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

FAQs

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

Some jalapeños are hotter than others. When you get a superspicy one, is there a way to temper the heat? A quick way to turn down the heat on a hot pepper is to cut out the ribs and seeds, which contain a higher concentration of capsaicin (the compound that makes peppers hot).

Milk and yogurt make this possible. First, the fat in dairy helps extract the capsaicin molecules. Second, the casein protein molecules act like detergents—they attract the capsaicin molecules, subsequently engulfing them and ridding your mouth of this chemical irritant.

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. (Milk is also acidic, by the way.)

Soak Chiles in a Vinegar and Water Solution

If after that time they are still too hot for your taste, drain them, add more vinegar and water, and let them soak a little more. This method helps temper the jalapeños' heat without destroying their distinctive flavor. Peppers need to be cut open for this to work.

The addition of water, vinegar, and sugar will help cut the heat of the jalapeños and give them more of a tangy, salty and sweet flavor. They'll become a bit milder as they soak in the refrigerator.

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.

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.

Vinegar works because it is acidic, and other acidic foods—like tomatoes, lemons, or limes—can help calm the fire from a chile pepper, particularly if the tomatoes are not themselves infused with chiles in a salsa or other spicy application.

Dairy products: Place your hands in a bowl of cool milk or cover them with yogurt. The casein found in dairy can help wash the capsaicin away. Hot, soapy water: Place your hands in hot, soapy water and gently scrub with a clean kitchen brush. Repeat until the pain subsides.

Why are my jalapeños too hot? ›

A pepper plant that is stressed, having the soil get dry between infrequent waterings, appears to have an impact on the the hotness of the pepper. The older the pepper, and the more stress the plant has been under, the more white lines you'll see, and the hotter the pepper will be.

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.

And if you're not a fan of spicy foods, they're still worth a try. The longer you leave them in the fridge, the sweeter and less spicy they become.

Are pickled jalapenos hotter than fresh? Actually no. The vinegar tones down the spiciness. If you taste the pickling liquid, you'll notice it is as hot as the pepper because the vinegar absorbs its spiciness.

Dairy products: Place your hands in a bowl of cool milk or cover them with yogurt. The casein found in dairy can help wash the capsaicin away. Hot, soapy water: Place your hands in hot, soapy water and gently scrub with a clean kitchen brush. Repeat until the pain subsides.

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.

Vinegar: Acetic acid neutralizes the alkalinity of capsaicin. Pour it over hands or contaminated skin.