Fresno
📷 Photo: Semillas.de
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The Fresno is a Capsicum annuum chili often mistaken for the jalapeno, which it resembles in size and shape. It was introduced in 1952 by Clarence "Brownie" Hamlin and named for Fresno County, California, where his seed company operated. Its heat overlaps the jalapeno's, roughly 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville Heat Units, though ripe red pods tend toward the hotter end. Several traits set it apart from the jalapeno: the Fresno is more conical, has thinner walls, and grows pointing upward, and it is most commonly sold and used at its red, ripe stage rather than green. The flavor is noticeably fruitier and, when red, carries a subtly smoky sweetness, versus the jalapeno's grassier bite. Those thinner walls make it less ideal for stuffing but excellent raw in salsas, pickled, or blended into sauces and relishes where a bright, fruity medium heat is wanted.
The Fresno is a Capsicum annuum chili often mistaken for the jalapeno, which it resembles in size and shape. It was introduced in 1952 by Clarence "Brownie" Hamlin and named for Fresno County, California, where his seed company operated. Its heat overlaps the jalapeno's, roughly 2,500 to 10,000 Scoville Heat Units, though ripe red pods tend toward the hotter end. Several traits set it apart from the jalapeno: the Fresno is more conical, has thinner walls, and grows pointing upward, and it is most commonly sold and used at its red, ripe stage rather than green. The flavor is noticeably fruitier and, when red, carries a subtly smoky sweetness, versus the jalapeno's grassier bite. Those thinner walls make it less ideal for stuffing but excellent raw in salsas, pickled, or blended into sauces and relishes where a bright, fruity medium heat is wanted.
