Jalapeñ o

Growing and harvesting

At the grower's

Jalapeño peppers are grown from seed to plant by plant growers. The trays with seeds are kept under artificial light for 2 weeks at a temperature between 23 and 25˚C. When the first plants appear, the peppers are moved to pots or rockwool blocks. Once the plants reach 40 centimetres, the Jalapeños are taken to their final destination: the open field in the open ground or in the greenhouse, depending on the season.

Jalapeños peppers are large enough to be harvested after 6 to 8 weeks. The peppers are still green, but will turn red if left. Harvesting is manual work, as is sorting for quality, size and colour. Packed in 2 kilo boxes, the Jalapeños are shipped to Nature's Pride.

Recipes & preparation tips

Because the Jalapeño pepper is a little milder (but beware: still spicy), its possibilities for use are very broad. The pepper can be used whole or halved in cooking. It is also very suitable for stuffing. This chilli pepper combines very nicely with guacamole, as in the recipe on the EAT ME website. As with all peppers, try to avoid skin irritation during preparation. The skin is less likely to absorb the spicy pepper if you rub your hands with some oil beforehand and wash them thoroughly with soap afterwards.

• EAT ME website