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Jalapeño Pepper Cultivar Evaluation, Northern Indiana, 2005, Elizabeth T. Maynard

Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Research Reports

The USDA Agriculture Census for 2002 reported 355 acres of chile peppers, including jalapeños, grown in Indiana. Almost half of the reported acreage is in Lake Co. Based on conversations with Indiana producers, market criteria for jalapeños differ greatly depending on the ultimate consumer. Many major wholesale buyers prefer large peppers with no checking, or cracks. Markets strongly influenced by people of Mexican heritage prefer large, hot, peppers that are cracked when mature. Anthocyanin development is undesirable in both markets. Producers look for varieties that yield large quantities of high quality peppers, and are easily harvested. This paper reports on …