There May Be A New World's Hottest Pepper In Town?

Pepper lovers, have you heard the news? The Dragons Breath pepper may be unseated by a new pepper in town. Ed Currie, the breeder which created the Carolina Reaper, has announced he has grown an extremely hotter pepper which he calls Pepper X.  This baby is alleged to measure a massive 3.18 million Scoville units! That's 3 times hotter than other peppers currently available on the commercial market. Now that's one blistering hot pepper!

Currie has submitted his scorching hot creation to the Guinness Book of World Records to be recognized as the hottest pepper in the world. Stay tuned folks as we anxiously await the results if Pepper X is indeed the new hot as hell pepper heavyweight!

Read all about Pepper X in these informative articles: 
Article Credit: Fox News
Article Credit: Pepper X Daily Mail

Debra Jauregui, Astro Foods International
Director, Business Development/Marketing & Sales

Millennials Like It Hot!

I found this great article about how restaurateurs and manufacturers are coming up with different hot and spicy culinary dishes to keep pace with Millennials adventurous palates. According to Restaurant News, millennials are looking for "unique dining experiences" which provides bold flavors for their daring palates. 

Restaurant News Article: 
The millennial palate heats up

Yep, I don't know about you but give me that hot pepper stuff! 

-Debra Jauregui, Astro Foods International
Business Development/Marketing Director

Eating peppers can improve your mood and help you live longer!

When looking for something to write about in Astro Foods International blog this week. I ran across two very interesting articles. One study shows that eating hot peppers can improve your mood by releasing feel-good endorphins. Hmm...I like the sound of that!  The other study focused on how eating red chili peppers can help us live longer. Well, now you're talking...who doesn't want to live longer!

As I pondered on which one to focus on, I decided, why not do both. Feel good, live longer,  that's right up my alley. All of the sudden I spontaneously broke out into song, a little bit of jalapeno's in my life, a little bit of red chilies by my side, a little bit of serranos is all I need. OK..OK..enough of that. You get the picture.

I hope you enjoy these articles:

Feel-good endorphins  

Eating red peppers can help you live longer

Oh, and bring on those GlORIOUS PEPPERS!

Jalapeno Peppers for High Blood Pressure

Check out this informative health article we found on livestrong.com.

Jalapeno peppers can add flavor and heat to almost any recipe, including bread, chili or soup, or be used as toppings for salads or Mexican-inspired dishes. Jalapenos are nutritious choices to add to your meal, and they can be part of a healthy diet to lower your high blood pressure. A nutritionist can help you develop a meal plan designed to control blood pressure.

Blood Pressure and Diet

High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases your risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. You may be able to lower your blood pressure by increasing your physical activity -- with your doctor’s approval -- reducing stress levels and losing weight if you are overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association. Jalapeno peppers can be good choices for a weight loss diet because they are low in calories, with only 26 calories in a cup of sliced peppers. They are also fat-free.

Sodium

Too much sodium in your diet can prevent you from lowering your blood pressure, and a low-sodium diet has a limit of 1,500 milligrams per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With only 3 milligrams of sodium per cup, fresh jalapeno peppers are healthy choices for adding flavor to your food. However, canned jalapeno peppers with added salt provide 2,273 milligrams of sodium per cup, or more than 150 percent of the recommended amount.

Vitamin C

Fresh jalapeno peppers provide 107 milligrams of vitamin C, or 178 percent of the daily value, and canned peppers have 14 milligrams of vitamin C, or 23 percent of the daily value. A high intake of vitamin C may help lower your high blood pressure, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Not all studies that have investigated the effects of vitamin C in individuals with hypertension have found that a high intake decreases your blood pressure, so it is best to continue monitor your blood pressure under your doctor’s supervision.

