They retain the heat for the most part, and there’s a satisfying ripeness/sweetness to them.
I generally let a few of my plants mature to red, then pick, chop and freeze for the off season.
by wzlch47
30 Comments
Leading_Impress_350
There’s no other way!
Puzzleheaded_Match83
Haven’t had them before, as all I’ve had until I grew my own this year were store bought green ones.
I’m still awaiting my nearly 20 jalepeno plants worth of peppers to change color. Hopefully they do before the first hard frost, otherwise I’ll have to dry them green.
daorbed9
Much better imo but i do love both.
skelli_terps
100%!! To me, there’s no reason, beyond imminent frost, for eating green jalapeños. Red are superior in flavor and the only reason we accept green jalapeños is because of modern agriculture wanting to squeeze more profit out of their harvests and have longer shelf life.
Son_of_Sophroniscus
Yep! You can buy green jalapenos at the supermarket, [edit] so if your growing them, you might as well let them ripen.
I like to smoke them, dry them, and grind them in a coffee grinder to make chipotle powder
MrBisco
It’s the same as the red vs green pepper thing. And in general, there seem to be people that just prefer all of their fruits unripe. It’s freaking weird.
Red jalapeno = ripe jalapeno.
I swear a ton of folks hate hot peppers not because of the spice but because all they ever have exposure to is gross unripe peppers.
ghidfg
yeah they only pick them green because its close enough but saves a lot of time ($$$) in terms of harvest time.
RoscoeRiggs
Green or red don’t matter to me
CRickster330
I make smoked hot sauce out of both red and green. The taste difference is amazing, the red is fruitier and has more”pepper” flavor. I much prefer the red but the green is great too. Wait for them to ripen and taste the difference. All the best!
I let a bunch of them go red this year (serranos too) and made both red and green hot sauces and gotta say I like the red better
kinezumi89
I’ll provide a dissenting opinion – I do love a red jalapeno sauce but in general I much prefer them green! They have a crispier texture (the red ones start to soften) and I prefer the more vegetal flavor. I also pick my bells green too!
Killswitch2806
Definitely! The difference is night and day, just like any unripe/ripe fruit. For raw eating and cooking they have to be red. For pickling it doesn’t matter too much, but still a noticeable difference.
nosidrah
I like them both ways. If I’m making poppers I prefer the green ones but I also prefer the red ones for just eating.
Hecate100
Red are the absolute best!
AdmirableDig8537
Red all the way. Yes, is a tiny one. Circumstances prevented me from attending to my plants this summer.
On a side note, the angle of my hand makes it look like a mutant…I assure you my hands are very normal…shaped.
I pickle 20-30 jars a year. I always keep the red ones separate and make a few “good” jars of reds that I don’t give away to family and friends. There’s just something a little better about them.
Big_Counter_1816
A like both as already said they have different characteristics so I use them differently.
BradBradley1
I think most people would prefer red jalapeños, it’d just be less efficient for farmers and most people probably don’t even know that they will ripen to red altogether so there’s not a ton of demand.
BigJeffreyC
Ripe is always better!
BrianTheDogGriffin
Red ones thaw and are really soft/mushy. But I usually wait until they are red. Green ones stay pretty firm after freezing them.
sheep_duck
They don’t just retain the heat of greens, they add on it. Ripe peppers have more flavor and heat than under ripened peppers.
Dr_Dewittkwic
I prefer all of my peppers ripe.
PicKiNuOff
I pick greens off my plants all summer long. When I feel like there’s only 1-2 months left of pepper season I let a few of them go red so I can smoke and dehydrate them for homemade chipotle powder
_NotAlien_
I do. I got my dad to start gardening because he needed to lower his blood pressure. We work together and have a stressful job. So I gave him some jalapeño seeds to grow his own ‘cause that’s his favorite pepper. But it was so funny when his jalapeños started ripening to red because he didn’t even know traditional jalapeños turned red. He’s only seen them green. He tried a ripe one for the first time in 55 years, and he still likes the slight bitterness of the green jalapeño. I prefer the hint of sweetness that the red jalapeño offers. I use the green ones for cooking, and I use the red ones for toppings, like the picture.
