My Foodie Luv: Jalapeño Peppers

The jalapeño is a Mexican chile pepper. In Texas, the jalapeño pepper is a condiment just like mustard and ketchup, and it is also used in various recipes. It starts out green and when fully ripened it turns red, orange, or yellow. In my opinion, the best way to eat them is pickled while they are still green.

Here's an easy recipe: Easy Homemade Pickled Jalapeños - Simply Scratch

Here's a cooking tip: According to the well-known Italian-American TV chef, Lidia Bastianich, when cooking green leafy vegetables like cabbage, collards, or kale, you should add a little vinegar to the cooking water. Well! My cooking tip is to add the liquid in the pickled jalapeños jar to cook the greens. Gives the greens a kick!

Here are a few recipes: You are likely to find these dishes using jalapeños at any social gathering in Texas; barbecue cookouts, parties, church fellowships, etc.

Texas Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers – Butter-N-Thyme

Best appetizers in the world!

Candied Jalapenos – Foodie with Family

You could call it Cowboy Candy.

Texan-style sausage rolls with jalapeño and cheddar – Jess Pryles

Probably the only thing Texans like better than a recipe with jalapeños, is a recipe that includes jalapeños and cheddar cheese.

10 Irresistible Jalapeno Recipes – A Couple Cooks

Of course, Texans have to have jalapeños in salsa, as a pizza topping, in guacamole dip, in our beans, on our nachos, etc.

You might think it's weird, but Texas even put jalapeños in ice cream and jelly.

Image credit: Food vector created by gordoba - www.freepik.com

Four Fun Facts About the Jalapeño:

(1) The word jalapeño is translated "from Xalapa" (also spelled Jalapa) which is the capital of Veracruz, Mexico, where the pepper originated.

(2) The jalapeño may have its origins in Mexico and Central America, but they are also grown in India, China, Peru, and Spain.

(3) There are different jalapeño varieties. Fresno Chile, Mucho Nacho, Señorita Jalapeño, and Sierra Fuego are the most common. Some plant breeders have produced hybrid varieties.

(4) The jalapeño was the first pepper in space. The story goes that an astronaut who grew the peppers in his backyard, gave his friend, a fellow astronaut who would be going on NASA’s fifth space shuttle mission, a bottle of pickled jalapeño peppers to take with him on the trip. True story.

● ● ●

More articles in My Foodie Luv series

More fun foodie posts on Noise.Cash