sweet peppers in a container, ready to harvest
Each year I grow several types of sweet peppers from seed. I often try new varieties and plant them in different locations among the tomatoes and basil. But when the peppers appear, I find it more confusing to determine when to pick them compared to when I should pick my other veggies such as tomatoes. I often must go back to the seed packet to remember what they are supposed to look like when ripe.
The time to harvest peppers depends on the specific type of pepper. Different types ripen at different rates and the mature stage can be green, yellow, orange, red, red brown, or purple. In general, hot peppers are slower to ripen than sweet peppers. I don’t grow hot peppers so mine are ready from July through the fall. Turning color is not always the indicator. For example, jalapenos are usually picked when green. If left on the bush they will turn red but people think they taste better green so that is when they are picked traditionally. Shishitos, serranos, and bell peppers are often picked green.
Proven Winners’ Holy Moly calibrachoa and Burpee’s Sweet Savour pepper, ripe but will leave as is since combines well with the flowers
As long as the pepper is a mature size and has stopped growing, it can be picked and eaten, regardless of color. It may be less sweet or less spicy, but it can be used in the kitchen. I prefer sweeter peppers so even though I know I can pick them green, I wait until they turn the color they are supposed to be when ripe.
Another way to determine if a pepper is ready is to gently pull the pepper upwards. If it is firmly attached, wait. Then try again in a few weeks. Pull the pepper upwards again and if it pops off the plant with ease. it is ready. Some types such as bell peppers don’t always snap off as easily and may need to be cut with gardening snips or pruning shears.
Tolli’s Sweet Italian matures a red color, making it sweet, so this is not ready yet
If you see tan striations, the skin is growing slower than the flesh causing “stretch marks.” This is called “corking” and is an indication that the pepper is ready to be picked. This is a normal process and not a disease. The peppers may not look pretty but they are edible.
If a light frost is forecasted, you can either cover the plants to protect them or pick them and bring them in the house. If a hard freeze is forecasted, it is best to pick everything or they will become mushy. The peppers can be left on the kitchen counter to continue to ripen for a few days. Any longer and you will have to refrigerate them, dry them (on a plate or in a dehydrator), pickle them, or freeze them in freezer bags.
Peppers are easy to grow and if you grow them from seed, you can get a wide variety. Here are some pepper growing tips and a list of more than 100 seed companies.