Jalapeños Are Getting Milder. Here’s How to Turn Up the Heat.
Pepper breeders are taming the chiles’ signature bite. We asked Food Network test kitchen recipe developers what you can do about it.
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Have you whipped up a batch of jalapeno poppers or spicy margaritas lately and felt that they didn’t pack a punch? You’re not alone.
Last year, dining critic Brian Reinhart noticed that the jalapenos he bought didn’t deliver any heat. He investigated in an article for Dallas-based D Magazine — and uncovered a “vast jalapeno conspiracy.”
It turns out that only 20 percent of jalapenos are sold as fresh produce; manufacturers buy the rest to produce chipotles, flavored chips, snacks and salsas. They prefer mild but flavorful chiles so they can fine-tune the level of capsaicin, the chemical that makes food taste spicy, on their own. They start with fresh jalapenos for flavor, then add oleoresin capsicum — an extract derived from chiles that serves as the active ingredient in pepper spray — to crank up the heat. This allows for more consistent products that match mild, medium and hot labels.
Some pepper breeders are meeting the manufacturing demand by developing less-potent jalapenos. Unfortunately for us consumers, that means it’s becoming harder to find fresh chiles that still have their signature bite — and heat-seekers feel cheated. Since Americans seem to be craving ever-spicier food — we consumed more hot sauce last year than ever before — you can imagine that people are ... well, fired up about this.
So, how can spice lovers take matters into their own hands? We asked two of our test kitchen recipe developers whether they’ve noticed the change themselves, and how to amp up the heat.
“I have noticed jalapenos not tasting as spicy!” says lead recipe developer Amanda Neal. “In the past, I would need to omit some of the seeds and ribs to tame jalapenos, but now I can easily cook and eat the whole pepper.”
Recipe developer Khalil Hymore agrees.
“YES, jalapenos have definitely gotten milder and larger,” he adds. “Sometimes they taste just like small green bell peppers.”
If you’re looking for a substitute with a similar taste but more of a kick, they suggest reaching for a serrano or fresno.
“These peppers have a similar vegetal flavor but pack more heat,” Amanda says.
Alternatively, you can seek out a different type of jalapeno with old-school heat. There are dozens of varieties out there, so you should try your luck at a farmers’ market or even grow your own this summer.
“Growing heirloom chiles could result in a spicier pepper,” Khalil says.
While commercially grown jalapenos aren’t what they used to be, there’s no need to fret. The world of chiles is wide and wonderful, and this is a great opportunity to explore it.
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