Most jalapeño peppers will be ready to harvest about 3 months after being planted. Of course, the weather plays a big role in this and may speed up or slow down the ripening process, but start checking your peppers at about 75-90 days. You’ll know your jalapeños are mature when they get 3-5” long, feel firm to the touch, and have become plump.
When I was reading we ran into the inquiry “When should you pick jalapeno peppers?”.
We learned most people prefer to pick their jalapeños at this stage – the green stage. They have a firm, crisp texture when green, plus good flavor and spiciness. You can harvest anytime after they turn from light green to dark green, depending on your preference, but don’t wait too long.
Another thing we wondered was, when are jalapeno peppers ready to pick?
One source claimed that we will give you a briefing into the different stages of ripening to help you pick it at the right time. Everything from color, size, and ease of picking can give you cues about when the Jalapenos are ready to pick. Color When the plant starts producing the vegetable, the peppers are usually light green.
Some authors claimed pull the pepper upwards. Jalapenos usually hang downwards, with the bottoms pointed directly at the ground. The stems are therefore curved from the stem to the pepper’s top. Push the pepper vertically upwards to pick the pepper.
This of course begs the question “Can You Grow Your Own jalapeno peppers?”
One article claimed that here is how to grow your own peppers, the ideal time to harvest jalapenos, whether you prefer green jalapenos or red jalapeno peppers, and ways to store them short and long term. Jalapenos are a pepper with the perfect blend of sweet pepper taste and capsaicin heat, with 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units, and growing your own is easier than you think.
When is the best time to pick peppers?
We recommend picking peppers as soon as they are at the desired color to allow the plant to produce more peppers before the end of the season. Leaving peppers on the plant for longer than is necessary can slow down the growth of other, younger peppers and lead to smaller yields. Learn more about maximizing yields in our article here.
Some sources claimed the pepper in the photo below is slightly shiny, but still a light green and not quite ready yet: Another sign that your peppers are ready to be picked is something called corking. This is when the peppers develop small white or tan cracks running up and down the skin.
Do jalapeno peppers turn red late in season?
But it simply takes longer for the majority of peppers (bell peppers, jalapeno, sweet peppers, etc.) to ripen fully and turn color. If left on the plant long enough, even jalapeno peppers turn red. We use our red jalapeno peppers late in the season to make Chipotle peppers.
If the pepper was beginning to turn red when you picked it, then the pepper will continue to ripen to red off the plant. However, if you picked an under-ripe pepper with a light green color, it will almost certainly not turn red, no matter how long you wait. If you want red jalapenos, allow the peppers to ripen on the plant.
How do you know when a Jalapeno is ready to pick?
Keep the jalapeños on the vine past their green prime. They’ll change colors, turning dark green (it can seem blackish), then to shades of orange, and finally to a rich red. When they’ve reached this moment, don’t dawdle in harvesting.
Using one hand, gently hold the plant’s branch just below the pepper to avoid jostling the entire plant when picking the pepper. Pull the pepper upwards. Jalapenos usually hang downwards, with the bottoms pointed directly at the ground. The stems are therefore curved from the stem to the pepper’s top.
Another popular inquiry is “How do you know when a jalapeno pepper is full grown?”.
I can see if we can figure it out! jalapeno peppers start as a small green nub that appears after the plant blossoms. It eventually grows into its full size of three inches or so, and leaving it on the plant encourages it to change color from green to bright red. At this stage, the peppers are a bit sweeter than the green ones and have a little more punch.