When to harvest chilli peppers

sunset_gold

sunset_gold wrote: »

Oh it's a bit late reading your message Primrose, I will nip out now and bring them in. Thanks for the advice, I will find a draught free spot for them.

Primrose, I am please to say my chilli plants survived the move and are in the lounge, enjoying the milder conditions and the red chilli peppers look stunning. Have used the last of the green ones in chutney and now just like looking at the red ones. Can I leave them on the plants until I want to use them or do they need picking and drying?

Lotus-eater

olly300 wrote: »

So it was you who went to the loo after cutting up chillies!

It was me Twice, once on the outside and one a bit more personal IYSWIM

I got a bit of a shock when I was using up unripe cayennes a couple of days ago, I wasn't expecting them to be that hot and almost had a heart attack while taking a large mouthful of food with a sprinkling of peppers on top. My oh tells me I went a nice red colour. :rotfl:

Primrose

sunset - if you leave your ripened chillis on the plant for too long they will start to shrivel. The best thing to do is pick them as soon as they've ripened and freeze them whole in a plastic bag. They will keep for well over a year in this state. Alternatively, put them in a brown paper bag and let them dry off slowly over a period of a couple of weeks in a warm airing cupboard. Then store them in a sealed jar. I prefer the freezing method though. The ones I dried and stored in a jar started to crumble and break up after several months. (Still tasted OK though).

rach

Thanks to this forum I planted some chilli seeds on my kitchen windowsill at the end of August (too late really i know). They have done well and both have flowered, and so far there are 6 green chillis (which I think are on the plant which should have red chillis!) and lots of flowers on both plants.

My question is, are they likely to turn red or shall i just pick them now? they're still quite small (5cm ish and skinny). I water them every day (just a splash) is this ok?

thanks in advance. we have no outside space so I am just learning about growing things!

Lotus-eater

They should go red, you can pick one and try it if you like.

Primrose

Be patient. They perhaps need to grow a little bigger first and then you will slowly see them go orange and then red.

LotusFlower_3

Squirrels ate mine

Primrose

Gosh LotusFlower - your squirrels must have asbestos lined bellies!

rach

Thanks Primrose - I will wait! Looks like some are just about to start on the other plant too, loads of flowers on it!

If squirrels ate mine i'd be worried as they're in the kitchen!!

Primrose

rach - now your chillis are at the flowering/fruiting stage, they will probably appreciate a little liquid manure once a week. I've found in the past that if you don't keep them well fertilised at this stage, the flowers can start dropping off and not fruit, as if the pots are small, the original nutrients in the compost can quickly get exhausted.