Although peppers and tomatoes are both nightshade plants, tomatoes continue to ripen with the natural plant hormone ethylene. On the other hand, paprika, hot peppers and chillies are not. They must be harvested when ripe. Or ripen according to proven methods.
Many fruits produce the natural plant hormone ethylene themselves. If green bananas are put in a bag with apples, they turn yellow more quickly because apples give off a lot of ethylene. Tomatoes also use ethylene to ripen. Peppers, on the other hand, are not. How green harvested peppers still show their colour:
A hint of red for green peppers and Co.
- If the ripening process has already been activated when the last green peppers are harvested, they will still take on a minimal amount of colour. Place the peppers, like the tomatoes, in a box or bowl with a lid for 3 to 4 days to ripen. With a bit of luck and a green thumb, they will gradually redden and remain crisp. But it doesn't always work.
- Put the green, harvested peppers in a bag together with the apples. Sometimes they still mature. The longer you wait, the softer they become. It is best to harvest it green and process it into salsa.
The safest method for allowing green peppers to ripen: Do not harvest yet, but let the peppers ripen on the plant. Overwinter the peppers indoors. Depending on the temperature, peppers will sprout again under a roof. Then you even have flowers and fruits over the winter.
Peppers ripen slowly. The last harvest usually lasts until the first frost. Anyone who wraps pepper plants in fleece before the cold snap gains more harvest time. The last fruits ripen on the plant with a full aroma.
Extend the harvest time before the first frost
The harvest season for peppers is long and definitely lasts until frost. However, if you cover the plants with fleece before the first cold nights, you can harvest 2 to 3 weeks longer outdoors. This allows the fruits to ripen properly and develop their full, sweet aroma. Unripe green peppers taste a bit bitter. Depending on the variety, the ripe fruits are red, orange-red, yellow or even purple.
tips and tricks
Process green peppers instead of ripening them. Immediately after harvesting, cut the peppers into pieces and put them in the freezer. This provides the basis for salsa or paprika powder in sufficient quantities in winter.