Corking on Jalapeño Peppers – is it a problem or an asset?
Corking is just pepper stretch marks! For many pepper aficionados, corking is a sign of a great tasting mature pepper. Some say that they are hotter when they have corking, but it depends on the pepper in our experience. In many South American countries and in Mexico, corked peppers fetch a higher price, but they are not often sold in the US due to consumer obsession with appearance.
These stretch marks are caused by the amount of water the pepper plant has, when water is plentiful the pepper pods may swell and grow faster than the skin does, causing corking. This does not affect the flavor or quality of the pepper, in fact some people prefer corked peppers. That s because corking shows that the pepper has been allowed to age and ripen fully, which means more flavor.
So next time you see this on your Jalapeños or other peppers, don't worry, it means that your ripe pepper is going to taste great!
Fully ripe jalapeños are hard to find at grocery stores and markets because they are more perishable than their unripe green counterparts. Commercially, green jalapeños are harvested early when they are not fully ripe, while red jalapeños are left on the vine to fully mature. Fully mature jalapeños have a shorter shelf life, but they have more fruity flavor and sweetness than their green unripe counterparts. That is one reason to grow your own jalapeños – you just can’t beat the flavor of a fully ripened pod!
At Sandia Seed, we have not just one type of jalapeño, but eleven different kinds! We have golden Jaloro Jalapeños, as well as the wickedly hot Orange Spice Jalapeño which packs up to 80,000 Scovilles of heat. Try our discounted Jalapeño Lover seed bundle to try four different varieties in your garden.
