How to Deseed a Jalapeno to Turn Down the Heat
This will give you jalapeno flavor without the fire.

When it comes to spicy food, many people fall into one of two camps: “bring the heat!” and “mild salsa for me, thanks.” If you’re reading this, you probably fall into the latter. Missing the palate for super spicy food might make some cuisines—like Mexican food or Thai curries—less appealing. That can be frustrating, especially if you’re an adventurous eater.
Luckily, you can hate spicy food and still make a delicious pico de gallo. That’s because most of the heat of a jalapeno is in the inside: the whitish membrane known as the “ribs” surrounding the seeds. (Nope, it’s not the actual seeds that carry the spice, contrary to popular belief.)
In this video, wellness chef Phoebe Lapine shows how to deseed a jalapeno pepper quickly and easily so you can minimize its spiciness. This simple knife trick removes the seeds and white membrane all in a couple twists of your wrist.
After slicing off the top of the jalapeno, stick your knife straight into the jalapeno. With the jalapeno in one hand and the knife in the other, twist the jalapeno so that the dull side of the knife scrapes the inside of the pepper. (This is safer than using the sharp end.)The jalapeno seeds and ribs should come loose in just a few twists.
Once you can deseed a jalapeno, you can slice it as usual to use in chili, guacamole, or jalapeno mac and cheese.
Oh, and don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly after handling any jalapeno pepper and avoid touching your eyes afterward. The irritation can be painful!
Phoebe Lapine is a food and health writer, gluten-free chef, wellness personality, culinary instructor, blogger, recipe developer and speaker, born and raised in New York City, where she continues to live and eat.
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[SOUND] Jalapenos are great for
adding a nice kick to any dish.
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I'm Phoebe Lapine, and I'm gonna show
you an easy way to de-seed a jalapeno.
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So the first thing to know about jalapeno
is the insides, the seeds and the ribs,
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are the hottest part.
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And not just for eating,
but also for your fingers.
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This nice waxy exterior protects your
hands from all of that spiciness within.
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Take the top off.
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And you can see all of the ribs and
seeds inside.
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And you wanna take a paring knife that's
roughly around the same size of your
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jalapeno.
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And we're gonna be using the dull side,
so remember,
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never point the sharp
side towards your hands.
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And I'm just gonna insert it
in the middle of the jalapeno.
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Now I'm just gonna turn it.
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I'm putting pressure on
the bottom of the knife
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to sever all of those seeds and ribs.
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Now, you can just take the knife out.
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Tap the jalapeno on the cutting board.
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And that is how you de-seed and
de-rib a jalapeno in one easy motion.
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[MUSIC]