Re: [CH] picking peppers
Brent Thompson (brent@hplbct.hpl.hp.com)
Mon, 13 Jul 1998 09:11:30 -0700
> I am growing four types of peppers (Cubanelle, salsa, Cayenne, Inferno) and
> they are getting quite large now. The question is how do I know when to
> pick them? They are all various shades of green. None have started
> turning red. They range for maturization is between 30-60 days, but none of
> them are even turning. Are any of these green peppers and *NOT* suppose to
> turn red? Can you pick and eat them when they are green?
I have no opinion or knowledge of Cubanelle, salsa, or Inferno. But I do
know cayennes. Cayennes are great green, used in cooking and also eaten
out-of-hand as condiment. They are best when fully mature, just before
beginning to turn color. Cayennes are also of course used fully mature,
red, but at this stage they are not pleasant to eat fresh raw, and are only
used for cooking or drying, and mostly only the latter. (It's a texture
thing; flesh gets soft and thin, so the chile mostly tastes only of skin
and seeds).
Mostly, the fruits on any given plant (of any variety of chile) pretty
strongly resemble each other, including going through the same stages of
shape and color changes while ripening. So, my advice is to observe your
plants, and when you see fruits beginning to turn towards red, just pick
fruits resembling those in size, shape, texture, and sheen, only still
green. Of course, your taste preference will vary from time to time, as
will your intended uses, so you adjust your picking selections to suit.
--- Brent