Use it up · Vegetables

Jalapeños and other chiles

Have extra jalapeños and other chiles? Here’s how to choose, store and prep jalapeños and other chiles, plus 8 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Choose firm, shiny chiles. Most of the heat is in the ribs and seeds.

Best season: Summer into fall. Timing varies by region.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: About 2 weeks
Freezer: 12 months

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

🔪 Prepping it

Wear gloves or wash your hands well after cutting hot chiles, and keep your hands away from your eyes. Remove the seeds and ribs for less heat.

🥣 Make it from scratch

Homemade staples that use jalapeños and other chiles:

Fresh tomato salsa

🌱 Grow it

You can grow your own: peppers. The Food Garden Planner shows how much to plant for your family and when it comes in.

🌱 Plan a garden with it →

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Jalapeño pepper. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	29 kcal	1%
Protein	0.9 g	2%
Total fat	0.4 g	0%
Saturated fat	0.1 g	0%
Total carbohydrate	6.5 g	2%
Dietary fiber	2.8 g	10%
Total sugars	4.1 g
Sodium	3.0 mg	0%
Calcium	12 mg	1%
Iron	0.2 mg	1%
Potassium	248 mg	5%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 168576 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

8 recipes, the ones that use the most jalapeños and other chiles first.

With a smaller amount

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.