Why do jalapenos turn red? This is the question, which many gardeners ask. Typically, jalapenos are medium-sized hot pepper loved for their warm to hot feel when eaten.
It is the favorite chili pepper, revered by the people of South America. Jalapenos contain many essential oils, vitamins, magnesium, carotenoids, piperidine, iron, linolenic acid, capsorubin, calcium, carotene, and phosphorus.
The most valuable one measures only 5 cm. It usually bears 25 to 35 fruits, reaching a height of a meter in 3 months. At first, the pods are greenish, but they turn red and become sweeter after a few weeks.
Jalapeno has a positive effect on metabolism. After its use, the body produces endorphins, which lower the pain and increase stress resistance.
Why Do Jalapenos Turn Red?
This means that the fruits are ripe and are ready to be eaten or picked. If you see jalapenos turning red, harvest them as quickly as possible, so they don’t go to waste.
Also, you can eat and harvest jalapenos from the store or the plants. Jalapenos can be equally delicious or suitable for meals if they contain red jalapenos.
Red jalapenos are sweeter and not that hot, although they retain their flavor and heat. It’s all about personal preference. If you want to dry the jalapenos, leave them until they turn red. When it is ready to grow, it peels off from the plant easily.
Growing Jalapenos In The Garden
The technology of growing jalapenos is no different from the technology of growing other bitter peppers. Due to the long growing season in open ground, it is already planted with seedlings.
To do this, in mid-late February, the seeds are pickled in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate and sown in separate cups of 300-500 ml. This is the most preferred method since jalapenos do not like trauma to the root system during a dive.
From above, the cups are covered with cling film, which acts as a greenhouse. After the seeds germinate, the film is removed. If the plants are sown in a bowl, the seedlings dive into separate pots when 2-3 true leaves appear.
For normal development, additional lighting is provided to create 12-hour daylight hours. If the plants are weak, they are fed, for example, with nitroammophos.
A bed for planting jalapenos is prepared in advance by adding 5-10 kg per square meter of humus or 3-5 liters per square meter of wood ash for digging.
The best conditions for the development of jalapenos are a lot of light, moderate temperatures, up to +25 °C, regular and abundant watering with warm water, protection from diseases and pests.
Top dressing
Two weeks after transplanting to a permanent place and until the time of flowering, the jalapenos can be fed. The first top dressing is recommended with a complex fertilizer, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a ratio of 13:40:13. At this stage, jalapenos need phosphorus.
The second time at the appearance of buds, the fertilizer composition of which corresponds to 15: 5: 30 is used. During this period, plants need more potassium, as it improves fruit growth and ripening processes.
Application Of Jalapenos
- In cooking
Jalapenos are eaten fresh, with hot dishes, soups, meat, baked vegetables. A variety of seasoning mixtures are prepared from them. For this, the fruits are dried and ground, mixed with herbs and dried root vegetables.
Pickled jalapenos are canned at the stage of technical maturity (so they turn out to be more juicy and crunchy). Red fruits are used for comfitures and hot preserves.
- In folk medicine
Jalapenos are helpful for cardiovascular diseases, increasing the elasticity and strength of the artery walls. Also, they are effective for arthritis. Ingestion can improve appetite.
The immune-stimulating properties of jalapenos and their beneficial effect in depressive conditions have been revealed. Regular intake can improve the quality of sleep and improve vision.
- In cosmetology
Cosmetologists prepare hair masks with jalapenos additives that improve hair growth and help with baldness problems. The fruit’s pulp is added to face masks, as jalapenos have an antiseptic and anti-aging effect. Also, they have a pronounced anti-cellulite property.
The Benefits Of Jalapenos In The Body
- Normalizes metabolism
Jalapenos help to improve the skin and help to reduce excess weight.
- Improves digestion
Jalapenos have a beneficial effect on intestinal motility and remove toxins from the body. Eating them can fight gas formation, restrain the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, and alleviate the course of diseases such as colitis, gastritis, and dysbiosis.
- Helps with sleep problems
Jalapeno causes the body to produce the sleep hormone, which promotes rapid falling asleep and increases the duration of a night’s rest up to 8 hours.
In addition, the vegetable makes sleep deeper and more uninterrupted. A person who regularly eats Jalapeno ceases to suffer from headaches, swelling under the eyes.
- It is a means of preventing cardiovascular diseases
Jalapenos help to prevent conditions like stroke, atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction. Also, their pods make the blood thinner.
- Reduces cholesterol levels
Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by the liver and obtained through animal products such as meat, dairy products, and eggs. Bad cholesterol provokes the development of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity, which is solved by jalapenos.
- Good for the eyes
Jalapeno pods can improve vision. Of course, it will be hard to get rid of myopia, hyperopia, or asthenopia, but it is possible to increase the clarity of the picture due to lutein and zinc.
- Restores hair structure
The product has a positive effect on the hairline, which provides firmness and radiance.
- Protects cells from toxins
Jalapenos activate the production of red blood cells, suppressing the activity of various viruses and thereby strengthening the immune system, the activity of which helps prevent premature aging.
Conclusion
Jalapenos are important because they are added to various vegetable and meat main courses when they turn red. They have a special place in filling with great taste cheeses, vegetable sauces, or pizza.
Also, they are often used to prepare various spices and hot sauces, and recipes. The main ingredient is used in salads and soups. Jalapenos are known for their main functions in the human body. Now with this article, you understand why jalapenos turn red.