So that's what it is called. I've been growing jalapenos for about 10years now, and i always waited for them to turn red. I did notice that the ones with the corking always tased better and were hotter. Above and beyond the heat and flavour of picking them green
I just started growing peppers and this was very informative. Our first Jalapeno was short and stout but exibited stretch marks. I pulled it off, washed it and sliced it and had a bite. It was more than I expected. Amazing to be truthful. My mouth burned with the utmost excitement.
This answered more questions than I actually came to this video for. I was going to check to see if those lines on them (corking, as I now know) after I found out if it was ready to pick. Great video!
I have yet to meet a pepper that tasted better green. Maybe it's just my palate, but I really think it always pays to let them get fully ripe, whether they're sweet or hot. Even with "boring" "normal" peppers... ripe red jalapenos will really impress you if you've only had them green before. It's not a big increase in heat, but an increase in rich flavor.
I recently ate a jalapeño that I let turn red and you're absolutely right. It had a really wonderful flavor, kind of sweet almost like a bell pepper in addition to the normal jalapeño flavor. It was much, much better than a green jalapeño.
O. U did not know. I prefer bells at orange, but I have always picked my jalapeno peppers at green stage instead of waiting because I don't want the bunnies/wildlife to nibble them first😂. I will force myself to hold off on some jalapenos to redden for a taste test. I have only one jalapeno, 2 bell and 2 banana peppers.
When i first saw my jalapenos going black i was concerned. After looking it up I was surprised to learn that they go from green to black then red. I love growing my various spicy peppers.
I sometimes have prolific plants that I have to harvest some of the peppers early to take weight off the plant frame. If I see a defect or anything funky I clip him right off asap. 2021 is a pepper bumper crop in central NC. I have 15 plants showing out. Thanks for your video ,I learned something.
Just starting out. Kelowna BC lots of orchards around zone 7a decided to try some Hungarian wax peppers in with herb garden. Never gardened before so doing lots of research. Will look into mild peppers to incorporate in my cooking. Your channel is just what I need; thanks!
Thanks for this! I’m brand new to growing peppers and accidentally ended up with 20 THRIVING plants of about 9 different varieties. They are all completely loaded with peppers and I’ve been so worried I was going to harvest too early/late.
Remember you can pick a rip pepper, wash, dry, cup up, and put them in freezer bags and put into your freezer. They keep very well if you freeze them. Have fun and enjoy!
Found you through your website, just looking up if my peppers were ready, and learned about why one of my plants had multiple corking peppers along with it! Thanks!
Growing Fresno chilis right now, it’s my first time growing food items from the seed. After watching this i think mine i have some ready to harvest! I’m so excited!
I have been watching this channel for several months and love it. But there was always this feeling of "I've seen him somewhere else". I just got it...he is Ferris Bueller! lol😂
This is so interesting I didn't know that peppers are almost always color changing and how jalapenos even still have a ripening. As a commenter mentioned, if you can get them to the ACTUAL ripen state of red you might very much likes it. :)
This was helpful; I am growing bell peppers and jalapeños. I have so many growing. Now I want to leave them longer so that they can grow bigger. I picked some off early, which were still good! I am waiting on the next bunch.
I’m growing Carolina Reapers for the second time. Last year I didn’t do so well. Maybe 10-20 peppers. But this year, I planted new plants just a few feet from where I planted them before. This year we’ve harvested most 100 peppers off of our plant. And there are still more coming! My question is, is this a lot of Reapers for one plant? Thank you and love your channel!
Thanks for the video, I am a new gardener and I love growing peppers. I live in Malaysia (south east asia) and we do not have 4 seasons here, so i actually can grow peppers all year round. I have problems deciding when to harvest my peppers. Thanks for this awesome video!!
@@PepperGeek Hehehe unfortunately I have other problems like pests ~ root knot nematodes is killing a lot of my plants, others like white flies and spider mites have killed quite a few too 😓
My Red Ghost peppers often break away neatly at the pepper with their little 'caps' intact to the stem, leaving the entire stem still attached to the plant (this makes a very satisfying little 'crunch' sound 😁). Is this acceptable, or do I need to remove the stem from the plant to avoid retarding plant growth or the fruit growing back? So far, it hasn't caused any harm to leave them, but I am trying to maximize growth and fruiting efficiency.
I take my pods off as close to the branch as possible so the plant doesn't waste any energy on that stem. The fruit won't grow back on the stem that's left behind. Also a side note, damaged leaves are a waste of plant energy since leaves don't fully heal. Take any damaged leaves off and the plant will be grateful.
Green jalapenos are usually more crisp and vegetal in flavor, getting softer and sweeter as they ripen through to red. I like them both ways! Green is best for pickling.
I'm growing my peppers in buckets in the summers on a tiny balcony in zone 3. Late in the year, october or so, I've brought them inside and they just keep on producing. My Aji Limon was still producing pods as late as January with basically no light more than the regular ceiling light in my apartment and very occasional watering them. So if you got a corner of the room to spare, instead of harvesting before they are done, just bring them inside for the last peppers to get done. Thanks for the video PG!
@@PepperGeek Chilly indeed! Snowing outside right now :D I just got a hold on my first set of Carolina Reaper seeds, got any good recipes for hot sauce containing those to share? Or do you just use them mostly dried?
Yes indeed. Perhaps the best example is New Mexico red or green sauce... both sauces are made the same way from the same kind of peppers, the only difference is when they were picked.
Thanks for the information! I’m new to growing peppers and my plants are loaded with peppers, but since I don’t know which pepper plant is which, I have to idea if they are all supposed to turn red.
Love this! Curious if you think I can grow peppers in south Texas well during winter with a good cold frame? I’m starting a raised garden now and am going to try to keep them (banana & jalapeño) as long as I can.
As long as nighttime temps don’t go below 45-50°F peppers will survive, though they might not produce fruits. The cold frame will help keep temps up, so I’d say go for it! You can also prune the plants back to “overwinter” them during colder months. Good luck!
