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Heat, drought make for more flavorful produce

The extreme heat and drought are making produce like jalapeno peppers hotter. East Troy farmer Cindy Chapman says she's noticed a taste difference in some of her crops. AP photo.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Chef Dan Jacobs expected his recent batch of jalapeño poppers to be tame because peppers grown at this time of the year are generally mild. But he quickly discovered that his spicy appetizer carried an unexpected fire.

"Wow, those things are no joke. They are hot," said Jacobs, the top chef at Roots Restaurant and Cellar in Milwaukee. "At this time of year, they shouldn't be this hot. But the warm weather, the no rain, that's going to cause that."

Temperatures above 100 degrees and droughtlike conditions have baked parts of the upper Midwest for weeks, taking a severe toll on corn and soybeans. But the heat brought an expected benefit for peppers and other crops: Their flavors became unusually concentrated, producing some of the most potent-tasting produce in years.

In peppers, that means the difference between a lightly tingling tongue and heavily watery eyes. The effect comes from alkaloids, the substance that binds to heat receptors on the tongue.

"Peppers really like hot weather," said Irwin Goldman, a horticulture professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "When it's dry and hot outside, you'll get a higher concentration of alkaloids."

The same phenomenon also happens in onions, garlic and certain fruits, he said.

Scientists say a pepper's hotness is generally determined by genetics, although environment can play a role. Long hot days cause peppers to produce more capsaicin, the specific alkaloid that delivers the spicy kick.

The absence of water also has an effect. The higher a vegetable's water content, the larger and juicier it is, but the more diluted the flavor.

Farmers say they've noticed a taste difference in several of their crops over the past month or so. Cindy Chapman, who raises corn, beets and other vegetables, said she noticed that the radishes she harvested earlier in the year were especially flavorful.

"They were much hotter, really sharp," said Chapman, a farmer in East Troy. "Some people won't eat them when they're that sharp, and then there are other people who love the stronger flavor."

This kind of weather can also cause melons to be especially sweet, said Jim Nienhuis, who also teaches horticulture at UW-Madison. Cantaloupes originated in the Middle East, and watermelons came from the deserts of Africa, so they've been thriving.

"Hot, dry conditions result in higher rates of photosynthesis, leading to higher concentrations of fruit sugars," he said in an email.

Bruce Sherman, executive chef at the North Pond Restaurant in Chicago, has noticed. His restaurant gets its fruits and vegetables from farms in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, and his recent batches of cantaloupes and cucumbers have been exceptionally sweet.

Sherman said he might use cantaloupe in a melon gazpacho or a cucumber-melon-corn salad.

"We might not dress it as heavily if the integral flavor is better by itself," he said.

He said he hadn't gotten any unusually spicy peppers yet, although one supplier told him that her jalapeños and Serrano peppers were twice as hot as usual.

While fruits and vegetables with lower water concentrations can have a sharpened taste, they'll also generally be less juicy. David Witte, a West Bend farmer, said that could be good or bad.

"One person might like that there's more flavor but less juice, and the person next to him might like a tomato that you cut into and see the juice come out," he said.

The current phenomenon will only last as long as weather in the Midwest remains hot and dry. The heat wave has already moderated in some places, and rain could serve to reduce the flavor concentrations.

Some cooks might take advantage of that brief window to hoard hot peppers for five-alarm chili or extra-spicy salsa. But Jacobs said he didn't plan to offer any special dishes with his fiery jalapeños, grown in Grafton.

If anything, the extra potency means he has to go out of his way to make sure his dishes stay consistent.

"I think we'd just be more careful how we use them in salsa or sauce. We might use one instead of three," he said. "The ones that are super-spicy are no joke. They will rip you apart."

The recent heat wave and drought across the upper Midwest have taken a toll on some crops, but the weather has helped make some peppers extra-spicy and other vegetables more flavorful. For diners who want to take advantage of extra-hot peppers, here's a recipe for jalapeno poppers from Milwaukee chef Dan Jacobs.

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JALAPENO POPPERS

The seeds and inner membranes of the jalapenos contain much of their heat. They can be left in or scraped out and discarded depending on your heat tolerance.

Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours

Makes 18 halves

3 ounces diced pancetta

9 large jalapeno peppers (about 12 ounces)

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

1 quart canola or peanut oil, for frying

Sour cream, to serve

Salsa, to serve

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, brown the pancetta until lightly crisp, about 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain excess fat. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, slice each jalapeno in half lengthwise. If desired, use the tip of the knife to scrape out and discard the seeds and membranes.

In a medium bowl, use your hands to mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and pancetta. Use a butter knife to spread a bit of the cream cheese mixture into each jalapeno half. The cheese filling should be level with the sides of the peppers, not mounded.

Place the milk in one wide, shallow bowl, the flour in another and the breadcrumbs in a third. One at a time, dip the stuffed jalapeno halves first in the milk, then in the flour, shaking off any excess, but making certain the peppers are well coated. Arrange the peppers on a plate and allow to dry for 10 minutes.

Once the peppers have dried a bit, dunk them again in the milk, then roll them in the breadcrumbs to coat well. Set them aside again to dry for another 10 minutes. Repeat the process of dunking the peppers in the milk and breadcrumbs one final time. By this point, the milk will be more of a sludge, but this is fine.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high, heat the oil to 365 F. Working in batches of 3 so as not to crowd the pan, add the jalapenos and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers to paper towels to drain excess oil. Check the temperature of the oil between batches, then repeat with the remaining peppers.

Serve immediately with sour cream and salsa.

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(Recipe adapted from Dan Jacobs, executive chef at Roots Restaurant and Cellar in Milwaukee)