You do have to refrigerate pickled jalapeños after opening, but the story is a bit different for unopened jars.   If you’ve ever wondered whether you have to refrigerate pickled jalapeños or if leaving them in the pantry is fine, you’re definitely not alone.   The short answer is that storing pickled jalapeños properly depends … Read more

You don’t have to pressure can jalapenos, but it’s the only safe method for shelf-stable storage of plain, low-acid peppers.   If you’ve been wondering if you have to pressure can jalapenos, the short answer depends entirely on how you plan to preserve them and what other ingredients you add.   You see, pressure canning … Read more

Do you have to refrigerate jalapenos? The short answer is no, you don’t have to refrigerate jalapenos, but it often depends on how you plan to use them.   Fresh jalapenos can actually thrive at room temperature for several days, which is great news if you’re keeping them on the counter for a recipe.   … Read more

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