Purple Jalapeno

Purple Jalapeno Peppers:

Imagine a typical jalapeno – just darker.  That is the purple jalapeno!   Foliage is darker, the flowers are purple, and the fruit turn a dark purple before fully ripening the classic jalapeno red.  The stark coloration of the fruit and flowers make this plant perfect for ornamental use.

How hot are fruit grown from purple jalapeno pepper seeds?

No pepper can be pinpointed with an exact heat rating as all peppers will differ based on growing conditions.  A dryer/more stressful environment for a mature plant will result in more capsaicin production.  A water rich environment, likewise, will result in a more mild pepper.  The purple jalapeno pepper plant produces fruit anywhere in the 4000 to 10,000  SHU range.  Heat increases as the pepper ripens. In the case of this fruit, the heat is near identical to the standard jalapeno during the early phase of life.  Both the purple and regular jalapeno start off green.  Here the differences end.

Turning Purple

A standard jalapeno fades from green to red.  The purple variety turns a dark violet for a number of days before eventually fully ripening to a standard red.  Due to the prolonged time the pepper is on the plant, as most will pick the fruit at the purple phase – the purple is generally hotter than the more mild green phase.

Uses for the jalapeno:

It is a jalapeno – the flavor is near identical to the beloved standard bearer.  Some will say the fruit is sweeter.  We attribute that to the later maturing nature of picking the fruit when purple.  A ripe standard jalapeno, red, will have similar sweetness (and heat!)

With a typical jalapeno flavor, the purple variety shines in the area of presentation. Any culinary function one would use a jalapeno in will suffice – with the extra color bonus!

Examples:

• Fresh salsa
• Pickled jalapenos
• Stuffed
• Cowboy candy
• Cream cheese add-in
• Fresh toppings for nachos
• …. c’mon, it is a jalapeno!  The uses are nearly endless!  One can even smoke them to make chipotle.  I do suspect it would be odd to do that will a fancy variety not commonly found outside of specialty seed suppliers, but I digress!