Turning Down the Heat on Jalapeños | Cook's Country (2024)

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Turning Down the Heat on Jalapeños | Cook's Country? ›

Roasting the jalapeños in the oven at 500 degrees for 5 minutes left the peppers still somewhat crunchy while also taking the edge off their heat. THE BOTTOM LINE: Yes, cooking does tame chiles' heat. To lessen the burn while preserving the most texture, roast them for 5 minutes at 500 degrees.

Remove the Pepper's Seeds, Veins, and Pith

Capsaicin, the substance that human membranes perceive as “hot,” is concentrated in a chile pepper's seeds, veins, and pith. If you can remove these, you are well on your way to a milder dish.

Remember how we said capsaicin is an alkaline molecule? Balancing it with an acid can help neutralize the molecule's activity. This means drinking or eating something acidic — such as lemonade, limeade, orange juice or a tomato-based food item or drink — may also help cool your mouth down.

Chili peppers are an alkaline food because capsaicin falls on the base side of the pH scale. This is why acidic foods like vinegar or tomato sauce can be used to neutralize capsaicin oil on your skin. Dip or rub your hands with an acidic food like vinegar, tomato sauce, or lemon juice to find relief.

It's still debated, but the leading theory is that stressed plants result in higher concentrations of capsaicin in the peppers, and therefore more fiery produce. So the thinking goes, the older the plant and the more stress it's been under in its lifetime, the spicier its peppers will be.

A. Peppers, like tomatoes, are sensitive to temperature. Most peppers will drop their blooms when daytime temperatures get much above 90 degrees F. in combination with night temperatures above 75 degrees F.

Coffee grounds can be beneficial to your Pepper plants, but too much can lead to your plant having lots of leaves, but no peppers. Aim for 1/2 inch of coffee grounds around the perimeter of the plant and work into the top soil. This amount should be sufficient for 2 months.

Roasting the jalapeños in the oven at 500 degrees for 5 minutes left the peppers still somewhat crunchy while also taking the edge off their heat. THE BOTTOM LINE: Yes, cooking does tame chiles' heat. To lessen the burn while preserving the most texture, roast them for 5 minutes at 500 degrees.

Sweet Defeats Heat

Adding something sweet to a too-spicy dish is another great way to reduce spiciness. A sprinkle of sugar or honey should do the trick. Or add a touch of sweet ketchup. If it's a tomato-based sauce, stir in a little more tomato sauce and maybe a touch of sugar.

Grilling Jalapenos does not make them hotter, it does however change the flavor and distribute the heat a little more. The heat distribution may be one reason that roasted or grilled jalapenos seem hotter. The jalapenos heat is set by the amount of capsaicin in that particular pepper.

What kills the heat from spicy food? ›

Sweet Defeats Heat

Adding something sweet to a too-spicy dish is another great way to reduce spiciness. A sprinkle of sugar or honey should do the trick. Or add a touch of sweet ketchup. If it's a tomato-based sauce, stir in a little more tomato sauce and maybe a touch of sugar.

Since capsaicin is oil-based, you'll have better luck getting it off your skin if you use a grease-cutting dish soap, says Peart. Acids are another option, since they can also cut through the oil to calm a burn. "Vinegar and lemon juice can be used to neutralize the oil of capsaicin on your skin," she says.

Baking Soda or Cornstarch Paste

Starches can help draw out the oil from your burning skin so you can wash it away and possibly neutralize it.

Rub a tiny drop or two of vegetable or olive oil onto your hands. Coat them with it before cutting peppers to avoid the burning feeling or afterwards to stop it from happening. Try a drizzle of rubbing alcohol or vodka. Alcohol fights the capsaicin and will help you to lessen the pepper's effect.