pod Lemon Drop color change?

[joecascio]

This is my first try at Lemon Drops. I saw this seedling at my local garden shop and had to get it. The plant is doing great, with dozens of peppers on it. So far, only one turned the lemon yellow, and it was gorgeous, with a deep saturated yellow color. And they're pretty hot, with a nominal SHU of around 50,000.
But after that first pepper a couple weeks ago, no more have turned yellow, but rather are getting black (see photo). They are healthy pods, still fresh feeling, not rotten and not insect damaged. I took one to the garden shop where I bought it, and they said the black striping is probably just an intermediary color in getting to yellow. I didn't notice if the single one that did turn yellow went through that change. I've been fertilizing the past three weeks with Fox Farm Tiger Bloom (2-8-4) and before that with Fox Farm Grow Big (6-4-4).
I'm wondering if the higher phosphorous content of Tiger Bloom may be causing the black striping.
Any experience one can offer about this would be much appreciated. Thx!

 

[CaneDog]

Most likely they're normal and healthy and this has nothing to due with fertilizer or anything you're doing or not doing. It looks like it's simply anthocyanin showing up in the pod, which will normally degenerate and clear during the ripening leaving the nice yellow color. The amount of anthocyanin will vary among varieties, even from plant to plant, and typically shows more strongly when sunlight is more intense. Sometimes the pods will be darker on one side than the other based on the angle that sunlight hits them.

 

[joecascio]

Thanks for your very informative reply. Regarding sunlight, that is exactly the case. They are not darkened underneath, just where exposed to the sun. And I'd heard previously about a chemical causing the darkening, and you've reminded me it's anthocyanin and that it should clear.

I'm quite relieved. I love that yellow color and I was planning on making a very bright and colorful hot sauce with the lemon drops, habaneros, (both red and yellow-orange), and maybe some Red Fresnos.

 

[watchingpeppersgrow]

I grow a lot of Aji Lemon Drop as well and I get this on my pods also. Pretty sure it's just a harmless "sunburn" - same thing happens with my KS White Thai, but in that case it's purple colouring, not dark like OP's pic.

 

[joecascio]

I grow a lot of Aji Lemon Drop as well and I get this on my pods also. Pretty sure it's just a harmless "sunburn" - same thing happens with my KS White Thai, but in that case it's purple colouring, not dark like OP's pic.

But it does clear and the pods eventually turn that deep yellow, right?

 

[watchingpeppersgrow]

But it does clear and the pods eventually turn that deep yellow, right?

Correct.

 

[hadanero]

My Aji Pineapples all looked looked like your picture before turning a vibrant yellow like this:

 

[joecascio]

They are gorgeous! Love that saturated color.
I think mine are finally starting to turn. We've had a couple of cooler nights, and I think it's prodded the peppers into ripening.