Potassium and Fiber

Jalapeno peppers supply 223 milligrams of potassium per cup, compared to recommendations to get at least 4,700 milligrams per day. Potassium is an electrolyte and an essential mineral for regulating blood pressure, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A high-fiber diet may support lower blood pressure, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center, and a cup of jalapenos has 2.5 grams of fiber, or 10 percent of the daily value

Serving Suggestions

You probably won't sit down and eat a cup of raw jalapenos for a snack, but there are plenty of ways to add them to your diet. Chop them up and put them on raw salads or in hot soups. Stuff jalapenos with a low-fat cream cheese and chicken, or stuff chicken breast with low-fat cream cheese and jalapenos. Make a jalapeno salsa or jalapeno hummus. Your imagination is the limit when it comes to how to incorporate them into your diet.

Article by NATALIE STEIN, Dec 26, 2015

Livestrong.com

Hot Peppers Make You Happier

Check out this informative video we found from Superfoods. If you want to know how to include this nutritious fruit in your diet don't miss the awesome recipes at the end! 

What Are Those Lines On Peppers?

Have you ever seen a Jalapeno with little brown or white lines in it? Whether you are growing your own or picking some up at a local market, the answer is probably yes. Is there something wrong with that pepper? Absolutely not!

What is corking?

Plain and simple, corking is when the inside of the pepper is growing faster than the outside, creating a cracked, cork-like texture on the skin. It is also referred to as cracking, checking, scaring, or even stretch marks.

While corking is most popular amongst Jalapenos, it can happen to just about any hot pepper. I’ve grownJalapenos, Scotch Bonnets, and Habaneros that have all had corked skin. It is usually induced by excess watering, nutrients, and sun during the pod development stages.

What’s different about corked peppers?

Aside from the obvious, corked peppers are said to be sweeter, and significantly hotter. While some swear by it, I’ve read elsewhere that this is a myth, and it has no effect on the Capsaicin content or flavor.

In American markets, pepper corking is seen as a blemish, and this makes total sense. Without knowing what it is, would you eat anything that had ugly brown lines all over it? Probably not. However, it is said that in Mexico, South, and Central America, corking is a sign of quality, usually fetching higher prices at local markets.

Is corking a sign of maturity?

Not all of the time, but this is usually true. Of the Jalapenos I’ve grown, I’ve had numerous juvenile green peppers show significant signs of corking before they reach their red mature hue. It is definitely a good indicator of harvest time.

Get your cork on!

Hopefully,  any of you reading this aren’t beating yourself up because you threw out last years harvest due to corking. If you have a friend that is throwing some out, tell em’ you’ll take those “blemished peppers” off their hands.

Author - Justin Forrest

Grower says the world's hottest pepper may be the anwser to cancer

Jalapeño Study To Benefit NM Growers

LAS CRUCES – New Mexico is famous for its green chile. Now, the Chile Pepper Institute in Las Cruces is working to come up with the perfect New Mexico jalapeño flavor.

The sight, smells and flavor of green chile is associated with New Mexican pride. But locals may be surprised to know which pepper is more popular across the country.

“Nationwide, jalapeños do sell more,” explained Paul Bosland, Director of the Chile Pepper Institute, and Horticulture Professor at New Mexico State University.

Bosland and his students are working on a study that could make the state’s jalapeños a hot commodity.

“Our mission is to help our New Mexico chile growers be competitive,” said Bosland. Bosland explained it’s all about the science behind the spicy product.

“It’s not only jalapeños, but all chiles,” Bosland told KRQE News 13. “There’s a trend with fruits and vegetables to be more flavorful and more tasty.”

“I always like to use the analogy of wine,” Bosland explained. “We know the flavor components that make a merlot versus a cabernet, and what we’d like to know, well what are those flavor compounds in chiles?”

Jalapeños are a key ingredient for lots of fan favorites. They’re in salsa, guacamole and serve as popular side items for ballpark snacks nationwide.

“We look for them to be still crisp and hot,” said Salley Gurley. Local shoppers told News 13 it’s tough to know the taste of jalapeños without biting in.

It’s a problem New Mexico State University’s study hopes to solve.

