Does anyone know why my jalapeño and Anaheim peppers look exactly true to variety but taste exactly like a sweet bell pepper?
I started seeds both for myself and for a friend out of the same stash of seeds. My friends peppers are true to variety, but mine are not.
Do you think it could be that I apply garden lime?

I know of two things that affect heat: less water = more heat and allowing the peppers to completely ripen on the plant will result in hotter peppers.

There are varieties of hot peppers that aren't hot.
Sometimes seed from one variety sneak into the packet of another type.

When I bought ghost pepper seed, I had some plants that weren't hot... Other plants that were as advertised.

I can understand if the jalapenos were a mild jalapeno taste, but for two years now they taste exactly like a bell pepper but the pepper is the size and shape of a jalapeno.

What's the origin of your seed? If you saved seed from peppers you or someone else grew they may not be true to variety despite their appearance.

Henderman said: What's the origin of your seed? If you saved seed from peppers you or someone else grew they may not be true to variety despite their appearance.

They are from a very reputable seed company. If they weren't true to variety, why would the 3 plants I grew from seed for my friend (same seed pkt) be flavored like jalapeno, but the 4 plants I kept taste exactly like bell pepper, but look exactly like jalapeno. That seems more than coincidence.

Since you got them from a regular vender, you should have a variety name. There are several varieties of heatless jalapeno. Felicity, Coolapeno, Nadapeno come to mind. They grow and look like a regular jalapeno but zero heat.
Hot Pepper Jalapeno (Capsicum annuum 'Felicity')
Pepper (Capsicum annuum 'Coolapeno')

farmerdill said: Since you got them from a regular vender, you should have a variety name. There are several varieties of heatless jalapeno. Felicity, Coolapeno, Nadapeno come to mind. They grow and look like a regular jalapeno but zero heat.
Hot Pepper Jalapeno (Capsicum annuum 'Felicity')
Pepper (Capsicum annuum 'Coolapeno')

Isn't it too much of a coincidence that I grew 7 plants from the same seed packet and the 4 plants I kept for my garden taste like bell peppers but the three plants I gave to my friend for her garden are all true to taste for jalapeno? It leads me to believe it may be the garden lime I put in my soil.

Toni, did you do a side-by-side taste test with your friend's peppers? If so, it does seem like it has something to do with different growing conditions, but not necessarily the lime that you used; possibly yours have received more water?

Weedwhacker said: Toni, did you do a side-by-side taste test with your friend's peppers? If so, it does seem like it has something to do with different growing
conditions, but not necessarily the lime that you used; possibly yours have received more water?

Yes, we have done a side by side taste test two years in a row. It is remarkable how when tasting my peppers blind folded we all were positive we were eating a green bell pepper. 🤷
It is the most baffling garden issue I've had yet.

Definitely a mystery!