Pepper Profiles
Everything you would ever want to know about peppers. Check back, because a new pepper will be featured each month!
Jalapeño
Scientific Name: Capsicum Annuum
Country of Origin: Mexico
Scoville Heat Units: 2,500 – 8,000
Color: Green (most common) or Red (fully ripened)
Size: 2.5” – 3.5” in length and 1” thick when matured
One of the worlds most commonly used peppers. Extremely popular in the Americas, especially in the Southwest United States, Mexico and Central America. It has a medium heat rating which varies greatly with respect to growing conditions. The medium heat rating has made this pepper very easy to incorporate into dishes that are palatable to a much broader audience than hotter peppers such as the habanero.
The Jalapeño was named after the Mexican town of Xalapa, Veracruz where the pepper was traditionally cultivated, but where they are no longer commercially grown. In Mexico, approximately 40,000 acres are dedicated to commercial jalapeño cultivation and approximately 5,500 acres in the United States. Jalapeño plants grow to approximately 3 feet tall with a growing period of about 75 days. Each plant will yield close to 30 peppers per season.
Orange Habanero
Scientific Name: Capsicum Chinense
Country of Origin: South America & Mexico
Scoville Heat Units: 150,000 – 325,000
Color: Orange
Size: 1”-2.5” in length and 1”-2” thick when matured
Mistakenly attributing the origin of the Habanero as Chinese, Nikolaus von Jacquin named the pepper “Capsicum chinense” in 1776. Originally cultivated in the Amazon region of South America, the pepper quickly spread throughout South & Central America as well as the Caribbean. One of the most popular “Extreme Heat” peppers it was named Guiness Book of World Records hottest chili in 1999, but has been beat by many peppers since.
Today Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is the largest producer of Habaneros in the world. The heat of the Orange Habanero, as well as its citrus flavor and floral aroma make it a popular choice for hot sauces and salsas. The heat varies greatly between peppers with respect to growing conditions. Habanero plants grow to approximately 3-4 feet tall with a growing period of about 100 days. Each plant can yield close to a quart of pepper pods.