Why Jalapenos Crack

• A cracked jalapeno is a sign of a well-aged pepper. Chiles develop cracks as they mature. This cracking and striation is known as "corking" and it is a normal part of the jalapeno development process, so don't throw out those peppers because they appear to be "imperfect."

Measuring Scovilles

• Chile heat is measured using the Scoville system, which involves repeatedly diluting a chile sample with water, and then feeding it to subjects in a laboratory and surveying them to find the point at which they no longer taste the heat. The higher a pepper's Scoville rating, the hotter its flavor. Jalapenos range from 2,500 Scoville units to 9,000 or 10,000 units. Some people think jalapenos with cracks and striations on the skins rate toward the hotter end of this Scoville spectrum.

Green and Red Jalapenos

• Red jalapenos are simply green jalapenos that have ripened. As jalapenos turn red, their flavor grows brighter and sweeter. Many farmers and home cooks believe they are hotter as well. Red jalapenos are especially likely to have cracks and striations on their skin because cracking, ripeness and heat all occur as the peppers age. Americans shopping for Mexican ingredients tend to prefer green jalapenos with uncracked skins. Mexican cooks, however, tend to prefer red jalapenos with corking patterns when these peppers are available.

Jalapeno Flavor

• Although jalapenos are often regarded as vehicles for culinary heat, like other varieties of chiles, they also have plenty of flavor. Although hot chiles with corking may work well when using jalapenos to amp up the heat in a dish, milder jalapenos -- and other relatively mild chiles such as Anaheims and Poblanos -- can add rich layers of flavor without making a recipe so hot that more timid eaters won't enjoy it.