Jalapeno peppers are one of the favored varieties of chili peppers used in North American cuisine. Just as in other chili peppers, jalapenos also originated in Mexico. In fact, the name “jalapeno” derived from Xalapa, a capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz, where early settlers cultivated the crop for centuries. Later, it was introduced to the rest of the world through Spanish explorers.
Nutrition
Jalapenos contain capsaicin, which gives them a strong spicy, pungent character. Capsaicin has been found to have anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic, and anti-diabetic properties. It is also found to reduce LDL-cholesterol level. Fresh jalapeno peppers are a rich source of vitamin-C and other vitamins.
Store
You can keep fresh jalapenos in the refrigerator, stored inside a plastic bag for optimal freshness. They should last at least a week or two before shriveling or molding. Store peppers whole rather than sliced. If blanched or roasted and peeled, peppers will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Pickled jalapenos can be stored for several months when stored in the fridge.
Try this
These little peppers are essential to perfect guacamole and they give a little kick to oh so many dishes. Try them as jalapeno cheddar cornbread muffins; in a cucumber jalapeno cocktail using mix & sip syrup from our vendor On Your Way Bartending; and as jalapeno poppers.
Random Facts
Jalapenos were the first peppers that traveled to outerspace! (It was 1982, NASA’s fifth space shuttle mission)
Botanically, jalapenos are not vegetables but fruit pods from the nightshade family (Solanaceae)
