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Posted by Lissa on May 18, 2012
Look! Look! It’s growing!
But when is it big enough? I somehow doubt it’s going to turn bright red like my tomatoes. Do I just pick it when I think it’s big enough to be tasty?
Oh, and Happy Friday!
Weer'd Beard said
If its a Jalapeno, it sure will turn red. They’re much like bell peppers like that. Unripe they’re green, ripe they’re colors, and they taste different at each stage. But a nice rule of thumb is to pick them when they look like what you buy at the grocery store.
Tho It tastes just as good now as it does full-size, just less of it.
Ruth said
You can pick them pretty much and at any time, and like Weer’d said they’ll taste different at each point. You don’t have to wait till they turn red, but my husband (I don’t care for them) says they were much hotter (and he liked the flavor better) when they were at least partially red. In theory they’re approaching turning red when you start to see light brown “stretch marks” on them, I try not to pick them before that point.
I do vaugely recall reading that some varietys don’t turn red, but I can’t swear to that, but the “stretch marks” are supposed to still appear when they’re approaching full ripe.
Not sure if I ever took pictures of mine last year that I could show you, hmmmmm ooops.
Brad Kruse said
A couple of years ago a seed company threw in a packed of Sweet Chocolate peppers. When ripe they turn brownish, a chocolatey color. The taste is a mild bell pepper taste, that I like. I have been keeping seeds back, they grow fairly easily.
The seed packet should have two clues about when ripe. The first is number of days to harvest from planting, the other is description of ripe fruit. If you buy the plant already started, you could wait until the fruit stops getting larger. . If you want the seeds to be fully fertile, if keeping them, you will want to leave a couple of the better fruits on the plant until they fully mature and start drying.
Luck!
Lissa said
You’re kidding! I’ve never seen a red jalapeño in my life – I thought they were just green!!
Ruth said
yup, BRIGHT red when fully ripe. Never seen them in the stores that way I’ll admit, but the ones I planted last year turned nice and bright red when done. We picked them at several different points so Husband could try the differences.
Ruth said
If you go here:http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=2488996 a picture of a ripe pepper and the stretch marks I mentioned
Robert Hewes said
I found an interesting recipe for DIY sriracha that uses red jalapeñas. I’ll look for it.
Robert Hewes said
Here we go. http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/02/how-to-make-sriracha-from-scratch-sauces.html
Looks awesome!
MaddMedic said
And I just put my garden in today….sigh….
bogie said
MaddMedic – I can relate, mine doesn’t go in until next weekend.
doubletrouble said
Same here… I bring mine in before they freeze out there, but they never get really red.
julie said
i’ve got about a dozen on the plant out the front … i leave them until they’re bright red