To help you determine when to begin to harvest your peppers, please keep in mind just a few things. The amount of time listed on the seed packet as "days to maturity," or sometimes "days to harvest," will provide you with a general maturity time frame. If you transplanted your pepper plants, allow at least 75 days (but be prepared to wait as many as 90) to begin your harvest.
Based upon the cultivar planted, the appearance of mature color is a good indicator of ripeness. As more of that color versus green becomes apparent, the sweetness or heat of the pepper will increase.
You may pick the peppers at any time once they reach maturity. Spend this first season experimenting, and keep a journal of the results. Peppers harvested when younger and green will be more crunchy and less flavorful than those left to ripen longer. Peppers left on the plant until full maturity will taste better, but they will have a soft texture. Your hot cultivars will achieve their full heat potential if ripened fully on the plant.
Once ripe, peppers decline very quickly, so harvest and use them immediately. When your peppers begin to show their mature colors, check them often because the ripening process is rapid. The jalapeno and Hungarian peppers will tell you when they are ready for harvest. They are examples of certain cultivars that develop brownish stripes (stress cracks actually) called corking, which is an indication they have reached full size.
When removing peppers from the plant, employ some common sense precautions. Harvest when the plant is dry to prevent contamination. Use a sharp knife or nipppers to clip the pepper stem to prevent damage to the plant. When harvesting your hot varieties, wear gloves to protect yourself from the capsaicin. Capsaicin is the active chemical component of chili peppers. It produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact.
