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Fully ripe after color change?
- Thread starter marclocas
- Start date
Yes, once they have changed color the seeds are as fully developed as they will ever get. Note that I mean their final color. For example a hungarian waxed pepper will start out green to greenish yellow, is generally sold as completely yellow, but their final color is usually dark orange.
and some are red
+1 on the full color change. Purple jalapenos go from green to purple to a more "true" red than standard jalapenos. Different varieties do different things. If you're not sure what the fully ripe color of a particular variety is, there's likely someone on this forum who can tell you - just ask.
OK, I'm not one to argue with the top dogs on here but I do know for a fact that oranges are ripe when they are still somewhat green(skin). If you cut one open, you will notice the seeds are pretty much as ripe as they ever will be and the pulp is as sweet and as orange as it's gonna get as well.
Now I know that we're not talking about oranges but I'm sure peppers are almost the same way. I've eaten many green jalapenos and serranos in my time and the seeds look as ready as they will ever be other than drying them out. As a matter of fact, sometimes some seeds start to rot when the pepper starts getting too ripe.
By green jalapenos and serranos, I mean peppers that have reached their full size and won't be getting any bigger and have pretty much reached it's mature stage. If a pepper has reached it's full size, I'm sure the seeds have as well but again, I am no expert and I'm just going by my experience from the peppers that I have eaten probably millions of in my lifetime.
I guess it really depends on the variety because I've also eaten millions of pequin and tepin and these are almost all seed inside and since they're so small, the seeds dry out before the pepper starts to rot which is probably almost never because the flesh is so thin. By the way, these start drying out almost as soon as they turn red. They do turn orange which is when I like to pick them because the birds will probably get them if I try to allow them to get red. I've also noticed that the seeds are good to go when these are orange.
I'll also use the ever popular green bell pepper(the one you find at your local produce store) as an example as far as seeds go because I just saved some not that long ago. Although they are called green bell peppers, they will turn red if left on the plant long enough....but, I decided to test the seeds from one of these store bought bell peppers. As usual when using bell peppers, I just use the flesh so I cut out all that's in the middle, mostly the seed sack or whatever it's called. I dried out the seeds, saved them, then planted them and sure enough, they almost all germinated...I'd say at above 90% rate.
So then, when is a green bell pepper fully ripe? Remember, they do turn red as their final color as do jalapenos and serranos but the seeds from these peppers were already mature when they were still green.
So I guess seeds mature differently on different varieties.
I guess the bottom line(for me anyway) is that we can say there is a difference between a pepper being mature and it being fully ripe. My opinon is, when a pepper is mature, the seeds will be also.
The maturing point for me on peppers that aren't called red or are known for being red, such as purple peppers, yellow peppers, orange peppers, etc...is when they turn fully colored for what they are known for. Examples: Jalapeno, serrano(green), habanero(orange), Yellows this or that(yellow), Black Pearl(black), purple jalapeno(purple), etc...
Again, this is strictly my own opinion and something I know from experience or atleast with the peppers I have experience on.
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Now I know that we're not talking about oranges but I'm sure peppers are almost the same way. I've eaten many green jalapenos and serranos in my time and the seeds look as ready as they will ever be other than drying them out. As a matter of fact, sometimes some seeds start to rot when the pepper starts getting too ripe.
By green jalapenos and serranos, I mean peppers that have reached their full size and won't be getting any bigger and have pretty much reached it's mature stage. If a pepper has reached it's full size, I'm sure the seeds have as well but again, I am no expert and I'm just going by my experience from the peppers that I have eaten probably millions of in my lifetime.
I guess it really depends on the variety because I've also eaten millions of pequin and tepin and these are almost all seed inside and since they're so small, the seeds dry out before the pepper starts to rot which is probably almost never because the flesh is so thin. By the way, these start drying out almost as soon as they turn red. They do turn orange which is when I like to pick them because the birds will probably get them if I try to allow them to get red. I've also noticed that the seeds are good to go when these are orange.
I'll also use the ever popular green bell pepper(the one you find at your local produce store) as an example as far as seeds go because I just saved some not that long ago. Although they are called green bell peppers, they will turn red if left on the plant long enough....but, I decided to test the seeds from one of these store bought bell peppers. As usual when using bell peppers, I just use the flesh so I cut out all that's in the middle, mostly the seed sack or whatever it's called. I dried out the seeds, saved them, then planted them and sure enough, they almost all germinated...I'd say at above 90% rate.
So then, when is a green bell pepper fully ripe? Remember, they do turn red as their final color as do jalapenos and serranos but the seeds from these peppers were already mature when they were still green.
So I guess seeds mature differently on different varieties.
I guess the bottom line(for me anyway) is that we can say there is a difference between a pepper being mature and it being fully ripe. My opinon is, when a pepper is mature, the seeds will be also.
The maturing point for me on peppers that aren't called red or are known for being red, such as purple peppers, yellow peppers, orange peppers, etc...is when they turn fully colored for what they are known for. Examples: Jalapeno, serrano(green), habanero(orange), Yellows this or that(yellow), Black Pearl(black), purple jalapeno(purple), etc...
Again, this is strictly my own opinion and something I know from experience or atleast with the peppers I have experience on.
