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when to pick Choc Hab

Hey Everyone! I'm pumped, my first peppers are starting to turn!
How long do I wait to pick them?
Reading the webz tells me to pick the first peppers asap to encourage more ripening and larger harvest?
 
 
     It doesn't work that way with peppers. They are a perennial in their native climate, so they just keep producing as long as weather and resources cooperate. 
     Chocolate habs (and other brown peppers) are notorious for looking ripe on the outside, while remaining green on the inside for a while. They taste best when all the placenta has ripened and is no longer green. You'll know they're ripe when the placenta has a pinkish rusty color to it. Unfortunately, you need to cut them open to verify this, but with some experience, you'll get better at telling when they're ripe.
     I usually pick mine when I think they're ripe and then let them sit in the kitchen for a week or so to make sure they're good and red. It pays off - they're really delicious when they're fully ripe.
 
I left them on the plant until late in the season to insure they ripened then picked them all for sauce.

HABANERO%20CHOCOLATE1_zps10w3ediz.jpg
 
So had the first pod ripen on the plant about a week past its deep brown color and picked it to share with a friend. It's placenta was still greenish so I will wait longer on the others. It smelled great! Could smell it about 5 feet away outside. I ate half the pod and chewed it up really well trying to reason out the Choc flavor...and after deciding that it tasted like chemicals, I noticed that it didn't have any heat...
Boy was I surprised when the slow delayed burn caught up like 3 minutes later. Holy crap! We were all talking about our disappointment when one by one we all frowned and started to sweat instantly lol. Probably 10 minutes of nose blowing and eye sweat lol.

I'm hoping the taste will improve. If it doesn't I'll powder it all.
The taste was pretty nasty tho x2 other friends opinions as well. I feel bad cuz my 2 Choc Hab plants are my favs. They are definitely my most robust plants.
 
Choc Habs are great growers and I love the look and taste, but I agree , too much chemical taste for fresh or plain sauce.
It does make a great smoked powder.

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Got a question not about a choc hab but choc fatali, my pods are starting to turn fully brown now but not sure about the placenta. Should I leave them on for a few more days? Perhaps a week?
 
i would let em hang. just grab one and see what the placenta looks like. I've been letting my ChocHabs and JHC hang as long as i can until it looks like we're gonna get a heavy rain, or if bugs appear.
 
I'm not sure about choc fatalii but i bet its probably similar to the choc hab for the coloring to reach the placenta and flavor to develop.
my 2cp
best of luck!
 
I pick them when their placenta is nice and red. Usually I leave them as long as I can. In case of heavy rain or a few days of wet weather, I usually decide to pick the ripe peppers. I've lost some to rot some time ago.
 
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