How do I know when they are ripe?!? - Page 2

harleysilo · June 15, 2007

O.K. here are some pics from last night.....

If you can't tell the bottom of the red pepper is getting dried up looking....

Here's some not quite yellow enough (I guess) bananna peppers....

and then just for the heck of it...

feldon30 · June 15, 2007

Those pictures look great! Your Jimmy Nardello is plenty prolific.

harleysilo · June 15, 2007

Well I had to goggle Jimmy Nardello, that plant is a Bonnie Plant labeled simply Cayenne Peppers. Are they the same or different, I realize they look the same. Actually here is the tag....

feldon30 · June 15, 2007

Actually, I meant the first picture. The elongated peppers.

Jimmy Nardello is a very productive, elongated sweet pepper. I've got 4 plants of it. I have not seen plants of it in the wild. Only from online stores. I started seeds of it.

Sorry for any confusion.

sooby77 · June 15, 2007

While we are discussing peppers, how do you know when green or red bell peppers are ready to be picked?

**nctomatoman** · June 15, 2007

Aside from the variety Permagreen (very hard to find), and an obscure recent Stokes hybrid whose name escapes me, there are no green bell peppers - they are just on their way to their final ripe color. The vitamin content and sweetness skyrocket when they go from green to....yellow, orange, red, brown, etc. Some recent hybrids go through several color changes on their way to red (Blue Jay or Islander). All depends upon the variety (it is in the genes!).

sooby77 · June 15, 2007

So basically, when the bell pepper is at a good size (while still green), it can be harvested, or maybe wait until the desired color?

**nctomatoman** · June 16, 2007

Yep - that's right. Same with Eggplant - you can pick them when they are the size you like (though if they go yellow, it is good for seed saving only!). Once we realized how much better (sweeter, richer flavor) ripe (as in red, yellow, the ripe color) peppers are, we really don't pick any that are green or unripe - we let them go (in our climate, it happens soon enough!).

elkwc36 · June 16, 2007

Will add my 2 cents. I was raised in NM on their peppers. Chilies, jalapeno's and cayenne's. My experiences are a lot like Jeanne's. The only peppers that were allowed to turn red were the ones they were going to dry or you were going to save seeds from. Whether for eating or roasting the rest were picked green with maybe some red stripes starting. And that is still how I pick mine. Now on bells I start when they are green but some will turn colors. It is all just a preference. But when one starts drying it will get tougher and to me not have the flavor. The cayenne in the picture is drying to me and almost past eating stage. JMO. Jay

Granny · June 16, 2007

harleysilo, that sounds pickable to me. What does it look like compared to the picture on the seed pack?

harleysilo · June 17, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkwc36

Will add my 2 cents. I was raised in NM on their peppers. Chilies, jalapeno's and cayenne's. My experiences are a lot like Jeanne's. The only peppers that were allowed to turn red were the ones they were going to dry or you were going to save seeds from. Whether for eating or roasting the rest were picked green with maybe some red stripes starting. And that is still how I pick mine. Now on bells I start when they are green but some will turn colors. It is all just a preference. But when one starts drying it will get tougher and to me not have the flavor. The cayenne in the picture is drying to me and almost past eating stage. JMO. Jay

I think I am of this train of thought. The red cayenne is turning red and at the same time "drying" itself on the plant. Tough and leathery.

organichris · June 17, 2007

As I stated earlier, I prefer to let all my peppers turn red, particularly when they are eaten fresh. And although the flavor does change, I don't think it "loses" its flavor per se. It only loses the green chlorophyll taste. But I will say this: some hot peppers must be allowed to change color for the pepper to exhibit its characteristic texture and flavor. Take habaneros for instance, unless they change orange or red they're just not the same. Green ones are still hot and have that habanero smell and taste, but they just don't compare to the flavor and juicy soft texture of ripe one.

But if you are pickling your peppers, you may want to pick them green, especially if you like a bit of a crunch to them. Sometimes ripe peppers can be a bit soft when pickled.

feldon30 · June 21, 2007

Here's a ripeness guide.

