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Vegetable Gardening

Red & Yellow Sweet Bell Peppers

15 years ago

I just bought some "sweet red bell & sweet yellow bell peppers." Do I pick them while still green, so they keep producing, or do I pick them as soon as they change to the appropriate color as stated in the name of said bell peppers? Or do I let them reach their full color for a couple of days? Also, when I pick them, are they ready to eat, or do I need to set them on my counter for any length of time?

As you can probably tell, my fiance and I are growing our first garden together, and trying to make as few mistakes as possible! I remember being a little girl out in my daddy's garden, but he always held my hand and helped me pick everything. Plus, since I was only 6-8 years old, I don't recall all of the things he taught me (I am now 34). Daddy died in 2004 and my fiance is trying to help me deal with hard emotional times by planting "Daddy's Garden" this year. Any advice will help!!! Thank you sooo much!

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Comments (4)

farmerdilla
15 years ago
Your choice. Both types are good as green bells. If you prefer ripe bells just let them start to color, pick and set them on the counter to finish ripening to the degree that you wish them. They will ripen on the plant, but you will taking extra chances on rot and insect damage.
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digdirt2
15 years ago
Right, if it is the color you want then wait to pick them until they start to change color on the plant. If you pick green they will stay green.

Yes, leaving them on the vine to change color does reduce your overall production - that's why the colored bells are so much more expensive in the store. ;)

Dave
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I like the cheese, or pimento type sweets. They have thick flesh and are wonderful roasted. The one I grow is Greygo(Super Greygo?). I got the seeds a few years ago from a GW member, but I've run out of that seed. The seed I saved hasn't always come true and I can get little hard round things that don't mature, so I assume Greygo is a hybrid, or they crossed with something else I was growing and I haven't yet found a source for more. There are other cheese type peppers available from vendors though, so you could add some to your mix and see how they compare to your other sweets.
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Yeah, the peppers will ripen more off the plant as long as the pepper has already broken color. For best post-harvest ripening of a non-fully-ripe pepper you want to keep the pepper at 70-80 degrees out of direct sun with 90-95% humidity. The humidity part is unrealistic as heck for the home gardener. Ripening with the lower humidity leads to peppers getting soft as they ripen. That's the dance. A couple of days on a table out of direct sun usually won't soften non-totally-ripe peppers too much (I live in a humid summer area, though). I throw them after the fridge when they're fully ripe or after 2-3 days, depending on how soft they're feeling. I like mine crisp. To keep the crispness of peppers, the fridge is the best place. The ripening process slows to a near-crawl, though. The color you have is pretty much the color you'll still have a week later.
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Yes I would say the same. Often early peppers get it and as the plant size increases it better shades the fruit and they are less prone.
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rdback
15 years ago
I agree with what everyone else has said but, keep in mind, most things ripened naturally on the vine taste way better. In my opinion, that's true with bell peppers as well. They're much more flavorful if permitted to change color while still attached to the plant. So, it's quantity vs quality, to some extent. Just something else to consider.

Good Luck!

Rick
wally_1936
15 years ago
The good thing about letting them ripen is they are flavor changes. They become sweeter and with less bitterness, the only thing I found was they don't make good suffed peppers when they ripen. I have never had a problem with them rotting as long as you pck them when they are ripe and don't leave them too much longer as they will start to dry out or rot.

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