The Big Jim Chile, officially NuMex Big Jim, is a giant mild New Mexico chile developed in 1975 at New Mexico State University. Renowned for pods up to 14 inches long with thick walls and bright sweet flavor, it excels in chiles rellenos and roasted green chile dishes.
Developed by Dr. Roy Nakayama at New Mexico State University in cooperation with grower Jim Lytle as a hybrid of native New Mexican chiles and a Peruvian pepper, the Big Jim Chile produces exceptionally large, conical pods that routinely reach 7 to 12 inches in length and up to 3 inches wide, with some specimens exceeding 14 inches and once holding the Guinness World Record for the largest chile pod at 13.5 inches. The peppers mature from vibrant green to deep red, featuring thick, meaty walls and a mildly spicy heat that varies from 500 to 3,000 Scoville Heat Units, with most fruits very mild around 500 SHU and occasional ones reaching medium levels. Their flavor is bright, sweet, and savory, intensifying slightly in sweetness when ripened red while remaining family-friendly. Vigorous plants grow 24 to 36 inches tall, yielding 24 to 30 pods each, and are a staple in New Mexican cuisine for roasting, stuffing, salsas, grilling, and drying into decorative ristras. A later heritage selection restores even more traditional flavor with higher yields.
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The Big Jim Chile was created in 1975 at New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute by Dr. Roy Nakayama in partnership with local grower Jim Lytle. Bred for larger size, better yields, and to preserve traditional New Mexico chile flavors, it was named in honor of Jim Lytle. It quickly became popular for its record-breaking pods and is extensively grown in New Mexico. A heritage version was later developed from stored seeds to restore even more authentic flavor, higher yield, and longer pods.
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Reach out →Bright and sweet when green, becoming slightly hotter and sweeter when ripened to red; rich, savory taste enhanced by roasting with meaty texture ideal for stuffing.
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