale between 1 and 5, I would say that the jalapeno pepper is a 2 at max. If you wanted to get a little more scientific, this pepper rates between 2,500 and 8,000 units on the scoville scale. Compared to a habanero pepper, which has a rating closer to 250,000, the jalapeno is mere childs play! If you are looking to add real heat to your dish, I would look into using a Serrano or cayenne pepper. But if you just want a noticeable heat that doesn’t make you run for water, I think you found the right pepper.

Even though I think jalapenos are perfect for any good salsa, I still prefer cooking with hotter peppers. I tried using habanero peppers for the first time last month and man were they ever spicy! They weren’t as bad as I had originally thought, but they kept you sweating for awhile after that initial bite. What about you? Are jalapenos your pepper of choice? Or do you also like to pack a little more heat?

Till next time,

Mr. McLovin