Allow Me To Introduce Jose… Jose Jalapeno On the Deck

This past summer (I can’t believe I am already referring to it in past tense. Where does time go?), David and I were browsing the produce in the garden department at a store. I spotted a Jalapeno plant and decided I was taking this guy home. I showed it to David and said:

“Look! We can have a Jose Jalapeno On The Deck!”

I totally pulled off a Jeff Dunham accent. If you know who I am talking about, he has a “Jose Jalapeno on a Stick“, although I am not sure his can reproduce like mine…

Given our new-found love of Jalapenos, I was hoping to enjoy some from Jose, from a plant I actually knew. I planted Jose in a large terracotta pot and placed him outside on the deck. There he would be happy because during the summer we get about 8 hours of sunlight. Jalapenos like sunlight and they like water.

After about two weeks or so, Jose was looking a little yellow, but he was beginning to produce some jalapenos!I couldn’t understand why he had turned so yellow. He looked sick, bless his heart. David told me countless times to give him some food, give him some food, GIVE HIM SOME FOOD!

I finally broke down and decided I would feed him, what could it hurt? Poor little guy had the prettiest little pepper, but his leaves were so unhappy. It must be hard work producing jalapenos. I mixed up some plant food and gave him a good dousing of the mineral enriched water along with some other plants I had growing on the deck for the summer. About a week later, Jose was starting to green up! He also began producing new leaves, blooms and his jalapenos got larger. David was right, Jose was hungry!

At the first threat of frost I decided to bring Jose in. I have learned that peppers do not really have a growing season and can grow year round. I brought him inside and placed him in the warmth and light of the deck door, safe from frost and frigid air, snow and ice that was to come.

Jose is still a very happy little plant. When I brought him inside, he was still producing 8 gorgeous jalapeno chili peppers for me.

Not wanting Jose’s hard work and efforts to produce these fine peppers for us go to waste, I decided I would celebrate the harvest by making Jalapeno Poppers. These little jalapenos were small, but made the cutest bite-sized jalapeno poppers. Some only requiring about a ¼ of a slice of bacon.

I used the same recipe I used for the ones we did on the grill this summer. It only took about 2 tablespoons of both the cream cheese and cheddar to stuff into the slices.

It was almost tedious, but I made them work.  Look how cute they were, all tucked in with their bacon blankies around them… Aren’t they just the cutest things you have ever seen?

Jose Jalapeno On The Deck still resides inside the deck door. He sits in his pot beside a basil plant that I brought to life from a sprig from the produce department I purchased at the grocery store. Yes, you heard me. I actually rooted a sprig from the grocery store. If I had to name the basil I think I would call him “The little basil plant that could”. The day I planted him in the pot, he almost cooked in the hot summer sun. Luckily he came around after a good watering.

Jose is still producing a couple of peppers for me. However, he has had some bloom drops. I believe it is due to the lack of pollination and no bees to assist him. I see a few more blooms forming, so I am keeping a watchful eye.

This time I am going to see if I can help him out by using a little brush to pollinate the blooms. Stay tuned…