Ripe when green

lumierefrere · February 13, 2006

I know zip about peppers because green peppers upset my stomach so I stay away from them. However I was under the impression that bell peppers are green and then ripen to red or whatever color they're supposed to be. My neighbor insists there are green bell peppers that remain green. What's the final word?

Barb

cdntomato · February 13, 2006

There are one or two varieties bred to stay green (e.g., Permagreen). The rest sweeten and ripen to other colours (red, yellow, orange, purple, etc.). Eating fully ripened peppers does seem to solve the digestibility issue. A friend suffers the green pepper problem as well.

Hope this helps.

Jennifer

lumierefrere · February 13, 2006

Thanks Jennifer. My suspicion is that Permagreen sounds rare enough that it would never be offered in the local nursery so Nancy could have gotten her hands on it. I won't argue with her about it, she's a very nice woman. Just wanted to know for my own edification.

I quite like red peppers and often roast them to put on sandwiches. This is an area I'll have to learn more about.

Barb

sacratomato70 · March 12, 2006

Hi Barb,
I was reading one of my seed catalogs recently. Stokes Seeds has a variety called "Staysgreen". They claim it's the world's first sweet bell pepper that stays green from August until October. Peppers are medium sized with high sugar content with the flavor of a red pepper. 75 days. Pkt of 60 seeds - $2.50 US www.stokesseeds.com

lumierefrere · March 13, 2006

Interesting. Who can tell. Maybe this was the variety she grew out.

Colorado_west · March 13, 2006

At market a lady told me she could not eat bell peppers but she could eat the Gypsy pepper okay. Not bell shape but she dragged me over to another stand to show me what they were. Growing some this year.

sacratomato70 · March 16, 2006

Gypsy is smaller than a regular bell pepper, but the perfect size for sandwiches and salads. The walls are thinner than a bell which make them easier to digest.

I grew some a few years ago in a container and they were very productive. A nice choice for a mild, sweet pepper.

feldon30 · May 31, 2006

I am growing bell peppers myself for this reason.

I only really use them in chili, spaghetti sauce, and fajitas. I am no pepper fanatic. But when I want one, I'd rather not spend $2 (!) at the grocery store for a red, yellow, or orange one. The green ones beckon to me with their tantalizing $.69/each price but my stomach tells me not to.

I can certainly understand why ripe bell peppers cost more. I have had 2 full-sized green bell peppers on my pepper plant for several weeks now. Only today was one of them ready for harvest (almost entirely red with a patch of chocolatey flesh). An extra 3-4 weeks means much more exposure to insects, thirsty birds, and disease.

I find green bell peppers to be almost gut-wrenchingly acidic and bitter. But ripe yellow, orange, or red bell peppers really do live up to the "sweet pepper" categorization when ripened and cooked.

February 13, 2006	#1
lumierefrere Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Zone 4 NY Posts: 772	Ripe when green I know zip about peppers because green peppers upset my stomach so I stay away from them. However I was under the impression that bell peppers are green and then ripen to red or whatever color they're supposed to be. My neighbor insists there are green bell peppers that remain green. What's the final word? Barb

March 12, 2006	#4
sacratomato70 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West Sacramento, CA Posts: 19	Green Bell Peppers Hi Barb, I was reading one of my seed catalogs recently. Stokes Seeds has a variety called "Staysgreen". They claim it's the world's first sweet bell pepper that stays green from August until October. Peppers are medium sized with high sugar content with the flavor of a red pepper. 75 days. Pkt of 60 seeds - $2.50 US www.stokesseeds.com

March 16, 2006	#7
sacratomato70 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West Sacramento, CA Posts: 19	Gypsy Pepper Gypsy is smaller than a regular bell pepper, but the perfect size for sandwiches and salads. The walls are thinner than a bell which make them easier to digest. I grew some a few years ago in a container and they were very productive. A nice choice for a mild, sweet pepper.

February 13, 2006	#2
cdntomato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Kingston, Ontario Posts: 554	There are one or two varieties bred to stay green (e.g., Permagreen). The rest sweeten and ripen to other colours (red, yellow, orange, purple, etc.). Eating fully ripened peppers does seem to solve the digestibility issue. A friend suffers the green pepper problem as well. Hope this helps. Jennifer

March 13, 2006	#5
lumierefrere Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Zone 4 NY Posts: 772	Interesting. Who can tell. Maybe this was the variety she grew out.

March 13, 2006	#6
Colorado_west Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: western Colorado zone 5 Posts: 307	At market a lady told me she could not eat bell peppers but she could eat the Gypsy pepper okay. Not bell shape but she dragged me over to another stand to show me what they were. Growing some this year.

May 31, 2006	#8
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I am growing bell peppers myself for this reason. I only really use them in chili, spaghetti sauce, and fajitas. I am no pepper fanatic. But when I want one, I'd rather not spend $2 (!) at the grocery store for a red, yellow, or orange one. The green ones beckon to me with their tantalizing $.69/each price but my stomach tells me not to. I can certainly understand why ripe bell peppers cost more. I have had 2 full-sized green bell peppers on my pepper plant for several weeks now. Only today was one of them ready for harvest (almost entirely red with a patch of chocolatey flesh). An extra 3-4 weeks means much more exposure to insects, thirsty birds, and disease. I find green bell peppers to be almost gut-wrenchingly acidic and bitter. But ripe yellow, orange, or red bell peppers really do live up to the "sweet pepper" categorization when ripened and cooked.