Fresno vs Jalapeño

Mistaking these two is so common that most shops do it, and a fair number of recipes calling for red jalapeño are really describing a Fresno. Both are conical, glossy and about the same size. The difference is in the hand: a Fresno has noticeably thinner walls and less flesh, so it feels lighter and gives more easily under a squeeze.

The flavour follows the wall. A jalapeño is grassy and vegetal with a firm, watery crunch, and its thickness is what makes it the stuffing and pickling pepper. A Fresno is fruitier and slightly sweeter, and because there is less flesh it cooks down faster and blends smoother — which is why it is the better one for a hot sauce or a quick salsa roja.

There is also a difference in how they are sold. Jalapeños are picked green as a rule and red ones are the exception; Fresnos are usually sold red, because they are bred to ripen quickly and the red stage is the point of them. The Fresno was developed in California in 1952, and unlike the jalapeño it never became a commodity crop, which is why it is comparatively hard to find outside a good greengrocer.