If you are looking to grow the best-tasting jalapeno peppers from store-bought peppers then this post is for you. We show you how we grow our peppers in containers, and how to pick the perfect one to put in your next salsa or recipe!
Most people are familiar with the fresh jalapenos they grow at home. But most people don’t know that you can grow a jalapeno from store-bought peppers. In fact, you can grow jalapenos from pretty much any type of pepper. In this blog, we show you how. so make sure to read till last.
You can grow any type of pepper from store-bought peppers. This includes the jalapenos that you buy at the supermarket. All You just need to know is which varieties of peppers are suitable for growing indoors. You can grow jalapenos, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Also, you can use the same techniques to grow peppers as you do to grow tomatoes.
Can you grow jalapeno peppers from store-bought peppers?
Yes, you can.
Moreover, growing your own jalapenos at home is more beneficial than buying them from stores.
For pepper lovers, jalapeno is the work.
it is simple, versatile, cheap, and adds kicks to the meal.
There are some people out there who challenge to eat these even raw, like this person:
Jalapenos grow well in both hot and cold climates. Use high-quality soil, water your plant regularly and feed them with organic nutrients through manure and fertilizers to grow your jalapeno plant healthy.
However, most peppers can be regrown that are store-bought. You may even be able to grow spicier jalapenos at home compared to the store-bought ones.
How to Grow Peppers from Scrap?
The only way of growing jalapenos is from seeds. You can’t just plop the half jalapeno in the soil and expect to grow into a plant. Sadly, peppers do not grow from cuttings.
The key is to harvest the seeds. As a matter of fact, there are dozens of seeds present in a single pepper. You can start your own garden of jalapenos very quickly. All you have to do is to buy some jalapenos from the local store.
consider that peppers comes in hybrid and open-pollinated varieties. Open-pollinated seeds produce true jalapenos wheras the hybrid variety produces sterile seeds. Be cautious while buying jalapenos from store and buy the heirloom variety, not the hybrid.
Grocery store-bought jalapenos are mostly hybrids, which contains seeds that are sterilized. Make sure that the peppers which you are buying are the heirlooms ones or it would be a waste of time. Heirloom jalapenos are the true jalapenos.
The glossy green peppers that are usually displayed on grocery stores aren’t the peppers you want to plant.
Don’t stress too much. I am here to help you out in buying true jalapenos. In order to choose the right jalapenos to regrow in your garden, look for:
True heirloom variety
Dark Red in color
No signs of bugs and holes
corking on the skin (Beige stretch marks on the outside).
Pick those peppers that are almost dry and have a few fine wrinkles. This is the sign that the seeds are ready to harvest.
How to collect the seeds from mature peppers?
After choosing the peppers of the right variety, the next step is to collect the seeds from them. you can collect the seeds from jalapenos by using either of the following methods.
First Method
It is recommended to put on hand gloves and goggles to protect yourself as jalapenos can burn your hands and your eyes. Now take a knife and carefully scrape out the seeds from it. place the seeds on a plate.
After placing them on the plate, wash the seeds with water and take them to a shaded area. After a few days the seeds will dry out and they are ready to plant. Also, you can store them for the next growing season. For storing the seeds, you can use an envelope or a jar. Store the seeds in a cool and dry location.
Second Method
Another method of collecting the best seeds is a bit time-consuming, but it’s for the best. This method is very effective as it will point out the sterile seeds. Sterile seeds are the seeds that will not germinate so it would be better to remove them as soon as possible and use good seeds to get more yield.
carefully scrape out the seeds with the help of a knife and put them in a bowl. Fill the bowl with water. The sterile seeds will start floating and the good ones will settle down. remove all the floating seeds with a help of a sieve. Now collect the good seeds and place them on a paper towel to lose their moisture. Let them dry for a few days. The paper towel will absorb every bit of moisture and the seeds are ready to store. If stored properly, then they can last up to 2 years.
When to collect the seed from the harvest?
For collecting the best seeds you need to observe the peppers carefully. The one which is riped is to choose. Before picking the peppers from the vine, make sure that the skin should be slightly wrinkled.
Another sign you could go for choosing the peppers is the cracks around the stem. Once you pick the pepper, you can easily obtain the seeds just like from the store-bought peppers.
Using a sharp knife carefully cut the pepper and take out the seeds from it. Wash the seeds and then let them dry on a paper towel. After a few days, the seeds are ready to store.
Store them in a cool and dry place.
How do you plant store-bought peppers?
After the collection of seeds, your seeds are ready to plant and grow into a bigger plant. But the question arises here is when to plant the seeds? To know the answer of this interesting question follow the article.
The best time for planting pepper seeds is 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. If you feel still confused about the frost timing, you can just simply ask any local nursery.
Peppers seeds germinates well themselves so there is no need to worry about that process. Wash the seeds with 3% hydrogen peroxide soultion to remove the spores from the surface of seeds, if any. In order to increase the success rate of germination place the seeds on a wet paper towel.
Now, take a plastic bag and fold the paper towel with seeds and place it inside the plastic bag. Avoid touching the seed while placing them inside plastic bag. Also, you should seal the plastic bag in order to trap all the moisture inside it.
After that place the bag in a warm and dark location. The range of temperature should be between 70 to 80 degrees. Observe the seeds after 2-3 days, they will start to germinate. Tiny roots will be seen coming out of the seeds. Your seedlings are now ready to be planted into a pot or a container.
Fastest way to germinate seeds
To germinate the seeds fast you need to plant them in hot season. It is recommended that you must plant the jalapeno seeds in summer. During winter the rate of germination is slower as compared to summers.
Although if you are living in an area where usually the summer seasons are long, then you will get a healthy and good yield of jalapenos.
But if you are planning to grow jalapenos in spring season, then you must first plant them in pots and grow them indoors around 10 weeks before the last frost. And, if you want to grow jalapenos in cold climate, then try growing them indoors for better production.