New York Gardeners: Were You a Victim of ‘Jalapeño-Gate’ this Year?

You may want to check your peppers. A "national phenomenon" has reportedly left many gardeners confused and angry after a missive mix-up.

We should all be so lucky to have such trivial problems, but while this dilemma should be firmly filed in the "first-world" section, it has still led to many growers to lose faith in institutions they have been trusting for years. Were you a victim of "jalapeño -gate"?

The Jalapeño Mix-Up in New York

"Did you hear about “jalapeño gate”? We all we’re victims 😂" began a recent post from a community garden center. "Although it’s hard to tell exactly how the mix-up occurred, nationally, somewhere in the sorting process, pepper seeds were swapped - so if you thought you were growing jalapeños, you were in fact growing banana peppers", they continued.

Nationwide Pepper Seed Mistake

The issue seems to be nationwide, with comments rolling in from all across the country. "I'm in SW Michigan and have been bamboozled with banana peppers. Although I love my jalapeños, I am going to pickle these banana peppers and perhaps start a new favorite", said one gardener. "I have been questioning my sanity! Thank you", said another. Of course, there's at least one failsafe method to avoid such problems.

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Avoid Seed Mistakes by Harvesting Your Own Seeds

"Good reason for people to start saving their own seeds!", offered a commenter. In fact, the only comments on the post not lamenting a seed mix-up were gardeners who practiced this technique. Luckily, it's relatively easy to do. See how below.

How to Harvest Pepper Seeds

The first step is of course to grow and harvest your desired pepper. This way, you'll be sure that the seeds you plant are from your preferred variety. The first important step is to make sure the pepper you harvest is fully ripe, as this will ensure a mature seed harvest. Then, simply remove the seeds from your picked pepper, leave them to dry for up to five days, and store them in an airtight bag or container until your next planting season. Watch a step-by-step tutorial below.