Thanks for this run-down... very informative. I recently had to harvest all our remaining green cherry tomatoes as our UK August was very wet and our summer ended early so didn't want to lose any to blight (spent yeasterday making 20 jam-jars-worth of chutney) but I still have my chillis. I'm growing Jalapenos (most of them are ready and a few are turning black), Habaneros (small this year and only 4 have turned red yet) and Hungarian Yellow Hot Wax (loads of peppers between 4-to-8 inches but only one half-turned orange so I may wait for another couple of weeks). Your vid has helped me decide when to harvest so thanks for that.
Good video. I have a question for those other pepper geeks out there. When canning peppers, have you experienced a combination or recipe for canning peppers that turned out amazing? I just had the summer harvest and have a variety from Jalapeno, Habanero, Bell, Banana and so on. Looking for a good idea for pickling this year. Thanks for the video. Keep the content rolling!
Hey Michael - We usually start off with a simple pickling recipe and dress it up from there. I will link to a recent banana pepper pickling recipe we did - its delicious. (th-cam.com/video/jua89p2GPOE/w-d-xo.html). You can add different spices to your liking. Maybe a mix of banana and habanero? Have fun and happy canning :)
hey great video. thanks. what if you want to wait for your jalapeno to turn red. but its green and already corking. for me it seems like if I wait until they are red. they will be hard and overly corked.
Jalapeños will actually soften as they ripen, so if you want a crisp texture, pick them green, otherwise I recommend waiting for the best flavor and heat
Hello Pepper Geak! Thanks for your informative videos. Question, can pepper starts be up-potted deeper than the root ball to build a larger root mass before planting in the raised bed?
I've been getting some huge Habaneros from a Mexican Market.About 20 get me through the week.When I pick them out they look great.After a couple of days, some have a little black spot.I just cut it off and eat the pepper.What is the small black spot?
Thanks for this video. It answered so many other questions and gave great info like the corking. I always thought they were going bad or old. 😂 Liked & subscribed. You explained and gave info very well. Spoke just right, not too fast or dragged out. lol Keep up the great job! 🤩🤩😁 🌶🫑🌶🫑🌶
I’m growing peppers for the first time and have been watching all your videos! I got jalapeños originally and have added Serrano and Banana Peppers. I keep them in a 5gal rectangular planter together. I have 4 green jalapeños grown (first one is 2.5”, next 2 are 2”, and the newest is 1.5”). My plant hasn’t been able to produce anymore jalapeño peppers as the flowers have all been falling off after they bloom. Would picking the largest pepper be beneficial to its growth? Thank you so much! 🙏🏼
If they're all in the same pot together, that may be a bit overcrowded. If they're each in their own 5 gallon container, then they should be able to produce more than 4 pods at a time. I would pick the peppers in that case and maybe feed with an all purpose fertilizer to encourage new growth
I have a Hungarian wax hot pepper plant that has many blossoming flowers and one large pepper fruit, I’m wondering if I should pick the large pepper so that the Others will grow if that makes sense?
My wife and I bought a house last year and the previous owners had a few jalepenos out back. They had a few peppers still on them, and we just let them be. Picked a few to eat, and they were good. They did not however, turn red at all. We let them be until they just died due to the weather. Any explanation on why? We planted some bells, banana, jalepeno and tabasco this year, hoping for the best!
Ripening can take a long time, and with those varieties, they are fine when picked green anyway! Next time, try waiting an extra few weeks without plucking the peppers.
Calvin, This video is informative and interesting! I have a question, What is the name and author of the Pepper book on the table behind you at 4:43 in the video? Please reply, I would like to learn more. Thank You, Don
Hi, I have one question. How long it takes to fully ripe when pepper turns red or yellow .... my Carolina Reaper turned yellow 3 days ago. How long do I have to wait to harvest? Thanks
thank you for sharing all of this insight. I'm growing Aura peppers this year. They are completely new to me so I'm not sure what to expect. So far I have a lot of them growing. Green and about the size of a fist (womens fist)
So how can you tell exactly when your plant is about to have pods growing? Cause ive seen many people say that the plant reaches maturity and different times. I have a Carolina Reaper and a Trinidad Scorpion Moruga and it said it should start showing signs after 90 days the plant has grown for for Carolina Reapers and 2 to 3 months for Trinidads.. Or is that just a estimate? One of mine i bought was already over 70+ days old growing wise so... when should I start to see blooming?
It will depend on the size of the growing container. If the plant is left in a small pot, it will fruit earlier. Grown in a large pot or in the ground, and the plant will take longer to mature in size before fruiting. One of our superhot plants produced peppers by mid-June last year because we kept it in an 8" pot, while others didn't start producing until late July-August. Just keep an eye out for flowers and pollen, the peppers will come with time.
Hi. Your video is very informative. I do have a question about peppers. My kids and I are experimenting with about 15 different types of peppers. I am container gardening and I now have green peppers on almost every plant. However my paprika plants have had mature peppers on for a couple of weeks now....but they're not turning red. Do I harvest or leave them on to mature?
Thank you! It has been suggested that peppers can be eaten at just about any stage. How does taste change in the maturing process, if there is a change?
in Moscow the sunny heat is +35 all week, on the windowsill the Jamaican orange hot pepper and habanero orange has already produced 10 ripe fruits. I will be making a fermented sauce. soon
I'm a pepper plucker, I'm a pepper pluckers son, I'm busy plucking peppers till the pepper pluckings done..............came to mind LoL! Great informative vid, thanks!
Hi Pepper Geek, Im enjoying growing sweet and hot peppers. One thing i cant get my head around is...the colors, like some seed packets at the store are for "yellow" or "red" etc.... but I understood you to say they are all green peppers in various stages of ripeness. can you explain that to me? i mean if they all go thru all the color changes, how do they sell a pack of seeds and call them orange or yellow or red and so on? thanks a lot!