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lilcholo, you are correct in that seeds from a full-sized pod may be viable. But it may be that some are while others are not. Allowing a fruit of any kind to fully ripen (and I'm not referring to over-ripe here, where the fruit/seeds may start to rot) ensures maximum viability of all seeds. You really can't measure maturity by size - while most pods on a single pepper plant will be similar in size, sometimes pods are larger or smaller. This is particularly true for early- and late-season pods. The size of an individual pod has no impact on the viability of its seeds, but its ripeness does.
Green bell peppers are simply unripe peppers - the green bell peppers you purchase at the grocery store turn red when ripe. You'll notice a somewhat grassy taste to a green bell pepper - get a red one, and that grassiness doesn't exist.
Green bell peppers are simply unripe peppers - the green bell peppers you purchase at the grocery store turn red when ripe. You'll notice a somewhat grassy taste to a green bell pepper - get a red one, and that grassiness doesn't exist.
I'm gonna have to disagree about some peppers that are meant to be eaten green like jalapenos, serranos and bell peppers. The reason being is although I know what you mean by the grass taste, which you sometimes get in some jalapenos and serranos...that's because the pepper had not reached it's mature stage yet. You will get the same taste from just about every pepper that is still green(not mature). I can go to the grocery store and just tell by looking at the pile which peppers(jalapenos, serranos, bells) are mature and which are not. The mature ones are a darker green, sometimes have like a blackish/purplish tint on parts of them. The lighter green colored ones are the ones I avoid cause they taste green(grassy) to me and are practically worthless.
Remember, the key word is "mature".
As for the size aspect....what I meant is, when a pepper reaches maturity, it has also reached it's maximum size. So if you have a plant with only 5 peppers on it and you keep an eye on all of them, maybe even name them all, then you will know when each has reached it's maximum size. Mainly, if it already starts turning another color, it has more than likely reached it's maximum size regardless of what the scale of it is with the other 4 peppers on the same plant. When the pepper reaches full color in the second stage(the one after green), more than likely, that pepper and the seeds are pretty much mature. But of course, this could vary from pepper to pepper.
Again, there is ripeness and maturity. I think people tend to overuse the word 'ripe" when it comes to fruits.
Or maybe I have mature and ripe backward and it's the ripe that comes before the maturity.
Remember, the key word is "mature".
As for the size aspect....what I meant is, when a pepper reaches maturity, it has also reached it's maximum size. So if you have a plant with only 5 peppers on it and you keep an eye on all of them, maybe even name them all, then you will know when each has reached it's maximum size. Mainly, if it already starts turning another color, it has more than likely reached it's maximum size regardless of what the scale of it is with the other 4 peppers on the same plant. When the pepper reaches full color in the second stage(the one after green), more than likely, that pepper and the seeds are pretty much mature. But of course, this could vary from pepper to pepper.
Again, there is ripeness and maturity. I think people tend to overuse the word 'ripe" when it comes to fruits.
Or maybe I have mature and ripe backward and it's the ripe that comes before the maturity.
I just thought of an exception. I have one plant in particular that wasn't getting enough fertilizer and was hit by strong wind quite a few times. The stems attaching the fruit to the plant were very thin and swayed back and forth too many times in the wind, almost severing the attachment but not quite.
The peppers stopped growing when pea-sized, were not mature, but didn't completely fall off the plant either. They eventually became fully red-ripe but did not have mature seeds. I wish I could tell you what kind of plant it was but it is an unknown cross, hybrid.
The peppers stopped growing when pea-sized, were not mature, but didn't completely fall off the plant either. They eventually became fully red-ripe but did not have mature seeds. I wish I could tell you what kind of plant it was but it is an unknown cross, hybrid.
AlabamaJack
Extreme Member
Dave...could it have been that the peppers grew without any polinization....it's not that rare and causes no seeds and I have had that happen to me.....
Well, just to add another dimension.
You guys say that Jalapenos are fully rip green. I have so many Jalapenos that I alwys miss a couple and they end up turning red.
So.. is the green fully developed or red in this case ?
Edit:
They taste great when dark green and that's when I usually harvest them. I'm just curious.
You guys say that Jalapenos are fully rip green. I have so many Jalapenos that I alwys miss a couple and they end up turning red.
So.. is the green fully developed or red in this case ?
Edit:
They taste great when dark green and that's when I usually harvest them. I'm just curious.
^ They are not fully ripe green but they are still ready to be picked and used because consumers expect, and often prefer them green.
The difference is fully ripe versus fully mature. It can be fully mature with viable seeds and not be turning red yet, but assuming nothing altered the normal growth pattern, turning red is a sign that it has already fully matured. Ripening as a final color change occurs when maturity ends.
The difference is fully ripe versus fully mature. It can be fully mature with viable seeds and not be turning red yet, but assuming nothing altered the normal growth pattern, turning red is a sign that it has already fully matured. Ripening as a final color change occurs when maturity ends.
ok Got it - thanks !
One more thing.....
The only stupid question is the one that is unasked. No one here will ever fault you for asking a growing question to which you do not have the answer, especially if you first searched the threads to see if something has already been posted on the topic. We ALL have a thing or two to learn about growing!
The only stupid question is the one that is unasked. No one here will ever fault you for asking a growing question to which you do not have the answer, especially if you first searched the threads to see if something has already been posted on the topic. We ALL have a thing or two to learn about growing!
I'm not a big fan of Lemon Drop at all - I don't care for their flavor, ripe or not.
Dave, if your question was about the Lemon Drop pepper, no they won't turn orange or red - yellow is their final, ripe color.