Steven M Do you have to pollinate jalapeno plants? The short answer is no, you don’t have to pollinate jalapeno plants by hand, but there’s a fascinating twist. Jalapeno plants are self-pollinating, which means they don’t need bees, wind, or your help to produce those spicy pods. Each flower on a jalapeno plant contains both … Read more
You don’t need to cook jalapenos before pickling them, though doing so can change the final texture and heat level of your finished jars. In fact, whether you cook jalapenos before pickling is entirely a matter of personal preference because raw jalapenos pickle beautifully on their own. When you skip cooking, the peppers … Read more
You should not cook jalapeno poppers before freezing if you plan to freeze them raw for later baking. However, you can cook jalapeno poppers before freezing if you’re pre-cooking them for quick reheating, but this changes the texture and requires a different freezing method. In this post, we’ll answer whether you cook jalapeno … Read more
Squirrels do eat jalapeno peppers, but only when they’re desperate enough to ignore the heat. If you’ve been spotting nibbled jalapenos in your garden and wondering if squirrels eat jalapeno peppers, the answer is yes, they absolutely will take a bite. Squirrels are opportunistic feeders, so they don’t have a strict menu that … Read more
Raccoons do eat jalapenos, and they’ll happily munch on them if they find them in your garden or trash. These clever critters are opportunistic omnivores, which means they’ll try just about anything that looks edible, including spicy peppers. If you’ve been wondering whether raccoons eat jalapenos or if the heat actually bothers them, … Read more
Rabbits do eat jalapeno plants, and they can cause serious damage to your pepper garden if you don’t take steps to protect them. These furry foragers aren’t picky eaters, and while they might avoid the hottest peppers at first, rabbits will eat jalapeno plants when food is scarce or when the young shoots are … Read more
Possums can eat jalapenos, but that doesn’t mean they should make them a regular part of their diet. If you’ve ever wondered, “do possums eat jalapenos?” the short answer is yes, they technically can, but the spicy pepper brings up some important considerations for these opportunistic feeders. While possums are famously known for … Read more
Jalapenos do turn red when ripe, and it’s a natural part of their growth cycle that many gardeners and cooks overlook. You see, most people pick jalapenos while they’re still green, but when jalapenos turn red when ripe, they’ve reached their full maturity and peak flavor potential. The green jalapenos you grab at … Read more
Do jalapenos turn red on the vine? Absolutely, and in fact, it’s the most natural thing in the world for a jalapeno to turn red on the vine if you give it enough time. Every single jalapeno starts out green, but as it matures and stays attached to the plant, it will eventually … Read more
Jalapeños start out yellow, but only in the very earliest stage of their development. If you’ve ever grown these peppers, you might have noticed that young jalapeños start out yellow before they transition to their familiar deep green shade. So yes, jalapeños start out yellow when they are tiny, immature fruits that haven’t … Read more