Question for you. For jalapenos, I have a couple which are a bit short but are already blistering. The weather has been a roller coaster with an early stretch of 100 plus degree weather followed by 3 weeks of rain. Should I go ahead and pick them because they are blistering or keep them on the vine in the hopes they keep growing or turn red? BTW, is a red jalapeno more spicy than a green one, or is just a color change?
Hi, Just found your channel, I have two jalapeño plants grown from seed, now in summer they are producing loads of peppers however the peppers have barely any heat in them. Do you know how this is possible?
Hm, I usually blame the variety when this happens. We haven't done much testing on how to increase heat level in the same variety of plant yet...but have heard that stressing can help improve heat, and increasing nitrogen a bit once the fruits are set
I have orange, yellow, and red bell peppers. They are turning to their respective colors. If I pick them, they will continue to change to their full ripened color. My question is about the flavor, will it be different from ripening indoors? I know tomatoes once they start to change colors you can pick them and the taste should be the same.
It should be the same for your bells - you can pick when they start to turn and the flavor will be close. In our experience, once they start to turn it really is just a matter of 3-4 days before they're fully changed in color
@@PepperGeek thanks. They were taking very long to fully change color outside, over a week. I think it's too hot here in north GA for optimal ripening. A groundhog keeps trying to take them so I picked them and they are now almost fully ripened now. They are good to eat with baba ganoush!
Hello, l have been trying to grow jalapeños from seed, they sprout without a problem (two leaves) but die a week or two after sprouting l keep them outside in non direct sun light l live in a warm area so cold is not a problem, is it possible that my seeds may be no good?……thanks
Hm, it might be dampness - does the base of the stem turn brown? Too much water is a recipe for unhealthy peppers. Could also be a number of other things, but that is one common problem
I was getting concerned about one of my jalapeno plants because the trunk and branches were turning black. They're starting to green again but they're still very dark. Should I be concerned or is this normal, the plant is maturing?
Some darkening is normal, especially at the nodes where the branches split. Some types have fully black stems, others have none at all, all comes down to the variety
I have a Datil pepper plant that I’ve had at least 3 years. I live in north Florida so we get a frost or 2 or 3 times a year. I put the plant in a greenhouse in late fall when the nights start getting below 40f. I harvested about a third of a quart early this year then it stopped flowering and the leaves have turned yellowish. It appears to be pretty stressed. The plant is in the same spot in the yard, same pot; the only thing that’s changed is it gets a lot more sun now that we had some large trees removed from the yard. Could it be getting too much sun, or is it just too old to flower anymore?
Hm, it may just be adjusting to the new environment, and I have heard of pepper plants lasting 5+ years when kept warm through the winters. But, older plants become more susceptible to disease, etc and likely need some supplemental nutrition if you are growing in a pot.
@@PepperGeek thanks for your response. I did my best to trim back some of the excess growth and fertilized it lightly. The leaves are looking better but know flowers yet so I’ll just give it some time and see how it does. Thanks again!
I picked an Anaheim hot pepper that was still green but massive and it was not spicy at all it was like green bell pepper do they get hotter as they mature or is something wrong with my plant. I don't have any nonspicy peppers in my garden but this is my 1st year growing 🌶
Hmm..I would expect a fresno to have some heat even when underripe. They do get hotter as they ripen, as capsaicin is produced continually through ripening.
I have tobasco pepper plants. All of the peppers went from light green to yellow. All the information I can find say they should be red. Are there two different color varieties??
There are many varieties of each 'type,' so I would not be surprised if you have some sort of yellow tabasco or similar. I love the flavor of most yellow peppers - so hopefully they are delicious!
I thought Jalapeno stay green. I know when to harvest when it stay the size it is for 2-3 weeks. I just harvest 10 of them. People said if you leave it too long it will slow the flowering, which i fine it true. I noticed it all flowered at ones started fruiting and i did harvest it i see only 1-2 continues to flower. Will find out if harvest will produce more Jalapenos
I harvest my jalapeño peppers that I grew last year however, when It was time to harvest they were not spicy at all. Same thing happened with my bell peppers they weren’t sweet. Has anyone else had that problem? If so how did you fix it?
If they're charging more for the red bells, then yes. Just get the green and let the peppers ripen to their final color. There is no bell pepper that will be green when fully ripe (that I know of!)
You should be mindful that the seeds on green peppers are not ready yet, so they might not grow. Make sure that the seeds come from fully ripe peppers! That's a big mistake, so probably your store hasn't made that :D Usually you can just take seeds from store bought peppers, but that doesn't work for varieties that are eaten raw.
I usually like the fully-ripe flavor best for chinense peppers - best heat and flavor. However, serranos and shishitos and a lot of other annuums are better green - they lend themselves better to pickling, roasting, etc. I do like red bells better than green though, sweeter, juicier flavor.
Great question - Yes and no. If you have a sensitive stomach, you may get some bloating and/or reflux. Some people are known to vomit after eating something beyond their tolerance as well, which can lead to issue. However, capsaicin itself does not damage tissue, so the burning sensation is not actually causing harm (just pain)
No they don't, unless you have an over-sensitive gut :) But otherwise, there is a misconception that peppers "burn" through tissue or something, but that's not correct. The chemical reaction on the skin of the seeds sends a signal to the nerves that creates a "false" sense of burn, which is painful but not actually harmful. But I know of people that have IBS and who were told by doctors not to eat spicy food. I don't exactly know why though.
You gotta watch out for contact with sensitive skin and eyes too. I always wear gloves when handling ghost, reaper, etc. Don't want to "pepper spray" myself. And be careful cooking them. I would ventilate the kitchen and not stand over the pan.
i am currently growing many super hot peppers and they will probably start getting ready for harvest in a couple weeks. let’s say my chocolate ghost for example, since u had that in your video. when it turns from green to brown do i pick it then? when all the green is gone? or should i leave it in the plant for a few more days while the brown darkens?
