Jalapeño Pepper

Preparation, uses, and tips

The seeds and membranes in chile peppers contain most of the capsaicin, the compound that lends them their mouth-searing qualities. Many recipes call for jalapeños with their seeds removed, and they are hot enough so you may want to wear protective gloves if you are preparing them in quantity. Jalapeños are often used for adding spice to basic dishes such as salsas, salads, and omelets but are widely enjoyed as a snack food in the guise of poppers, a popular pub snack, or sliced on top of nachos.

Buying and Storing Tips

Jalapeños can be found in the fruits and vegetables section of specialty markets and supermarkets. As these peppers mature they turn from green to red and get progressively hotter. They can be used for cooking when red or green. Choose fresh chiles with a glossy shine and deep colours, avoiding those that look wrinkled or soft. Store them in a paper bag for 1 or 2 weeks in the refrigerator or freeze for six months after roasting or blanching.

Varieties

Immature jalapeños are hot when they are green but gain pungency and a red colour as they ripen. They also increase in sweetness as they mature. These bullet-shaped peppers reach between 2 and 3 inches (5–7.5cm) in length and up to 1 inch (2.5cm) in width. When smoked, dried jalapeños are called chipotle. They are preserved by smoking rather than air-drying because of their thick flesh.

Jalapaños are medium-hot peppers that range in heat between 2,500 and 5,000 Scoville heat units. How high a chile pepper scores on the hotness scale is determined by high-performance liquid chromatography measurement of how many parts per million of capsaicin it contains. (Capsaicin is the compound that gives chile peppers their fiery bite.) This figure is then converted into the historic Scoville heat units that signify how much dilution is necessary to drown out the chile’s heat. The heat level of a chile is given as a range because it varies with how and where the pepper was cultivated.

Nutrition Highlights

Jalapeño pepper (raw), 1/2 cup (45g)
Calories: 13.5
Protein: 0.6g
Carbohydrate: 2.6g
Total Fat: 0.3g
Fiber: 1.3g

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.

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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.