A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 need help w/ hot peppers

I have never grown hot peppers before, and I have no idea how to tell if they're ready to pick! Help?
I have vietnamese purple, Jalapeno, and at least one ?? that came up. (Have them marked but the markers faded and I can't remember off hand)

Some of the Jalapeno's get some woody marks up and down the pepper when they are ready...
(I like to pick them just before they get toooo heavy with the markings..)

Also, when you pull them straight up, they just come right off, like no tugging involved, they snap off when they are ready...

Thanks Weezie! Does the "No tugging" apply to all peppers?

I grow alot of the hotter varieties..
*jalap's, cayennes', ...

Um, can't tell you on the bells', don't have much luck *short growing season and I'm tooooooooo slow getting them started* for the bell peppers.....

I did grow the banana one's and they also picked the same way..

You can also leave the jalapenos on until they are red. Hotter and yummier!!

On the jalapenos..once they are 1 to 1-1/2 inches you can pick them, even when green. Weezie..i didn't know that about the hot peppers about them pulling off the stem, I know Bells do that. I always use sissors to cut the stems, as I am always afraid of getting that hot pepper juice on my hands and then wiping sweat off my face and having that burning sensation...And maybe you don't get any hot pepper juice while picking, but I tend to lean toward the safer way just in case. Here is a picture of Jalapenos when they are the right size for picking:

When I pick 'em, if they are pointing down,
I pull straight up.. they literally will come right off when ready, if they're not quite ready,
they'll tug.. and I leave 'em be..

To be honest, I have never had one break or juice fly, I had never thought about it the juices really...

And those are BEAUTIFUL peppers
I've gotten my banana one's in..
but not quite yet for my jalaps'.
*and I'm dyin' for at least ONE batch of salsa.. *

The woody on Jalapenos is called corking, and is a desired trait in Mexico- it means its a more mature Jalapeno. They can be harvest green or red- although reds will be hotter, with a sweeter taste. If you plan on making Chiplotles (smoked dried Jalapenos) they should be red. The best way to harvest peppers is to use a pair of gardening cutters. Jalapenos can have purple streaks in them when immature, which will go away as it gets bigger. When to pick really depends on the cultivar, Hungarian Waxs, are usally picked yellow, although they can turn red and orange (and are hotter). Most drying types are picked when full colored, usally red depending on the culivar again. Full color will give it full heat, and taste! I have about 175 Hot pepper plants growing in my Garden- still waiting for alot to turn red.

Thanks for all the information...I think mine need to stay on for awhile. Hubby wants to dry a bunch of them so it sounds like fully ripe is best. I think the vietnamese purple along with my Cherokee purple tomatoes will make a cool looking salsa.
Deepcreeklake: Wow! 175 plants!? Pray tell, what will you do with them all. lol

Ive canned some- Jalapenos, and Hungarian wax's. Will pickel a few of the other thicker peppers. The thinner types will be dried, and made into seasonings, chile oils, and vinegars. I grew most all from seed, so it really didnt cost me a whole lot to plant them.