Ghostly Jalapeno Pepper Review
I had first heard of the Ghostly Jalapeno – a cross between Jalapeno and Bhut Jolokia (aka Ghost Pepper) – early last year and determined immediately that I needed to have it for this past season. Many months went by as I searched constantly until I finally found seeds right before the start of sowing.
And man, am I ever glad I found them.
My particular plant was slow in getting going, but once it started producing peppers, it really took off. It was easily the most productive plant in my self-watering buckets. I harvested more than enough of the elongated, red fruit. The ripened peppers don’t really present any of the jalapeno lineage, looking more like smaller Ghost Peppers with lightly wrinkled skin. Inside the fruit there is a good amount of placenta and seeds.
The aroma leans heavily on the Bhut side of things as well, with maybe a bit more fruitiness. These things smell excellent! There is a light floral trait and with a touch of earthiness lingering.
The ghostly jalapeno has a thin, crunchy wall that produces a fruity and sweet flavor up front. There’s a bit of a vegetable-like flavor from the jalapeno side. I even get a bit of an apple undertone before the heat arrives. The flavor has hints of the bhut jolokia, but is definitely different and is damn tasty.
While the flavor is probably more bhut-driven, the heat isn’t nearly as fiery. I wouldn’t call it mild, but it’s definitely of the superhot realm. The burn starts as a light tingle on the tongue, eventually building after a long delay. The peak is about habanero level with a good sting on tongue and lips. The whole affair is very smooth and sits at the plateau for a bit before disappearing just as seamlessly.
The Ghostly Jalapeno is an interesting pepper. It’s got great flavor and moderate heat. I thoroughly enjoyed this one fresh and dried for flakes. There’s plenty of frozen peppers to last me a good while, so I won’t be growing them next year, but these tasty treats will most certainly be on future grow lists.