Whats the deal with jalapeno skin? Does it have to be cooked?

[Bigfoot]

I once threw an entire raw jalapeno into the blender and the salsa tasted like a tree leaf. What happened there?

I figured it was the skin so I've been blistering them before steaming and skinning but it's a PITA and the taste is diminished. The best jalapenos are the ones I get at a restaurant that have blistered skin but are still firm. So, just broil the skin till it cracks and use?

I don't cook the salsa I just take a 8 oz can of tomallito salsa, another 8 oz can of regular salsa and a couple jalapenos.

2 Does adding onion make the salsa degrade faster? Does lime juice?

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[Jim Colvill]

The heat comes from the seeds, not the skin. Remove the seeds and you will decrease the heat of the pepper. To remove the skin easier, slightly roast them on a grill and then peel away. Most salsa isn't cooked but is a mixture of fresh diced tomatos, onions,peppers, tomatillos if you wish, fresh chopped cilantro and a bit of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Very simple to make fresh and good.

 

[Bigfoot]

I have no problem with the heat I purposely leave the seeds and veins in. It's the flavor I'm interested in.

Does the raw skin taste like a leaf? Should it be removed or blistered? I'm wondering why fresh roasted japs in the taqueria taste so good and how to do it.

I have a dozen japs to prepare and freeze. I'm thinking I'll minimally roast some and try em without sweating the skin off, if they don't taste right I can still skin em.

 

[spectra]

I don't have issues with the skin. Just made some pico over the weekend and 3 jalapenos were cut up and tossed in there. Tastes normal to me. You can roast them if you wish. I sometimes do over the flame on the gas stove or if I have a lot I will use the gas grill outside.

 

[Stomper]

Are you sure it's the seeds and not the fleshy part just before the seeds that don't have the heat?

 

[spectra]

Are you sure it's the seeds and not the fleshy part just before the seeds that don't have the heat?

The seeds are where the heat is at. I left all the seeds in my last batch plus tossed in a couple serranos and it has a little bite to it.

 

[Stomper]

I just watched a food prep TV show a while back pertaining to cooking with chiles and they were talking about the source of the heat... so being the argumentative jerk that I am ( ), I just found this:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/chili-peppers1.htm

Chili Pepper Pungency
The heat in chili peppers is called pungency, and it comes from a group of compounds called capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is the primary heat-producing alkaloid present in peppers. The greater the concentration of capsaicin, the hotter the pepper tastes. The amount of capsaicin in a pepper also varies according to hereditary and environmental factors.

It's often said that seeds are the source of the heat in chili peppers, but while the seeds are hot, they don't cause the heat. The membrane, called the placenta, stores the heat -- the seeds are attached to the membrane, but the heat is transferred to the seeds, not stored in them.

The mouth's pain receptors -- not the taste buds -- transmit the heat sensation with the help of a neurotransmitter called substance P [source: University of Illinois]. A runny nose and watery eyes often follow the immediate wave of fire, and some people perspire profusely. Capsaicin also releases endorphins in the body, causing some people to feel exhilarated -- the same way that endorphinscauses a runner's high. There's also an added bonus to enjoying an occasional fiery pepper: The capsaicin triggers thermogenesis, a fat-burning process.

Another myth is that chili peppers can cause ulcers, but evidence suggests that capsaicin can actually protect the stomach lining [source: Mateljan]. However, anyone taking anticoagulants, such as coumadin, should avoid large quantities of hot peppers because they may thin the blood [source: <broken link removed> ].

If you've ever swallowed a searing chili pepper, you know that you instinctively want to down a jug of ice water to douse the flames. Not so fast! The heat-inducing compounds in peppers are fat soluble, so reaching for that glass of water is like throwing water on a grease fire -- it reignites the flames. To counteract the heat, reach for bread, chocolate, milk or other dairy products. Mexican dishes often include a side of sour cream, and Indian dishes are frequently served with a side of yogurt to tame the heat.

You may be wondering how to determine the relative pungency of different peppers. Keep reading to learn about the three basic methods for measuring heat.

Page 2 of 3
The relative pungency of chili peppers is reported in Scoville Heat Units. SHU range from zero, the mild end of the scale, to more than 16,000,000 units, for pure capsaicin [source: <broken link removed>]. To put this into perspective, the bell pepper rates a zero, and the world's hottest pepper, the Bhut Jolokia, rates 1,001,304 SHU [source: <broken link removed> ].

Historically, there have been three methods used to determine the relative heat of peppers. The first involves a simple taste test. Obviously, the results of this type of test are questionable, but the feedback is immediate. However, two formal tests have been devised and used throughout the 20th and 21st centuries [source: <broken link removed> ].

