Black Bean and Corn Salsa with Jalapenos!

I enjoy a spicy, chunky salsa. Jalapenos are my friend! Toss in a bit of chopped up jalapeno for a little punch, add a bit of cilantro and you have a great dish! The name for the jalapeno pepper comes from Japala in the Mexican state of Vercruz where the pepper was first discovered. Jalapenos are frequently used in Mexican cooking. They add quite a bit of flavor and sometimes a great deal of heat to the dish!

In 1912 Wilbur Scoville, a chemist, developed a heat index for chiles, which is the industry standard for measuring a pepper's pain to your palette. His method used human tasters (a panel of five) to evaluate how many parts of sugar water it takes to neutralize the heat. He then developed a table showing how much capsaicin is contained in each variety. Can you imagine having that job!? I would think one's palette would be destroyed after a few trials!

The scale is really quite helpful in determining how much heat you really want to add to a dish. For instance, green bell peppers have a value of zero Scoville units, whereas habaneros start around 150,000. (I happen to like the habanero also!) The scale is also subjective given that it was developed based upon human perception, which can vary.

The chart below summarizes the much more detailed original chart developed by Scoville.

Scoville Chile Heat Chart
Variety	Rating	Heat Level
Sweet Bells; Sweet Banana; and Pimento	0	Negligible Scoville Units
Mexi-Bells; Cherry; New Mexica; New Mexico; Anaheim; Big Jim	1	100-1,000 Scoville Units
Ancho; Pasilla; Espanola; Anaheim	2	1,000 - 1,500 Scoville Units
Sandia; Cascabel	3	1,500 - 2,500 Scoville Units
Jalapeno; Mirasol; Chipotle; Poblano	4	2,500 - 5,000 Scoville Units
Yellow Wax; Serrano	5	5,000 - 15,000 Scoville Units
Chile De Arbol	6	15,000 - 30,000 Scoville Units
Aji; Cayenne; Tabasco; Piquin	7	30,000 - 50,000 Scoville Units
Santaka; Chiltecpin; Thai	8	50,000 - 100,000 Scoville Units
Habanero; Scotch Bonnet	9	100,000 - 350,000 Scoville Units
Red Savina Habanero; Indian Tezpur	10	350-855,000 Scoville Units

Most people think of the jalapeno as being very hot, but it actually varies from mild to hot depending on how it is grown, when it is picked, and how it is prepared. The heat is concentrated in the seeds and the veins, so removing those parts will make the dish more mild.

When selecting a Jalapeno pepper look for one that is firm, has a fresh green color, and smooth skin. A quick way to help you decide which jalapeno has the heat is to study the skin. Jalapeño chilies progressively get hotter the older they get, eventually turning bright red. As they age, they develop white lines and flecks, running the length of the pepper. The smoother the pepper, the younger, and milder it is. The more white lines, the older and hotter.

There are a few older jalapenos in this dish!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa with Jalapenos

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) corn
2-3 firm tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced
1 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2-4 jalapenos, seeded, deveined, and diced
1/2 small white onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
salt
fresh ground pepper
2-3 avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced

Combine the beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, onion, and lime juice in a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Before serving, toss in avocados. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips if you can find them. Regular work fine, also!

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This is a great starter or addition to a meal.
It's a real "guy pleaser"!