Re: [gardeners] jalopenos/blackberries
Ron Hay (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 06 Jul 2001 07:57:51 -0700
Dear Carolyn,
As you may have devined from several of us, jalapenos (the correct
spelling...minus the tilde which is difficult to deploy from Netscape),
jalapenos may be enjoyed at any state of ripeness which one enjoys.
As is the case with many chiles, they are green when unripe, and ripen
to a firey red when ripe. In my opinion, the fruitiness sets in, really,
when they turn fire engine red; at that point the seeds are sufficiently
mature to be saved for replanting....assuming that they will produce the
same variety, if not planted near other kinds of chiles.
One can use either red jalapenos, depending on the nature of the taste
desired. Sometimes, I use red ones just for the color effect, just as I
do with serrano chiles. When I cook South Indian dishes, when they call
for small green chiles, I often substitute small red serranos, because
they make the dish appear more attractive.
In our case, our jalapenos are tender perennials, as are our serranos.
Without needing to overwinter them here in the Los Angeles area, our
serranos are on their fouth year, and are quite woody. Our jalapenos
grew so large that we actually had to remove them, as they were about 6'
tall by late November.
Enjoy your chiles!
Ron,
Van Nuys, CA