Chili Pepper: Jalapeño

This is the chili I automatically think of whenever some says, well, ‘chili’. It is middle of the road when it comes to heat and is very flavoursome.

You can do so much with it from using it raw, pickled, cooked and dried. If you prefer flavour over the heat factor, take the seeds out prior to using it. If you reserve your seeds you will have lots of luck propagating them.

It is very easy to grow during summer if it gets regular watering but it does not like the cooler months. Irregular or over watering, especially if the fruit gets wet, leads to rust and other diseases.

You can buy seeds in Western Australia from http://wacse.org/product/jalapeno/

Flower:

Fruit:

Plant:

Here you see them sliced and the seeds exposed:

One serving suggestion (sliced with fish sauce):

Fruiting Months:

• November
• December – gangbusters
• January
• February
• March

Position/Care:

Full scorching hot Perth sun but you must keep them well watered and make it regular. Haphazard watering will lead to fruit drop. Very subject to fungal diseases of the leave.

Standard liquid vegetable fertilser often and additional potassium during the summer fruiting months.

Jobs:

Power feed then prune heavily in April to help them survive the cooler months.

Here is the resulting regrowth late July of a good pruning in April:

 

Scale:

GICICI Grown Plants

[table id=chilis /]

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Related Links:

• FoodHacks: Jalapeno Chili Powder
• see more jalapeno posts here
• see more posts about growing chilis here
• see more cooking with chili posts here
• go to all meal ingredients here
• go the Grow It Perth calendar
• see a work in progress map of edible plant species here