According_Jeweler404
This guy.
Mimi_Gardens
I like the fruitiness of a red jalapeno but I’ll eat them green too
30 Comments
There’s no other way!
Haven’t had them before, as all I’ve had until I grew my own this year were store bought green ones.
I’m still awaiting my nearly 20 jalepeno plants worth of peppers to change color. Hopefully they do before the first hard frost, otherwise I’ll have to dry them green.
Much better imo but i do love both.
100%!!
To me, there’s no reason, beyond imminent frost, for eating green jalapeños. Red are superior in flavor and the only reason we accept green jalapeños is because of modern agriculture wanting to squeeze more profit out of their harvests and have longer shelf life.
Yep! You can buy green jalapenos at the supermarket, [edit] so if your growing them, you might as well let them ripen.
I like to smoke them, dry them, and grind them in a coffee grinder to make chipotle powder
It’s the same as the red vs green pepper thing. And in general, there seem to be people that just prefer all of their fruits unripe. It’s freaking weird.
Red jalapeno = ripe jalapeno.
I swear a ton of folks hate hot peppers not because of the spice but because all they ever have exposure to is gross unripe peppers.
yeah they only pick them green because its close enough but saves a lot of time ($$$) in terms of harvest time.
Green or red don’t matter to me
I make smoked hot sauce out of both red and green. The taste difference is amazing, the red is fruitier and has more”pepper” flavor. I much prefer the red but the green is great too. Wait for them to ripen and taste the difference. All the best!
Red or dead baby!!!
Those mafks are loaded!
https://preview.redd.it/juimmjhpe7rf1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a8043f4e7ca292825c6b67859e8b8d5ca8b41bf2
YEP!!!
I let a bunch of them go red this year (serranos too) and made both red and green hot sauces and gotta say I like the red better
I’ll provide a dissenting opinion – I do love a red jalapeno sauce but in general I much prefer them green! They have a crispier texture (the red ones start to soften) and I prefer the more vegetal flavor. I also pick my bells green too!
Definitely! The difference is night and day, just like any unripe/ripe fruit. For raw eating and cooking they have to be red. For pickling it doesn’t matter too much, but still a noticeable difference.
I like them both ways. If I’m making poppers I prefer the green ones but I also prefer the red ones for just eating.
Red are the absolute best!
Red all the way. Yes, is a tiny one. Circumstances prevented me from attending to my plants this summer.
On a side note, the angle of my hand makes it look like a mutant…I assure you my hands are very normal…shaped.
https://preview.redd.it/0h0i0etqh7rf1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f5a142378ea478f94d4012aad204853d08c5b4b5
I don’t discriminate when it comes to peppers!!
I pickle 20-30 jars a year. I always keep the red ones separate and make a few “good” jars of reds that I don’t give away to family and friends. There’s just something a little better about them.
A like both as already said they have different characteristics so I use them differently.
I think most people would prefer red jalapeños, it’d just be less efficient for farmers and most people probably don’t even know that they will ripen to red altogether so there’s not a ton of demand.
Ripe is always better!
Red ones thaw and are really soft/mushy. But I usually wait until they are red. Green ones stay pretty firm after freezing them.
They don’t just retain the heat of greens, they add on it. Ripe peppers have more flavor and heat than under ripened peppers.
I prefer all of my peppers ripe.
I pick greens off my plants all summer long. When I feel like there’s only 1-2 months left of pepper season I let a few of them go red so I can smoke and dehydrate them for homemade chipotle powder
I do. I got my dad to start gardening because he needed to lower his blood pressure. We work together and have a stressful job. So I gave him some jalapeño seeds to grow his own ‘cause that’s his favorite pepper. But it was so funny when his jalapeños started ripening to red because he didn’t even know traditional jalapeños turned red. He’s only seen them green. He tried a ripe one for the first time in 55 years, and he still likes the slight bitterness of the green jalapeño. I prefer the hint of sweetness that the red jalapeño offers. I use the green ones for cooking, and I use the red ones for toppings, like the picture.
This guy.
I like the fruitiness of a red jalapeno but I’ll eat them green too