How to pick a pepper?

lgreen · Jul 19, 2007

Dear pepper guru's: What's the best way to pick a pepper?

1. release from the plant by cutting the stem. Then go inside and take the stem and green cap dealie off before use or drying.

2. release from the plant by carefully removing just the pepper, leaving the stem and the cap or whatever you call it to wither on the plant and slowly fall off.

I like to do it the 2nd way- less mess, but not sure its the best or not for future growth?

gardenkiller · Jul 19, 2007

I string a lot of mine up in ristras with the stem on, never once had a problem. What seems to be the need to remove the stem cap? Seems to me if you are air drying, or just throwing them in the fridge for a few days, that would just be a good way to get bacteria to grow inside the pod.

lgreen · Jul 19, 2007

not necessarily....

If you do it right, like I mostly (try to) do, you can pick it cleanly so that the pepper is airtight.

I lay them on the counter in a bowl to dry or put them in the fridge, either way I remove the stems before doing that. Easier to grab and eat that way.

So its just me, but every time I pick one I wonder if its better to cleave off the stem or just cleanly pick it?

Or does the well bred pepper afficianodo just not worry about this stuff?

bentalphanerd · Jul 20, 2007

I've found that only when the pod is ripe enough - by bending the pod back against the curve of the stem it should 'snap' off easily from the join to the branch. If it puts up a fight, the pods not ready. Should make a nice clean 'natural' break.

I leave the stem on until use...usually around 5 minutes after picking

Pam · Jul 20, 2007

lgreen said:
Or does the well bred pepper afficianodo just not worry about this stuff?

*This* well bred pepper aficionado never really thought about it. If I'm making a rista I am careful to get the stem as well as the pepper, but otherwise I don't worry about it.

chilliman64 · Jul 21, 2007

I just snap 'em off, but try not to damage the fragile branches.

POTAWIE · Jul 21, 2007

I cut every pepper off with sharp scissors otherwise I end up detroying things.

imaguitargod · Jul 21, 2007

It depends what kind of pepper I am picking. Certain breads fall right off the stem and others you have to clip off the stem and then remove the pepper.

chilehunter · Jul 21, 2007

bent - I dont know about that, about once fully ripen the pod breaks easily off the plant, to me it seems like some pods/strains are not so easily to just break off the plant even when the pods are fully ripe.

as for picking pods, I try to snap the pods stem off the plant cleanly but if they put up to much of a fight then I snip them off to prevent damaging the plant or breaking a branch off. & from then on for that kind of plant I cut them at the stem.