If you’re saving the seeds, wait for it to be fully brown. Otherwise you can pick with some green left and they’ll ripen off the plant, but I always wait for them to be fully ripen personally
They got to show signs of color change b4 you can pick em. Either signs of black, red, orange some sort of color change, Then there ready to be picked But hanging green 2 months pisses me off to not ripen! Then they can finish ripping out on the table ect. The stretch marks on Jalapenos is signs of getting really hot, For really hot peppers > That what i want ! Favor and Heat / I never use scissor picking peppers, i grab them by the stem and pull straight up and some time bend them over top ways > l like a clean snap off to the vine. If there ready to be picked off! there easy to snap off
Thanks for the video! Very informative & detailed. Recently started growing chillies (Cayenne & Jalapeño varieties). Is it true that the redder they are, the spicier? I want to avoid picking them before they're at their max size but not so late that they've reached maximum spiciness. (I'm a big fan of spiciness but my family are very much averse to it 😁).
Hey, glad you found our channel! As for your peppers, yes spicy peppers typically get spicier as they mature. You can pick jalapeños early when they are still green. They will be slightly less spicy and more crunchy. Cayennes can be picked early as well, but we like to wait for those to turn red for the great color. Best of luck!
I am a new at growing hot peppers. I have Scotch bonnett, ghost peppers, Carolina Reaper and a few others. Always looking for the hottest peppers I can find.
Try to identify what type of pest it is. Could be the european corn borer, or maybe weevils. Sometimes, pests will damage your peppers, and another pest will take advantage of the holes in the peppers to lay larvae.
Okay I keep hearing this about bell peppers, are we 100% sure that ALL bell peppers turn red? EVEN if the variety is “Bonnie Green Bell Pepper? Bc I’m almost positive these things are going to stay green
Even green ones like 7 pot evergreen and moruga chocolate x scorpion mustard have some colour change when they ripen. If you put moruga chocolate x scorpion mustard into the search box you will see my reviews on these from my second channel.
How do you use up the peppers at the end of season? You know, after you've made all the salsa you want, and probably all the hot sauce, and froze some, and dried some, and fed some to the cat, and snuck it in to toothpaste....
😂 I know, they seem to just keep coming - there are some other preservation methods like fermentation, jam, relish, etc. Also, we haven't been able to do this yet, but smoking peppers is a great way to get some complex flavor
@@PepperGeek I've been fermenting peppers for a couple years and making hot sauce out of them. I have 3 quarts fermenting now, and will probably start a 4th batch this weekend. Pickled jalapenos once as I had a massive amount one fall and nothing else to do with them.
Never knew about “corking” stage of a jalapeño. Always thought that was a problem/bad thing with jalapeños. Thanks for providing that information.
Glad we could help! Lots of people have told us they thought something was wrong
Not all Jalapenos do this. It depends on growing conditions.
So that's what it is called. I've been growing jalapenos for about 10years now, and i always waited for them to turn red. I did notice that the ones with the corking always tased better and were hotter. Above and beyond the heat and flavour of picking them green
Always found that red Jalapenos with a good amount of corking taste the best 👍
@@Magisktification Me too. Check out a pepper called the Vezena Piperka, if you haven't already!
I just started growing peppers and this was very informative. Our first Jalapeno was short and stout but exibited stretch marks. I pulled it off, washed it and sliced it and had a bite. It was more than I expected. Amazing to be truthful. My mouth burned with the utmost excitement.
hahah well put!
I hope you save the seeds to grow it. I do only for the HOT ones.
This answered more questions than I actually came to this video for. I was going to check to see if those lines on them (corking, as I now know) after I found out if it was ready to pick. Great video!
instaBlaster.
I have yet to meet a pepper that tasted better green. Maybe it's just my palate, but I really think it always pays to let them get fully ripe, whether they're sweet or hot. Even with "boring" "normal" peppers... ripe red jalapenos will really impress you if you've only had them green before. It's not a big increase in heat, but an increase in rich flavor.
I recently ate a jalapeño that I let turn red and you're absolutely right. It had a really wonderful flavor, kind of sweet almost like a bell pepper in addition to the normal jalapeño flavor. It was much, much better than a green jalapeño.
O. U did not know. I prefer bells at orange, but I have always picked my jalapeno peppers at green stage instead of waiting because I don't want the bunnies/wildlife to nibble them first😂. I will force myself to hold off on some jalapenos to redden for a taste test. I have only one jalapeno, 2 bell and 2 banana peppers.
shishito peppers, try those green
I just dont want my peppers eaten by the birds 😢
They get sweeter as they ripen!
We’ve had a major heat wave here and our peppers are loving it
This was so much more direct and specific and helpful compared to the handful of other videos I watched first by accident... Liked and Subscribed 👍🏻✅
When i first saw my jalapenos going black i was concerned. After looking it up I was surprised to learn that they go from green to black then red. I love growing my various spicy peppers.
Then fire haha
Interesting that it's actually goes through these cycles.
@@rickytorres9089 Right? It was concerning to see at first for sure though.
Love the first method shown to harvest a pepper sans snips.
I sometimes have prolific plants that I have to harvest some of the peppers early to take weight off the plant frame. If I see a defect or anything funky I clip him right off asap. 2021 is a pepper bumper crop in central NC. I have 15 plants showing out. Thanks for your video ,I learned something.
Just starting out. Kelowna BC lots of orchards around zone 7a decided to try some Hungarian wax peppers in with herb garden.
Never gardened before so doing lots of research. Will look into mild peppers to incorporate in my cooking. Your channel is just what I need; thanks!
Sounds great! Glad you've discovered our channel :)
Thanks for this! I’m brand new to growing peppers and accidentally ended up with 20 THRIVING plants of about 9 different varieties. They are all completely loaded with peppers and I’ve been so worried I was going to harvest too early/late.
Hah! That’s a pretty awesome accident 😁
Remember you can pick a rip pepper, wash, dry, cup up, and put them in freezer bags and put into your freezer. They keep very well if you freeze them. Have fun and enjoy!