Wilbur Scoville developed the Scoville Organoleptic Test in 1912, and it uses human subjects to report a pepper's heat in terms of SHU. Each test subject tastes repeated and greater dilutions of a pepper extract until the heat is no longer detected. The Scoville test was the standard until recently, but it received ridicule for its subjectivity and lack of accuracy. While the test is no longer the standard, the SHU remains the standard measure of pungency [sources: Tabasco.org, <broken link removed> ]

The high-performance liquid chromatography test was introduced during the 1970s and is the industry standard for measuring pepper pungency [source: University of Kentucky]. Chili peppers are dried and ground, capsaicin is extracted from the powder, and then the extract is run through the HPLCmachine, which analyzes and reports the powder's heat level [source: <broken link removed> ]

Next, we'll look at a variety of common peppers that run the gamut from tame to red-hot.

 

[spectra]

Ok you win I don't care where the heat is I just know if you cut them up and touch your eye it hurts a little

 

[Bigfoot]

Well I put a grate over the gas stovetop burner and blistered them as lightly as possible then I cooled em down quickly. I took a bite and then skinned it and tried it again, I couldn't tell the difference either so I skinned and froze em. I like how much firmer they are, hoping they taste better in salsa.

I don't know why that raw jalapeno salsa tasted so bad years back.

For that matter I don't know why this thing switched to italics.

 

[Bigfoot]

I made sure I washed my hands before relieving myself, that's a lesson you don't forget.

Hey look no italics. It fixed itself, I guess?

 

[albin25]

If you've made some salsa but need to pre-emptively "tone down" a small quantity for a friend or family member who isn't as fireproof as yourself....

....Simply adding sugar (or corn syrup) will drop the octane level by quite a few notches, while retaining the color.

 

[Stomper]

Sure, spare the taste buds, spoil the pancreas!

 

[Mikej]

Been growing and roasting "Chiles" for a lot of years. Store bought Jalapenos are a mild variety now, though veins and seeds carry heat still. I always roast chilis using two bread cooling racks crossed on the large element on the stove. Bag roasted chilis in plastic to steam, then remove skin, seed, and veins preferably with out using water. Anaheim chilis have a tough skin that really needs to be removed. Serrano, jalapeno and poblano skin is thin so removal isn't necessary, though I prefer the flavor of roasted chilis.

 

[Martini_Up]

Been growing and roasting "Chiles" for a lot of years. Store bought Jalapenos are a mild variety now, though veins and seeds carry heat still. I always roast chilis using two bread cooling racks crossed on the large element on the stove. Bag roasted chilis in plastic to steam, then remove skin, seed, and veins preferably with out using water. Anaheim chilis have a tough skin that really needs to be removed. Serrano, jalapeno and poblano skin is thin so removal isn't necessary, though I prefer the flavor of roasted chilis.

Short version: Use hotter chilies for heat. Use more flavorful chilies for flavor. Roast them all for depth.

 

[NONAME762]

For me the best jalapeno flavored anything is a thousand miles AWAY from anything I plan to put in my mouth.

So say we all.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I have no problem with the heat I purposely leave the seeds and veins in. It's the flavor I'm interested in.

Does the raw skin taste like a leaf? Should it be removed or blistered? I'm wondering why fresh roasted japs in the taqueria taste so good and how to do it.

I have a dozen japs to prepare and freeze. I'm thinking I'll minimally roast some and try em without sweating the skin off, if they don't taste right I can still skin em.

Normally, for about one whole second, before the heat hammer of Thor hits you, one will often note the flavor of a regular bell pepper.. if it's a hot pepper. Maybe it tastes like a leaf. Who knows. People really don't eat leaves. Just eat them raw.

 

[Certaindeaf]

For me the best jalapeno flavored anything is a thousand miles AWAY from anything I plan to put in my mouth.

So say we all.

Oh you. You're just not right.

 

[NONAME762]

Oh you. You're just not right.

I am as right as rain Bubba!!!

 

[BoonDocks36]

I am as right as rain Bubba!!!

Everybody ~~ the only Purpose of Biscuits & (sausage) gravy is a conveyance for Tobasco Sauce!!!!

philip, eating Biscuits & Sausage Gravy for Decades, but never without A Hot Sauce!!!!!!

 

[NONAME762]

I am right as rain Bubba!!!

Everybody ~~ the only Purpose of Biscuits & (sausage) gravy is a conveyance for Tobasco Sauce!!!!

philip, eating Biscuits & Sausage Gravy for Decades, but never without A Hot Sauce!!!!!!

Wow some of you guys are WEIRD and twisted!!!

The next thing I expect to read here is how some of you drink ANIMAL BEER on poipose or wear pedal pushers when riding your Hogs...