As you watch your plants, they start flowering at slightly different times. I collect the first best looking fruits of the season for seeds.
Sitting watching the bees buzzing around mixing pollen as the plants mature in july may result in more mystery peppers.
If those first flowers would be present while your other plants aren't flowering yet, there's no chance of cross pollination. I think that, genetically, there is no difference between early and late flowers. (Disclaimer see below )
Sometimes I save the seeds of the very first pepper if it's a nice looking and tasting fruit.
Also I think the first fruit is more likely to be self-pollinated.
Then I will wait for another good flush of peppers to collect more seeds.
I think the newest pods as the plant grows bigger....will most likely be best to save seeds after the plant is established and or acclimated to their environment.
same. I usually skip the first pods which may be malformed and the last ones which may not be fully ripe. I usually put away the seeds of larger fruits as they have more seeds, as long as they are fully ripe, intact inside and without mold. On a genetic level they are all the same.