Found you through your website, just looking up if my peppers were ready, and learned about why one of my plants had multiple corking peppers along with it! Thanks!
Growing Fresno chilis right now, it’s my first time growing food items from the seed. After watching this i think mine i have some ready to harvest! I’m so excited!
I have been watching this channel for several months and love it. But there was always this feeling of "I've seen him somewhere else". I just got it...he is Ferris Bueller!
lol😂
Hahah so strange, you're definitely not the first to say this 😂
@@PepperGeek lol☺
This is so interesting I didn't know that peppers are almost always color changing and how jalapenos even still have a ripening. As a commenter mentioned, if you can get them to the ACTUAL ripen state of red you might very much likes it. :)
Thanks. Thank you for TH-cam. Dam I learned a lot!
This was helpful; I am growing bell peppers and jalapeños. I have so many growing. Now I want to leave them longer so that they can grow bigger. I picked some off early, which were still good! I am waiting on the next bunch.
I’m growing Carolina Reapers for the second time. Last year I didn’t do so well. Maybe 10-20 peppers. But this year, I planted new plants just a few feet from where I planted them before. This year we’ve harvested most 100 peppers off of our plant. And there are still more coming! My question is, is this a lot of Reapers for one plant? Thank you and love your channel!
Pepper Geek, fitting name. Love all the info. Thank you VERY much!
Thank you so much! Your vlog is a game changer for me!
thats for that little jalapeno segment thats all i was here for lol
My name's not Peter but I'm gonna pick some peppers
Thanks for the advice. Getting after some Guajillos right now.....
Great channel!!! I went to pick my peppers to dehydrate and make pepper flakes but some are a little limp. Can they still be used?
Yes those are perfect for dehydrating. They get better flavor after sitting for a while too!
I learned at least 4 things from this video. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks loads, pepper geek! You’re guiding me through the season:)
We just moved and inherited a garden which I plan to keep going next year! This is super helpful! Thank you!
That sounds great! I hope you enjoy it
I don't want a free hot sauce. I want free seeds. Lol!
We all do! I won some free seeds from Khang Starr himself. He offered seeds up on a giveaway and no one was interested, but me!😊
Thanks for the video, I am a new gardener and I love growing peppers. I live in Malaysia (south east asia) and we do not have 4 seasons here, so i actually can grow peppers all year round. I have problems deciding when to harvest my peppers. Thanks for this awesome video!!
Wow, that must be awesome to have pepper plants going year round, jealous!!
@@PepperGeek Hehehe unfortunately I have other problems like pests ~ root knot nematodes is killing a lot of my plants, others like white flies and spider mites have killed quite a few too 😓
I was hoping you were going to eat that Naga in one bite at the end! 🤣🤣
I love this channel
My Red Ghost peppers often break away neatly at the pepper with their little 'caps' intact to the stem, leaving the entire stem still attached to the plant (this makes a very satisfying little 'crunch' sound 😁). Is this acceptable, or do I need to remove the stem from the plant to avoid retarding plant growth or the fruit growing back? So far, it hasn't caused any harm to leave them, but I am trying to maximize growth and fruiting efficiency.
I take my pods off as close to the branch as possible so the plant doesn't waste any energy on that stem. The fruit won't grow back on the stem that's left behind. Also a side note, damaged leaves are a waste of plant energy since leaves don't fully heal. Take any damaged leaves off and the plant will be grateful.
So glad I found this video, thank you for sharing
You bet! :)
What happens to the flavour and heat of jalapeños as they ripen? How will a green one taste vs one with corking, black or red? Thanks!
Green jalapenos are usually more crisp and vegetal in flavor, getting softer and sweeter as they ripen through to red. I like them both ways! Green is best for pickling.
I'm growing my peppers in buckets in the summers on a tiny balcony in zone 3. Late in the year, october or so, I've brought them inside and they just keep on producing. My Aji Limon was still producing pods as late as January with basically no light more than the regular ceiling light in my apartment and very occasional watering them. So if you got a corner of the room to spare, instead of harvesting before they are done, just bring them inside for the last peppers to get done.
Thanks for the video PG!
Wow, that's awesome! Chilly up there in zone 3, glad to hear you still get good harvests :)
@@PepperGeek Chilly indeed! Snowing outside right now :D
I just got a hold on my first set of Carolina Reaper seeds, got any good recipes for hot sauce containing those to share? Or do you just use them mostly dried?
@@LegoLazze hot sauce: peppers, vinegar, water, garlic, lime, salt. hopefully reapers get hot in zone 3.
Love the channel. Keep up the great work. Aren't picking peppers at certain stages done so because of the difference in taste?
Thanks! Yes, earlier is usually more bitter and tart while ripe is typically sweeter and juicier.
Yes indeed. Perhaps the best example is New Mexico red or green sauce... both sauces are made the same way from the same kind of peppers, the only difference is when they were picked.
Thanks for the information! I’m new to growing peppers and my plants are loaded with peppers, but since I don’t know which pepper plant is which, I have to idea if they are all supposed to turn red.
6:00 for the actual picking procedure
yes and very disappointing. scissors? i pick mine with a laser.
Thanks for the information this answered my question
Love this! Curious if you think I can grow peppers in south Texas well during winter with a good cold frame? I’m starting a raised garden now and am going to try to keep them (banana & jalapeño) as long as I can.
As long as nighttime temps don’t go below 45-50°F peppers will survive, though they might not produce fruits. The cold frame will help keep temps up, so I’d say go for it! You can also prune the plants back to “overwinter” them during colder months. Good luck!
Awesome video. Definitely subcribed
The slowmo at 7:01 is comedy gold
I have just got a chilli chenzo plant (black chillies) how will I know when to harvest when they don't change colour, cheers for any advice.