“It’ll tell us what compounds are in a flavorful jalapeño, and so we’ll have kind of chemical markers to know if the chile has good flavor or not,” Bosland explained.

The Chile Pepper Institute plans on pegging a New Mexican flavor for jalapeños.

“I think that would be a wonderful thing to have to know what they’re really going to taste like,” said Bob Tillotson. Several customers agree, consistency in jalapeño flavor would be appealing while shopping.

News 13 asked local shoppers whether they believe jalapeños could become the state’s new point of pride. ”

New Mexico is the king of chile, so I don’t see why not,” said Ross Slotten.

“I think it would take a lot of marketing though,” said Gurley.

The Chile Pepper Institute hopes to complete the study for jalapeño flavor by next year. According to Fiery Foods, Mexico dominates the jalapeño market, while Texas is the biggest jalapeño producer in the United States.

From: KRQE News 13

By Gabrielle Burkhart

Hotter Jalapeno Hunt

 

Are you finding yourself ordering that In-N-Out Double-Double with chilies? Is the Five Guys Little Cheeseburger suddenly incomplete without jalapeño? How about that chip craving? Fiery hot or bust?

If you want more kick to your cuisine these days, you’re not alone. Americans are demanding spicy food now more than ever, and it’s getting the attention of food manufacturers, industry analysts and researchers.

In 2013, restaurant market research firm Technomic released its Consumer Flavor Trend Report, which found 54 percent of people prefer hot or spicy sauces, dips or foods, compared to 46 percent in 2009. And millennials are driving this trend, with 60 percent between 18 and 34 reporting a hot or spicy preference.

Grocers are seeing the shift as well. The 2011 Packaged Facts Food Shopper Insights Survey, saw 58 percent of 20 to 30-year-old grocery shoppers somewhat or strongly agree that they like hot or spicy foods.

This trend is not lost on Aziz Baameur, the Farm Advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension (an arm of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources) in the Santa Clara and San Benito counties. For the past few years he has been tinkering with the right combination of critical nutrients to grow a hotter jalapeño.

UC Cooperative Extension advisor Aziz Baameur is studying ways to make hotter jalapeños. Credit: The Regents of the University of California

Yet heat isn’t the only measure of a good pepper—taste counts too. While the jalapeño is far from being the spiciest pepper out there, it’s considered one of the most flavorful. It is found on 25 percent of restaurant menus today, and its demand will likely only grow as pizza makers add it to crusts, and sandwich chains put it in subs and sandwiches; not to mention an ever-growing list of burger recipes that include the punchy pepper.

Baameur’s challenge is to increase the heat level of jalapeños without altering the unique flavor profile. “You cannot replace jalapeños,” he noted. “They are very special in the way they are produced and used.”

A Pepper’s Perfect Diet

Three years ago, Baameur began delivering different combinations of potassium, nitrogen and water to jalapeños on a one-acre section of a pepper farm. He then measured effects on flavor pungency and overall crop yield.

Previous studies from Spain, Taiwan, Mexico and Thailand claimed withholding water created a jalapeño with more capsaicin. However, Baameur was surprised to find that when he cut water by 15 percent, capsaicin levels dropped 50 percent and overall crop yield fell by 10 to 30 percent.

Other reports tied higher potassium levels to pungency. But in Baameur’s studies, a 50 percent increase in potassium didn’t increase heat and even reduced crop yield by 15 percent.

Baameur saw the greatest success with a 50 percent nitrogen boost, which caused a 20 percent increase in pungency and a 10 percent increase in overall crop production.

A Spicy Solution?

While the data is encouraging, Baameur is concerned too much extra nitrogen is needed to bring such small pungency gains. “Nitrogen is really one factor that drives growth, size, thickness and vigor of the plant,” he said. “But you could be reaching a point of diminishing returns, a declining rate of production increase.”

Baameur hopes to experiment with smaller nitrogen increases in the future.

Even though funding is not yet in place for another study, the jalapeño researcher would like to continue his quest for a pepper with more sizzle.

