Peppers and tomatoes are both nightshade plants, but tomatoes ripen with the natural plant hormone ethylene. Paprika, hot peppers and chili, on the other hand, are not. They must be harvested ripe. Or mature using proven methods.
How do you let peppers ripen?
To allow peppers to ripen, place them in a box or bowl with a lid for 3-4 days, possibly together with apples. Alternatively, you can let the peppers mature on the plant by overwintering them indoors.
Many fruits produce the natural plant hormone ethylene themselves. If green bananas are put in a bag with apples, they turn yellow more quickly because apples release a lot of ethylene. Tomatoes also use ethylene to ripen. Peppers, on the other hand, are not. How green peppers harvested still show their colors:
A touch of blush for green peppers etc.
- If the ripening process has already been activated when the last green peppers are harvested, they will still take on a minimal amount of color. Place the peppers and tomatoes in a box or bowl with a lid for 3 to 4 days to ripen. With a bit of luck and a green thumb, they will gradually redden and remain crisp. But it doesn't always work.
- Place green, harvested peppers in a bag with apples. Sometimes they are still maturing. The longer you wait, the softer they become. It's best to harvest green and process it into salsa.
The safest method for allowing green peppers to ripen: Don't harvest them yet but let the peppers ripen on the plant. To do this, overwinter the peppers indoors. Depending on the temperature, peppers will sprout again under cover. Then you even have flowers and fruit over the winter.
Peppers ripen slowly. The final harvest usually lasts until the first frost. Anyone who covers pepper plants with fleece (€34.00 at Amazon) before the cold snap gains more harvest time. The last fruits ripen on the plant with a full aroma.
Extend harvest time before the first frost
The harvest season for peppers is long and definitely lasts until frost. However, if you cover the plants with fleece before the first cold nights, you can harvest outdoors for 2 to 3 weeks longer. This allows the fruits to ripen properly and develop their full, sweet aroma. Unripe green peppers taste somewhat bitter. Depending on the variety, the ripe fruits are red, orange-red, yellow or even purple.
Tips & Tricks
Process green peppers instead of ripening them. Immediately after harvesting, cut the peppers into pieces and place them in the freezer. This means that the base for salsa or paprika powder is available in sufficient quantities in winter.