Thanks for this run-down... very informative. I recently had to harvest all our remaining green cherry tomatoes as our UK August was very wet and our summer ended early so didn't want to lose any to blight (spent yeasterday making 20 jam-jars-worth of chutney) but I still have my chillis. I'm growing Jalapenos (most of them are ready and a few are turning black), Habaneros (small this year and only 4 have turned red yet) and Hungarian Yellow Hot Wax (loads of peppers between 4-to-8 inches but only one half-turned orange so I may wait for another couple of weeks).
Your vid has helped me decide when to harvest so thanks for that.
Great to hear that you're getting some pepper harvests soon! Glad we could help you a bit.
if you're lonely, go talk to your plants. i heard it helps them grow!
What kind of Fertilizer would you recommend for Jalapeño plants. I'm growing mine in a pot. I don't have a yard to plant at all.
A basic organic fertilizer will do wonders - Miracle Gro Organics 'All Purpose' has worked very well for us over the years
Good video. I have a question for those other pepper geeks out there. When canning peppers, have you experienced a combination or recipe for canning peppers that turned out amazing? I just had the summer harvest and have a variety from Jalapeno, Habanero, Bell, Banana and so on. Looking for a good idea for pickling this year. Thanks for the video. Keep the content rolling!
Hey Michael - We usually start off with a simple pickling recipe and dress it up from there. I will link to a recent banana pepper pickling recipe we did - its delicious. (th-cam.com/video/jua89p2GPOE/w-d-xo.html). You can add different spices to your liking. Maybe a mix of banana and habanero? Have fun and happy canning :)
hey great video. thanks. what if you want to wait for your jalapeno to turn red. but its green and already corking. for me it seems like if I wait until they are red. they will be hard and overly corked.
Jalapeños will actually soften as they ripen, so if you want a crisp texture, pick them green, otherwise I recommend waiting for the best flavor and heat
Hello Pepper Geak! Thanks for your informative videos. Question, can pepper starts be up-potted deeper than the root ball to build a larger root mass before planting in the raised bed?
Following because I’m interested. I’ve heard one professional gardener say they can/will
Awesome video. Excellent information. Thank you for sharing your pepper knowledge
I've been getting some huge Habaneros from a Mexican Market.About 20 get me through the week.When I pick them out they look great.After a couple of days, some have a little black spot.I just cut it off and eat the pepper.What is the small black spot?
Thanks for this video. It answered so many other questions and gave great info like the corking. I always thought they were going bad or old. 😂 Liked & subscribed. You explained and gave info very well. Spoke just right, not too fast or dragged out. lol Keep up the great job! 🤩🤩😁
🌶🫑🌶🫑🌶
I’m growing peppers for the first time and have been watching all your videos! I got jalapeños originally and have added Serrano and Banana Peppers. I keep them in a 5gal rectangular planter together. I have 4 green jalapeños grown (first one is 2.5”, next 2 are 2”, and the newest is 1.5”). My plant hasn’t been able to produce anymore jalapeño peppers as the flowers have all been falling off after they bloom. Would picking the largest pepper be beneficial to its growth? Thank you so much! 🙏🏼
If they're all in the same pot together, that may be a bit overcrowded. If they're each in their own 5 gallon container, then they should be able to produce more than 4 pods at a time. I would pick the peppers in that case and maybe feed with an all purpose fertilizer to encourage new growth
I have a Hungarian wax hot pepper plant that has many blossoming flowers and one large pepper fruit, I’m wondering if I should pick the large pepper so that the
Others will grow if that makes sense?
Extremely helpful!, Thank You!
My wife and I bought a house last year and the previous owners had a few jalepenos out back. They had a few peppers still on them, and we just let them be. Picked a few to eat, and they were good. They did not however, turn red at all. We let them be until they just died due to the weather. Any explanation on why? We planted some bells, banana, jalepeno and tabasco this year, hoping for the best!
Ripening can take a long time, and with those varieties, they are fine when picked green anyway! Next time, try waiting an extra few weeks without plucking the peppers.
The mustard variety of peppers are always hard to judge when to pick.
Calvin, This video is informative and interesting! I have a question, What is the name and author of the Pepper book on the table behind you at 4:43 in the video? Please reply, I would like to learn more. Thank You, Don
Thanks! The book is by Dave DeWitt
Hi, I have one question. How long it takes to fully ripe when pepper turns red or yellow .... my Carolina Reaper turned yellow 3 days ago. How long do I have to wait to harvest? Thanks
I’d harvest as soon as it has fully turned, or maybe 1-2 days after
thank you for sharing all of this insight. I'm growing Aura peppers this year. They are completely new to me so I'm not sure what to expect. So far I have a lot of them growing. Green and about the size of a fist (womens fist)
Calvin The kelvin guy LOL
So how can you tell exactly when your plant is about to have pods growing? Cause ive seen many people say that the plant reaches maturity and different times. I have a Carolina Reaper and a Trinidad Scorpion Moruga and it said it should start showing signs after 90 days the plant has grown for for Carolina Reapers and 2 to 3 months for Trinidads.. Or is that just a estimate? One of mine i bought was already over 70+ days old growing wise so... when should I start to see blooming?
It will depend on the size of the growing container. If the plant is left in a small pot, it will fruit earlier. Grown in a large pot or in the ground, and the plant will take longer to mature in size before fruiting. One of our superhot plants produced peppers by mid-June last year because we kept it in an 8" pot, while others didn't start producing until late July-August.
Just keep an eye out for flowers and pollen, the peppers will come with time.
Hi. Your video is very informative. I do have a question about peppers. My kids and I are experimenting with about 15 different types of peppers. I am container gardening and I now have green peppers on almost every plant. However my paprika plants have had mature peppers on for a couple of weeks now....but they're not turning red. Do I harvest or leave them on to mature?
Thank you! It has been suggested that peppers can be eaten at just about any stage. How does taste change in the maturing process, if there is a change?
Yes, typically more bitter when underripe, and sweeter and juicier when fully ripe. The younger pods are also more crisp (great for pickling!)
