You are in Ohio and for your area it's still early. The fact that you have full sized peppers (not yet ripe) actually puts you slightly ahead of the game.

I am in zone 5 wisconsin and the best I have are 1 inch fruits on some peppers. It's early in the pepper season.

No, the full sized fruits will not slow down the plant like it would with cucumber plants, peppers just do not work the same way.

Leave the present fruits to ripen to the way you like them and have no worries, more will follow.

You dont have to wait for peppers to ripen on the plant, what i do to get better yields is pick the fruits early when they are the right size and maybe even smaller.They will ripen at room temp. on the kitchen window sill (By ripe I mean they turn red or yellow) . This method has worked great for me. I hope this helps. bill w

IÂve always found the more you pick the more you get. I pull the first couple off way before they are ready. I usually have more than we can eat anyway.

The best tasting peppers by far are those allowed to ripen on the plant. So you have a yield vs good eating problem.

I let all my peppers ripen. I simply put more plants into the ground. I run over a hundred pepper plants.

I have red ripe peppers now. Chimayo and Espanola are ripe as are some others. You will love Chimayo. do a GW search on Chimayo.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pepper/msg1020100316497.html

Byron offers to send you seeds.

Chimayo Chiles
Posted by byron 4a/5b NH on Tue, Oct 3, 06 at 20:10

FWIW
Last year and this year I went to a chile event in Indy

I harvested a few Chimayo Chile peppers (last year, this year a shopping bag full)

In the low heat range these were the most awesome tasting chiles I have ever tasted, I now use Chimayo's in place of black pepper.

For those into heirlooms, The Chimayo was first recorded in

1598. The only land race chile recorded in the USA, Found in by Spanish explorers in Chimayo, NM.

Was said that it was one of the Nu Mex parents..

I love them, got several oz packaged in about 30 seeds1/pkg, one plant is enough for a year. even for Zone 4 growers, Zone 2 or 3 ??

Wanna try some? cost you a 39 cent stamp and a SASE

Byron

more info below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chimayo Peppers and where to get seeds

>>yield vs good eating problem

Are you saying if you pick before red (or whatever color) its not good eating?

Thanks to everyone who has replied....seems like there is debate as to whether to pick now and let it ripen indoors or to let it stay on the plant.

I've had a couple blossoms start to form quarter-size peppers and then they have fallen off! Don't know why.

The other blossoms are very quiet, not growing.

The peppers would not be ready for eating now...my yellow bell pepper plants each have 1 big green pepper. My Gypsy plants are supposed to produce red peppers and the peppers are now a pale yellow. And the Healthy variety is producing pale yellow. Those are supposed to turn yellow, to orange, to red.

I grew red bell peppers a couple years ago. I found they needed to stay on the plant a very long time until they turned red. I think it took forever to go through the color changes. This year right now I've got green bell peppers loaded on the plants. They are smaller ones but I'm picking them anyway or else I'm afraid the plant will not contiue to produce as rapidly or as bountifully.

P.S. the plants this year are very small too. I dont know what the heck they sold me....

kkfromnj----no you dont have to wait for a great taste. bill w