Thats a bunk myth, It all has to do with Growing Environment, Specific Jap cultivar, and pollination or actually (Cross Pollination). If you get some seeds and grow them in the hot Texas sun and then take seeds from those peppers and grow them the next year and do that for a few years you end up with a smaller pepper, with darker colors. Purples, reds oranges and they are hotter than holy shit! It takes a few years to get the cultvar settled back to where it should be from the hot house peppers at the store. The big green ones at the store are usually Texas A&M peppers that are mild by design they call the variety TAM. Real garden grown jalapeno peppers are much hotter than most folks can take. My buddy grow them out west of here and I'll tell ya what. Those are the hottest damn things I ever had. With the exception of garden grown Habs. This type of Jap is not suitable for ABTs. At least anywhere but Texas. :!: