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What kind of temperatures do you need to make bhuts turn red?

cycadjungle

cycadjungle

Each year, I am getting two to three batches of pods on my Bhut Jolokias, here in central Florida. Depending on the time of year, in some cases, the last batch turn orange, but don't ever turn dark red. I can see it has to do with the temperatures outside and when we had a cooler November, that is when they didn't turn. So, I am thinking about bringing my plants inside towards the end of the year to get that last batch to turn.
So, has anyone seen this and documented what temperature will it take to make sure these peppers turn red? I am thinking it is around 80F or so, for day temps, and not getting too cool at night. Any insight on this? Is anyone growing peppers inside all year round and making good colored peppers inside? Thanks, Tom
 
Ive picked some red bhuts this year when they were still half green. I leave em on the counter for a day or three and they finish turning red.

As far as night time temps getting to cold i believe pepper plants will stay active as long the as the soil temp stays above 50 degrees. The plants will do ok even with nightime temps in the 40's and even mid to high 30's as long as the daytime temps get upwards of 70 and above and keep that soil temp warmed up.

It is possible that the particular strain of bhut that you may have may never turn red? Its possible that the finished ripe color may be orange on that strain?

Good luck

P.S. The temp scenario i explained pertains to ground planted pepper plants. I dont know much about growing in pots but im think cold night time temps might affect potted plants differently then ground plants. Ground plants definetly have a larger bank of heat to draw from.
 
Not 100% sure on this but I think I read that the amount of sunlight hours received by the plant affects the rate of ripening, as well as temp. If you can move them to a spot that gets max sunlight it may help. And obviously keep them warm during the night as cold will stop them dead.
 
I actually think I like them better in the orange stage. Cooler temps and more red spectum sunlight should help fully ripen them in the fall. I think it has something to do with beta carotene development within the pods
 
POTAWIE said:
I actually think I like them better in the orange stage. Cooler temps and more red spectum sunlight should help fully ripen them in the fall. I think it has something to do with beta carotene development within the pods
Click to expand...

To be honest, I haven't tried eating them when they were orange. I tried one when it was green, just to see what it tasted like because I heard that in India, they are almost always eaten green. I had heard that the world record for eating bhuts was somewhere around 52 from some lady in India, so I figured that green ones probably weren't all that hot. Well, it was, but it tasted like a newly formed green bean, which is good for a green bean, but nasty tasting for a pepper (I thought anyway). I guess I should try an orange one to compare with, maybe I too will like it better and won't have to worry about this question. Maybe that will be a new thing to try at pepper night at Chilis this monday night. A few friends of mine are getting together every other monday there to try different peppers. It has been fun, especially when new pepper people are willing to try some of these and they get lit up. :hell:
This Monday will be comparing Yellow 7 pots and Fataliis, but I'll bring a red and an orange bhut to see what people think.
 
thier supposed to turn orange when ripe.

Turning red, is just from soil conditions, climate, humidity,
All my plants have premium potting soil and manure 50/ 50 mix.

I have 4 jolokia plants. All the chilis
turn red when ripened, orange is the 3rd stage.

white- to green - orange, than to fire red.

temps over the summer here in Georgia

100s and 90s

may have helped.
 
cycadjungle said:
To be honest, I haven't tried eating them when they were orange. I tried one when it was green, just to see what it tasted like because I heard that in India, they are almost always eaten green. I had heard that the world record for eating bhuts was somewhere around 52 from some lady in India, so I figured that green ones probably weren't all that hot. Well, it was, but it tasted like a newly formed green bean, which is good for a green bean, but nasty tasting for a pepper (I thought anyway). I guess I should try an orange one to compare with, maybe I too will like it better and won't have to worry about this question. Maybe that will be a new thing to try at pepper night at Chilis this monday night. A few friends of mine are getting together every other monday there to try different peppers. It has been fun, especially when new pepper people are willing to try some of these and they get lit up. :hell:
This Monday will be comparing Yellow 7 pots and Fataliis, but I'll bring a red and an orange bhut to see what people think.
Click to expand...
there is a youtube video of her eating red bhuts...not green.!! i think she does not have any feeling when it comes to chillies because she even put some in her eyes but she can't feel the burn...read some where that when she was a small kid, her grandma gave her bhut jolokias to her as a flu remedy...
 
Ripening does not depend on temperature, it is dependent on the release of ethylene gas. Ethylene gas is a plant hormone that tells the fruit to ripen. You can make the process more expedient by placing the fruit into a ripening room, where concentrations of ethylene gas accumulate from your ripening fruits. However putting it on the counter and waiting works just as well.

Reference: Ethylene
 
I find different strains, or varieties if you wish, ripen differently under the same conditions. my favorite, the Raja Mirch ripens completely to a staggering orange color and only later completes the process and turns red. while others, like my Bih Jolokia, turn red instantly.

Orange Raja Mirch
orangerajamirch.jpg


Red Raja Mirch
rajamirch.jpg
 
Oh yeah, sorry. :lol:
Raja = King
Mirch = Chile

Received the seeds from an Indian farmer through a friend a couple of years ago. they're reasonably sized, most possibly the hottest of the different Jolokia-types I've grown, intensely flavored (not a good thing if you don't like the flavor, but for me it's perfect!) and, as you can see in the picture, are quite beautiful. :)

According to the farmer, he has been supplying RED pods to people in his area for decades. my friend's mother mentioned she has being using them as flakes in almost all of her cooking for many years.
 
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