How to Grow Your Own Jalapeños and Fun Ways to Use Them

Hot peppers are often all about the heat but add a little additional flavor to your meals. But, that’s not the case for one fiery little friend.

Jalapeños (Capsicum annuum) are fantastic for adding just the right amount of heat to your dishes as well as having a very distinctive flavor.  They are classed as mild-hot on the Scoville scale, but each jalapeño can be different, so beware!

Fortunately, they are really easy to grow and provide you with mountains of peppers in just one season ready to add to your hot sauces, salsas, and chilis. 

Source: Pepper Geek/YouTube

Getting Started

Just like all other peppers, jalpeños are a warm-weather crop. It is technically a perennial plant, but unless you live in the tropics, you will likely grow an annual vegetable. 

You can grow your plants from seed easily. Start seeds indoors about 8-10 weeks before the last frost date or plant seeds directly in the garden once the soil has warmed up to a consistent 65°F. Plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep in the soil.

You can also just buy plant starts from a local nursery and plant the seedlings out in the garden once nighttime temperatures are consistently above 60F.

Best Spot for Planting

As we know, jalapeños need a lot of sun and warmth. The great thing, however, is that they do well planted in the ground or containers. They reach only about 1–3.5 ft. tall and 0.5–1 ft. wide, so they are a good choice for your porch or balcony garden. 

Give your jalapeño plants well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter.  Since they are a member of the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes), it is best to plant them away for other members of the family. These plant cousins can easily share the same pests and diseases. 

Plant your seedlings about 12-18 inches apart and leave about 2 feet between rows. Jalapeño plants enjoy water, but don’t let the soil become too soggy. Surrounding your plant with a good layer of mulch will help to keep moisture locked in the soil. 

Harvesting Jalapeños

Jalapeños are one of the few peppers that you deliberately pick whilst underripe. If left on the bush, the peppers will turn red, but usually, harvesting is done whilst the peppers are still compact and green. There is nothing wrong with red jalapeño peppers; the taste profile will just be a little different. 

Pick your jalapeños when they are about four inches long, green, and haven’t started to get cracks on them. Once picked, you can keep them in a container in the fridge just as you would any other pepper. 

Overwintering

Since jalapeños are a warm-weather plant they will not survive cold temperatures at all. If your plant is in a container, you could bring it indoors over winter to help protect it from the cold. 

Alternatively, you could dig up your plant from the garden at the end of the season, replant it into a pot, and bring it indoors. Whatever the case, just keep your plant in a nice sunny spot in your house and keep it away from drafts. 

Fun Ways to Use Your Jalapeños

Source: Pepper Geek/YouTube

Pickles– Having a jar of pickled jalapeños on hand is wonderful if you are serving up veggie hot dogs, chili, or a plate of nachos. They are really easy to make, too. It can be as simple as just chopping up the peppers and putting them in a jar with some vinegar, or you can follow this OGP recipe for Homemade Pickled Jalapeños.

Poppers– Poppers are a really fun thing to serve at a party or cookout. There is even an OGP recipe for baked poppers instead of fried ones. You can fill them with vegan cheese or even rice for a heartier snack. 

Spicy Ranch– Ranch dressing is a great accompaniment to many dishes such as vegan buffalo wings and crudités. Add a little jalapeño fire to that ranch dressing, and you will kick things up a notch. Check out this recipe for Vegan Taco Stuffed Avocado with Jalapeno Ranch.

Hummus– You can hardly go wrong with just a classic hummus, but if you are looking to liven things up, you could try adding some of your homegrown jalapeños to your favorite hummus recipe. If you need a little guidance, try this OGP recipe for Lime Jalapeno Hummus. You might want to warn unsuspecting guests, though, before they dive in. 

Hush Puppies– Add a little zip to that classic southern fare by tossing some chopped jalapeños into your favorite hush puppy recipe. If this is all new to you, follow this recipe for Jalapeno Hush Puppies and your side dishes might just get a little more interesting. 

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• Useful Plants in the Nightshade Family and How to Grow Them at Home
• 7 Tricks for Getting Garden Tomatoes Later Than the Neighbors
• A Little Guide to Growing Squash, from Acorn to Zucchini

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