How to Grow Jalapeño 'Biker Billy' from Seed
A jalapeño with considerably more bite than the supermarket sort: thick-walled, juicy, and hot enough to respect.
'Biker Billy' is a jalapeño with considerably more bite than the supermarket sort. It is thick-walled, juicy and hot enough to respect, while keeping that unmistakable green jalapeño flavour. It was bred by Burpee and named after Bill Hufnagle, the American cookbook author who cooks as Biker Billy.
A standard jalapeño runs roughly 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units. Biker Billy is quoted anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000, so expect two to four times the heat of a shop-bought pod. The plants are sturdy and heavy-cropping, and do well in a pot or a greenhouse border.
Species
Capsicum annuum
Heat
10,000 to 30,000 SHU
Sow
February to March
Harvest
August to September
Best Grown
Pots or greenhouse border
Difficulty
Full growing method
Jalapeños are grown like every other Capsicum annuum. Our species guide covers sowing, potting on, feeding and problems step by step.
Read the Capsicum annuum guide →About this Variety
The fruit
Thick-walled, juicy jalapeño pods, often with corking on the skin, ripening green to dark red.
The flavour
Classic green jalapeño, with two to four times the heat of shop-bought.
In the kitchen
Stuffed, pickled or smoked into chipotle.
Saving seed
Biker Billy is an F1 hybrid, so seed saved from your plants will not come true. Buy fresh seed each year.
Handling
Wear gloves when cutting or deseeding, and keep your hands away from your eyes and face.
Sowing & Harvest Calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow under cover | ||||||||||||
| 🪴 Final pots | ||||||||||||
| 🌶️ Harvest |
Variety Specifications
A jalapeño with real bite
Sow in spring, grow it in a pot, and stuff, pickle or smoke your own hot jalapeños.
Shop Jalapeño Biker Billy Seeds →