Another factor Baameur would consider is the need to bring more consistency to the capsaicin levels of jalapeños grown in California’s Santa Clara County region. Growers suspect the cooler climate may play a role in why the region’s jalapeños bring different heat levels.

“We would like to come to some reasonable understanding of what is lacking and not only look at production but at the nutrient content of the pepper as well,” Baameur said.

By Brian Sodoma

Put A Little Kick In That Easter Appetizer

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs are delicious and add a kick to the traditional spring, summer, or Easter appetizer!

We ran across this recipe on realhousemoms.com. Turn an Easter favorite, deviled eggs, into a spicy masterpiece! Yum!

Ingredients

•  12 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
•  1 cup mayonnaise
•  1½ tsp rice vinegar
•  ¾ tsp ground mustard
• ½ tsp sugar
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 6 pieces bacon, cooked, crisp, and crumbled
• paprika

Instructions

1.  Slice the hard boiled eggs in half, lengthwise
2. Remove the yolks and put them in a mixing bowl
3.  Mash the egg yolks with a fork
4. Add the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, ground mustard, and sugar to the mashed egg      yolks and stir until well combined
5.  Mix in the jalapenos and bacon
6. Put the mixture in a ziploc bag and cut a small hole in the corner of the bag
7. Fill each egg hole with the mixture
8. Sprinkle with paprika
9.  Chill until ready to serve

 Author/recipe: Stacey

Health Benefits of Jalapeno Peppers

Jalapenos are a variety of chili pepper

Although small in size at just 2 to 4 inches long, the jalapeno pepper packs a nutritional punch, with notable amounts of two important vitamins. Jalapenos are just one variety of chili pepper, a nightshade vegetable well known for a hot and pungent flavor. These little peppers derive their heat from a natural plant compound called capsaicin, which offers powerful health benefits.

Nutrition

Jalapenos are mostly available green, turning red as they mature. These peppers contain a negligible amount of calories, with only 4 calories in one pepper. They also have less than a gram each of protein and fat and just 0.91 gram of carbohydrates in a serving, making them a good choice for low-carb diets.

Vitamin Content

Like other peppers, jalapenos are a rich source of vitamin C, with almost 17 milligrams in a small pepper. That is equal to 18 percent of the recommended daily allowance for men and 23 percent for women. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps prevent damage from free radicals, rogue molecules that can cause cell damage in your body. Jalapenos also supply a good amount of vitamin A, which supports skin and eye health; one pepper offers 17 percent of the RDA for men and 22 percent for women.

Capsaicin

The Scoville scale measures the capsaicin in various peppers. Jalapenos rank as medium on the scale, with 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units per pepper, according to Rebecca Wood, author of “The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia.” Capsaicin has impressive health benefits, particularly as an anti-inflammatory and vasodilator that promotes healthy blood flow. In addition, a study in the journal “Cell Signal” in 2003 concluded that capsaicin is “promising” for treatment of cancer because it appears to turn off NF-kB, a protein that promotes tumor growth. Capsaicin has also shown promise for weight loss, especially of hard-to-lose belly fat, by increasing energy expenditure after consumption.

Information content is from Healthy eating. Article by Paula Martinac. Picture by Elzbieta Sekowska.

Jalapeno Craze

Roasted Red Jalapeno Salsa

Red jalapeno peppers are a little sweeter than the green variety. Jalapenos turn red eventually when left on the plant. Roasted red jalapenos enhance the flavor of your favorite recipes.

 Ingredients

• 3 red jalapeno peppers, roasted
• 1 anaheim pepper, roasted
• 5 tomatillos, roasted
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Finely chop all ingredients.
2. To a food processor, add all ingredients except for chives.
3. Process slightly to combine yet keeping slightly chunky.
4. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
5. Add chives and salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Mix well.
7. Refrigerate at least one hour.
8. Serve.

Picture and recipe by Jalapeno Madness.