# When are green peppers ripe?



## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

This may sound dumb, but I was thinking about it this morning. I've grown peppers for many years and when they look okay, I pick them. But how do you really know when they are ready? I have two that haven't changed in over a week. Does that mean they are done or is the weather affecting them? They are a decent size, but not as big as I had hoped. Will they eventually change color or stay green forever? Since I only have two, I may just leave them on the plants until they fall off just to see what happens. Can anyone answer my original question? Thanks.

Nomad


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2011)

If you wait until they're ripe, they will be red. 

If you want green peppers, pick them when they're a nice size before they turn red.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

ladycat said:


> If you wait until they're ripe, they will be red.
> 
> If you want green peppers, pick them when they're a nice size before they turn red.


Do they suffer by turning red? I'll wait if they have the same quality. The color doesn't matter to me too much.

Nomad


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

If they are regular green peppers, some catalogs may give 2 maturity dates such as 70/90. The 70 would be to green ripe while the 90 would be to red ripe. When red ripe, they are much sweeter but also have a short shelf life. The extra time to maturity and faster spoilage are the two main reasons why the red ones are more expensive in stores.

Martin


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

I think every type of pepper will turn red at some point.


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

I just wait until they are a nice size. If it looks like a freeze - I pick them no matter WHAT size and just chop them all up and freeze them for using later.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

COSunflower said:


> I just wait until they are a nice size. If it looks like a freeze - I pick them no matter WHAT size and just chop them all up and freeze them for using later.


That makes sense, but I don't think we're in much danger of any cold right now. In fact I'd sacrifice my peppers to get rid of this heat.

Nomad


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## BoldViolet (Feb 5, 2009)

............Interesting. I planted two different peppers. Green and red varieties, according to the packages. I'm so confused.


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

postroad said:


> I think every type of pepper will turn red at some point.


Unless they turn yellow, orange, or some other color genetically determined!

Sweet peppers are usually less bitter and more flavorful when at full color maturity.

Most hot peppers turn red at full color maturity.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Even the purple and chocolate ones turn red when fully ripe. Others turn yellow or orange depending on the variety. I prefer the taste of ripe peppers. Others like the bite of a nearly ripe green pepper. The flavor does change. Ripe peppers have less of a bite and have more flavor. They also don't stink up the freezer as bad.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

sweet peppers when ripe LOL are not green. But they DO get sweeter..green peppers tend to be bitter (but I love that flavor more then the sweet)

Around here, I quit trying to grow bell peppers other then the purple beauties....
they just don't produce much before frost and never get to the sweet stage! Now, other kinds of sweet peppers do jsut fine and the yeilds are wonderful like the cubanelles and bananas so I grow those instead.


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## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

I've always just picked them whenever they were decent sized and I was making a dish that used them. I don't think "ripeness" applies to green bell peppers. And despite what the seed catalogs indicate, I have never grown a bell pepper that compared to grocery store size. They're usually about half as big.

However -- I have also never had a bell pepper turn red unless it was half rotten unpicked. I know they must, and maybe that's just my inferior garden skills. I can grow them green just fine. I can grow banana peppers and jalapenos just fine. But if I need to let them hang on the plant and "ripen" they always just wither up.

I did grow some kind of chiles a couple years ago that turned red, but they were the exception.

So, to answer the question -- pick them whenever you want to pick them.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Peacock, size depends upon variety and there really is a period when the fruit is "green ripe". I've not only grown them to the same size as in the stores but bigger. California Wonder is the standard and anything bigger or smaller is judged on that. And, both sweet and hot varieties have a certain period in which they are at the optimum degree of flavor prior to the final short stage of ripeness.

Martin


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Yep, but I still pick them when I need one. Too many to use let them turn, just use them when shiny, before they shrivel....James


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

I also grow some Cherry Bomb peppers, but I know they turn red. The plants look like small Christmas Trees with little red ornaments when that happens.

Nomad


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

I usually sacrifice a couple before they are really ripe. The "not" ripe ones will look okay, but the walls will be thin and limber. When the cells of the walls get plump with juice(water) and they crunch just right, that's when they are ripe to me.

geo


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