But how does harvesting affect new pepper production?
Pretty sure I'm growing banana peppers. Do they turn colors before they are ready?
in Moscow the sunny heat is +35 all week, on the windowsill the Jamaican orange hot pepper and habanero orange has already produced 10 ripe fruits. I will be making a fermented sauce. soon
Are hot peppers popular in Russia? Interesting learning who around the world loves peeppers
I'm a pepper plucker, I'm a pepper pluckers son, I'm busy plucking peppers till the pepper pluckings done..............came to mind LoL! Great informative vid, thanks!
Hi Pepper Geek, Im enjoying growing sweet and hot peppers. One thing i cant get my head around is...the colors, like some seed packets at the store are for "yellow" or "red" etc.... but I understood you to say they are all green peppers in various stages of ripeness. can you explain that to me? i mean if they all go thru all the color changes, how do they sell a pack of seeds and call them orange or yellow or red and so on? thanks a lot!
Well, orange bells will turn orange, yellow will turn yellow, but 'green' bells are just a falsehood. The final color of a bell pepper is never green
@@PepperGeek interesting. Thank you.
youre a smart dude...love the videos man...thank you!!
Question for you. For jalapenos, I have a couple which are a bit short but are already blistering. The weather has been a roller coaster with an early stretch of 100 plus degree weather followed by 3 weeks of rain. Should I go ahead and pick them because they are blistering or keep them on the vine in the hopes they keep growing or turn red? BTW, is a red jalapeno more spicy than a green one, or is just a color change?
You can pick them green, they’ll be more crunchy. They can get more spicy when red, but they start to soften as well.
Hi,
Just found your channel, I have two jalapeño plants grown from seed, now in summer they are producing loads of peppers however the peppers have barely any heat in them. Do you know how this is possible?
Hm, I usually blame the variety when this happens. We haven't done much testing on how to increase heat level in the same variety of plant yet...but have heard that stressing can help improve heat, and increasing nitrogen a bit once the fruits are set
I have orange, yellow, and red bell peppers. They are turning to their respective colors. If I pick them, they will continue to change to their full ripened color. My question is about the flavor, will it be different from ripening indoors? I know tomatoes once they start to change colors you can pick them and the taste should be the same.
It should be the same for your bells - you can pick when they start to turn and the flavor will be close. In our experience, once they start to turn it really is just a matter of 3-4 days before they're fully changed in color
@@PepperGeek thanks. They were taking very long to fully change color outside, over a week. I think it's too hot here in north GA for optimal ripening. A groundhog keeps trying to take them so I picked them and they are now almost fully ripened now. They are good to eat with baba ganoush!
Hello, l have been trying to grow jalapeños from seed, they sprout without a problem (two leaves) but die a week or two after sprouting l keep them outside in non direct sun light l live in a warm area so cold is not a problem, is it possible that my seeds may be no good?……thanks
Hm, it might be dampness - does the base of the stem turn brown? Too much water is a recipe for unhealthy peppers. Could also be a number of other things, but that is one common problem
@@PepperGeek Thank you.
I was getting concerned about one of my jalapeno plants because the trunk and branches were turning black. They're starting to green again but they're still very dark. Should I be concerned or is this normal, the plant is maturing?
Some darkening is normal, especially at the nodes where the branches split. Some types have fully black stems, others have none at all, all comes down to the variety
I have a Datil pepper plant that I’ve had at least 3 years. I live in north Florida so we get a frost or 2 or 3 times a year. I put the plant in a greenhouse in late fall when the nights start getting below 40f. I harvested about a third of a quart early this year then it stopped flowering and the leaves have turned yellowish. It appears to be pretty stressed. The plant is in the same spot in the yard, same pot; the only thing that’s changed is it gets a lot more sun now that we had some large trees removed from the yard. Could it be getting too much sun, or is it just too old to flower anymore?
Hm, it may just be adjusting to the new environment, and I have heard of pepper plants lasting 5+ years when kept warm through the winters. But, older plants become more susceptible to disease, etc and likely need some supplemental nutrition if you are growing in a pot.
@@PepperGeek thanks for your response. I did my best to trim back some of the excess growth and fertilized it lightly. The leaves are looking better but know flowers yet so I’ll just give it some time and see how it does. Thanks again!
I picked an Anaheim hot pepper that was still green but massive and it was not spicy at all it was like green bell pepper do they get hotter as they mature or is something wrong with my plant. I don't have any nonspicy peppers in my garden but this is my 1st year growing 🌶
Hmm..I would expect a fresno to have some heat even when underripe. They do get hotter as they ripen, as capsaicin is produced continually through ripening.
I have tobasco pepper plants. All of the peppers went from light green to yellow. All the information I can find say they should be red. Are there two different color varieties??
There are many varieties of each 'type,' so I would not be surprised if you have some sort of yellow tabasco or similar. I love the flavor of most yellow peppers - so hopefully they are delicious!
Nice thank you for these informations. I'm growing jalapeños, Thai bird, Naga red, cayenne and habanero yellow. Have u got experience with Thai bird?
I just picked a green jalapeno pepper off my plant chopped it and threw it in some ramen and it was 8/10 spice
I thought Jalapeno stay green. I know when to harvest when it stay the size it is for 2-3 weeks. I just harvest 10 of them. People said if you leave it too long it will slow the flowering, which i fine it true. I noticed it all flowered at ones started fruiting and i did harvest it i see only 1-2 continues to flower. Will find out if harvest will produce more Jalapenos
I harvest my jalapeño peppers that I grew last year however, when It was time to harvest they were not spicy at all. Same thing happened with my bell peppers they weren’t sweet. Has anyone else had that problem? If so how did you fix it?
Same
So when you're buying a bell pepper plant from a nursery and different plants are advertised as red or green, is that a rip off?
If they're charging more for the red bells, then yes. Just get the green and let the peppers ripen to their final color. There is no bell pepper that will be green when fully ripe (that I know of!)