Jimmy Nardello

Jimmy Nardello, Golden Marconi, Jalapeño

In my experience, Peppers don't significantly ripen up indoors. If they have some streaks of brown or green, those will go away in a few days.

harleysilo · June 21, 2007

Nice! Thanks! Looks Like I've got several more weeks!

harleysilo · June 24, 2007

O.k. so several of my "Chile Picante Cayenne peppers" were nice and red so I picked them. They have been very hot green, so I expected the worst. After munching on an entire pepper I was disapointed to discover they aren't at all hot once ripe...... wha'ts up with that?

June 15, 2007	#17
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Those pictures look great! Your Jimmy Nardello is plenty prolific. Last edited by feldon30; June 15, 2007 at 11:22 AM.

June 15, 2007	#21
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Aside from the variety Permagreen (very hard to find), and an obscure recent Stokes hybrid whose name escapes me, there are no green bell peppers - they are just on their way to their final ripe color. The vitamin content and sweetness skyrocket when they go from green to....yellow, orange, red, brown, etc. Some recent hybrids go through several color changes on their way to red (Blue Jay or Islander). All depends upon the variety (it is in the genes!). __________________ Craig

June 16, 2007	#23
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Yep - that's right. Same with Eggplant - you can pick them when they are the size you like (though if they go yellow, it is good for seed saving only!). Once we realized how much better (sweeter, richer flavor) ripe (as in red, yellow, the ripe color) peppers are, we really don't pick any that are green or unripe - we let them go (in our climate, it happens soon enough!). __________________ Craig

June 15, 2007	#16
harleysilo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Woodstock GA Posts: 418	O.K. here are some pics from last night..... If you can't tell the bottom of the red pepper is getting dried up looking.... Here's some not quite yellow enough (I guess) bananna peppers.... and then just for the heck of it...

June 15, 2007	#20
sooby77 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: NC Posts: 48	While we are discussing peppers, how do you know when green or red bell peppers are ready to be picked?

June 16, 2007	#24
elkwc36 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: SW Kansas Posts: 339	Will add my 2 cents. I was raised in NM on their peppers. Chilies, jalapeno's and cayenne's. My experiences are a lot like Jeanne's. The only peppers that were allowed to turn red were the ones they were going to dry or you were going to save seeds from. Whether for eating or roasting the rest were picked green with maybe some red stripes starting. And that is still how I pick mine. Now on bells I start when they are green but some will turn colors. It is all just a preference. But when one starts drying it will get tougher and to me not have the flavor. The cayenne in the picture is drying to me and almost past eating stage. JMO. Jay

June 16, 2007	#25
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	harleysilo, that sounds pickable to me. What does it look like compared to the picture on the seed pack?

June 17, 2007	#27
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	As I stated earlier, I prefer to let all my peppers turn red, particularly when they are eaten fresh. And although the flavor does change, I don't think it "loses" its flavor per se. It only loses the green chlorophyll taste. But I will say this: some hot peppers must be allowed to change color for the pepper to exhibit its characteristic texture and flavor. Take habaneros for instance, unless they change orange or red they're just not the same. Green ones are still hot and have that habanero smell and taste, but they just don't compare to the flavor and juicy soft texture of ripe one. But if you are pickling your peppers, you may want to pick them green, especially if you like a bit of a crunch to them. Sometimes ripe peppers can be a bit soft when pickled.

June 21, 2007	#28
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Here's a ripeness guide. Jimmy Nardello Jimmy Nardello, Golden Marconi, Jalapeño In my experience, Peppers don't significantly ripen up indoors. If they have some streaks of brown or green, those will go away in a few days.

June 24, 2007	#30
harleysilo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Woodstock GA Posts: 418	O.k. so several of my "Chile Picante Cayenne peppers" were nice and red so I picked them. They have been very hot green, so I expected the worst. After munching on an entire pepper I was disapointed to discover they aren't at all hot once ripe...... wha'ts up with that?