Jalapenos

Jalapenos bring bright, medium heat to salsas, poppers, and pickles, picked fresh for firm texture. We grow ours without synthetic pesticides in Lineville, Alabama and pick at peak ripeness. They're rich in vitamin C and capsaicin, the compound behind their kick. Sold fresh through local Alabama delivery, farm pickup, and our farmers-market stand.

• Grown in: Lineville, Alabama (no synthetic pesticides)
• Freshness: Harvested at peak and sold fresh
• Availability: Seasonal - local Alabama delivery & pickup
• Storage: Refrigerate and enjoy fresh
• Why it's good: Nutrient-dense and picked at peak freshness

• Storage: Dry in the crisper drawer, loose rather than bagged
• Shelf life: 1 to 2 weeks; they wrinkle before they spoil
• Washing: Rinse before use. Gloves are sensible if you are cutting a lot of them.
• Using: Seeds and pith out for a mild, grassy pepper; left in for real heat. Charring the skin under a broiler changes them completely - sweeter, smokier, softer.

Why is the heat so inconsistent?
Because it genuinely varies pepper to pepper, driven by the plant's stress. Heat, drought and age all push capsaicin up, so two jalapenos off the same plant can differ several-fold. Always taste a sliver before committing a batch.

What are the white lines on the skin?
Corking - fine tan striations that appear as the pepper matures. It is a sign of a well-ripened, usually hotter pepper, and in Mexico it is taken as a mark of quality rather than a flaw.

What happens if I leave them to turn red?
They get sweeter and slightly hotter. A red jalapeno is simply a fully ripe one - it is the same fruit later, and smoke-dried it becomes chipotle.