You should be mindful that the seeds on green peppers are not ready yet, so they might not grow. Make sure that the seeds come from fully ripe peppers! That's a big mistake, so probably your store hasn't made that :D Usually you can just take seeds from store bought peppers, but that doesn't work for varieties that are eaten raw.
Varieties mature at different times. Maybe red bells mature faster so you don't have to wait 6 months for a green bell to turn red.
@@carlholland3819 More like six weeks :D Ok to be honest I'm not really counting how long mine take, because I get produce almost all year round
What difference is there in taste and hotness between a green pepper and a fully ripe colored red one?
I usually like the fully-ripe flavor best for chinense peppers - best heat and flavor. However, serranos and shishitos and a lot of other annuums are better green - they lend themselves better to pickling, roasting, etc. I do like red bells better than green though, sweeter, juicier flavor.
Thanks for all the tips....here in México you're so apreciated thru My new channel cause I talk obout u and your good advices...thanks again.
That is awesome, happy to be helpful!
i just picked 2 green snacking peppers, but they don't taste too great. Maybe it's too soon? It's been 2 months since I planted it.
THANKS MUCH 🙂
I have a good question, and that is with eating superhot peppers, they don't cause any actual damage do they?
Great question - Yes and no. If you have a sensitive stomach, you may get some bloating and/or reflux. Some people are known to vomit after eating something beyond their tolerance as well, which can lead to issue. However, capsaicin itself does not damage tissue, so the burning sensation is not actually causing harm (just pain)
No they don't, unless you have an over-sensitive gut :) But otherwise, there is a misconception that peppers "burn" through tissue or something, but that's not correct. The chemical reaction on the skin of the seeds sends a signal to the nerves that creates a "false" sense of burn, which is painful but not actually harmful. But I know of people that have IBS and who were told by doctors not to eat spicy food. I don't exactly know why though.
You gotta watch out for contact with sensitive skin and eyes too. I always wear gloves when handling ghost, reaper, etc. Don't want to "pepper spray" myself. And be careful cooking them. I would ventilate the kitchen and not stand over the pan.
I have a wuestion please. Are peppers perennials? If so, how do you winterize them? Thank you!
They can be overwintered by pruning back most of the foliage and repotting into smaller pots.
Yes, all peppers are perennials in the right climates. I've seen pictures of ten-year old plants!
i am currently growing many super hot peppers and they will probably start getting ready for harvest in a couple weeks. let’s say my chocolate ghost for example, since u had that in your video. when it turns from green to brown do i pick it then? when all the green is gone? or should i leave it in the plant for a few more days while the brown darkens?
If there's a little green left you can leave them out at room temperature and they will ripen fully.
If you’re saving the seeds, wait for it to be fully brown. Otherwise you can pick with some green left and they’ll ripen off the plant, but I always wait for them to be fully ripen personally
Found your channel on the right season :) good job
What about the corking the pepper more desirable?
I just like a corked pepper better, nothing intrinsically better about them, but I just find them more and more appealing as time goes on
They got to show signs of color change b4 you can pick em. Either signs of black, red, orange some sort of color change, Then there ready to be picked But hanging green 2 months pisses me off to not ripen! Then they can finish ripping out on the table ect. The stretch marks on Jalapenos is signs of getting really hot, For really hot peppers > That what i want ! Favor and Heat / I never use scissor picking peppers, i grab them by the stem and pull straight up and some time bend them over top ways > l like a clean snap off to the vine. If there ready to be picked off! there easy to snap off
Purple UFO peppers turn dark red-violet if they are ripe. Overripened pods turn mushy.
Just harvested my first pepper and since we got it as a seedling we didn't know when it was planted but god damn it's hot I did let it turn red
Thanks for the video! Very informative & detailed. Recently started growing chillies (Cayenne & Jalapeño varieties). Is it true that the redder they are, the spicier? I want to avoid picking them before they're at their max size but not so late that they've reached maximum spiciness. (I'm a big fan of spiciness but my family are very much averse to it 😁).
Hey, glad you found our channel! As for your peppers, yes spicy peppers typically get spicier as they mature. You can pick jalapeños early when they are still green. They will be slightly less spicy and more crunchy. Cayennes can be picked early as well, but we like to wait for those to turn red for the great color. Best of luck!
@@PepperGeek thanks for the tip!, out of curiosity, does this increased spiciness with time also apply to maturing bell peppers?
Umar Ishaque No, bell peppers never have any heat
I am a new at growing hot peppers. I have Scotch bonnett, ghost peppers, Carolina Reaper and a few others. Always looking for the hottest peppers I can find.
Can you comment on combating Aphids and other bugs on your pepper plants
Any suggestions for worms in green peppers??
Try to identify what type of pest it is. Could be the european corn borer, or maybe weevils. Sometimes, pests will damage your peppers, and another pest will take advantage of the holes in the peppers to lay larvae.
Okay I keep hearing this about bell peppers, are we 100% sure that ALL bell peppers turn red? EVEN if the variety is “Bonnie Green Bell Pepper? Bc I’m almost positive these things are going to stay green
Even green ones like 7 pot evergreen and moruga chocolate x scorpion mustard have some colour change when they ripen. If you put moruga chocolate x scorpion mustard into the search box you will see my reviews on these from my second channel.
ya'll some pepper nerds up in here
How do you use up the peppers at the end of season? You know, after you've made all the salsa you want, and probably all the hot sauce, and froze some, and dried some, and fed some to the cat, and snuck it in to toothpaste....
😂 I know, they seem to just keep coming - there are some other preservation methods like fermentation, jam, relish, etc. Also, we haven't been able to do this yet, but smoking peppers is a great way to get some complex flavor
@@PepperGeek I've been fermenting peppers for a couple years and making hot sauce out of them. I have 3 quarts fermenting now, and will probably start a 4th batch this weekend. Pickled jalapenos once as I had a massive amount one fall and nothing else to do with them.