Jalapeño Brown Chili Seeds

Information: Named after the town of Jalapa (Veracruz) in Mexico, the Jalapeno chili is one of the best-known and most-loved chilies in Mexico and the United States. The Jalapeño Brown (or Chocolate) Chili is amild jalapeño with succulent, fleshy outer walls and brown fruits up to 8 cm in length. It has a very aromatic flavour, and can be enjoyed raw as it is only mildly spicy. Jalapeños are one of the few types of chili that also taste good in their green, unripe state. As they ripen to brown, their flavour becomes pleasantly sweet. The fruits sometimes have a cracked, cork-like surface, which Mexicans believe to be a sign of good quality. Whilst they are still green, jalapeños sometimes tend to display dark spots, however these disappear again as they ripen to brown (so please do not think that this is a sign of disease or decay).

Care: Germination temperature is between 22°C and 28°C (germination period: 6-20 days); it is therefore recommended to use a greenhouse and a heating mat. The plants need fresh, well-fertilised permeable soil and should not be left in standing water. They should be placed in a sunny, sheltered place with at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, if not more. Place the plants outside around 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost. When you plant the seedlings outdoors, take care to leave at least 45cm of space between each plant. After around 55 days, green fruits can be harvested, brown jalapeños are first ready for harvest after approximately 70-80 days. The jalapeño plants produce a very high yield; single plants bear around 30 fruits, with good care, this can become considerably more.

You can find plenty of useful tips for successfully growing chili plants in our Chili Growing Guide and in the Chili Journal.