They're ripe and mature when they turn red completely. Otherwise you can start picking them, depending upon variety, when they're about thumbsize, ie about 3/4 to 1 inch around and about 3 inches long. If you take the seeds and placenta out they're not very hot, again, dependent upon variety. I have grown some that had the nice taste of jalapenos and were absolutely mild. Friend gave me some the other day that were just a tetch hot, even Miz Anne could eat them and she's a "supertaster". I make a hot chile jelly out of red ripe jalapenos and red ripe sweet chiles that is very good. George "c.l. avery" wrote: > > Dear list, > This is my very first time growing hot peppers of any sort. I've got > about 7-8 jalopenas coming along. My problem is: I don't know when to pick > them! How do I know when they are ripe and mature????? > > (am hoping that I will not have to be cutting into and eating each and > every one of them to know if mature or not... I'm NOT that big on hot > things. Jalo's are about as hot and spicy as my tongue can stand) > > Carolyn > bethesda > zone 7a > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com