[cheshirecheese]

I've grown chillies for the first time this year (various varieties of the long red jalapeno type).  I want them to ripen fully but obviously they're still green at the moment.  Is it ok to leave them on the plant until they ripen to red?  They're quite a size already (the individual chillies that is) - will they stop growing when they reach optimum size?

[compostqueen]

I leave mine on the plants to ripen.  I've not noticed that they get supersized if left on the plant 

[cheshirecheese]

Thanks - it's just that some of them are about to come into contact with the soil in the pot as they're now so long, so I didn't want them to start rotting!!   

[Kleftiwallah]

When you come to harvest them, make sure you have a decent bit of stem.  Using a needle and strong thread threading through the stems string the chilies up in the kitchen - very rustik !


Cheers,   Tony.

[kermit]

I tend to pick and use /freeze most of mine whilst still green. I find them hotter that way, and most of my Indian recipes say to use green chillies in masala etc.

[cheshirecheese]

The reason I want them red is because I make a lot of chilli jam (I posted the recipe in the relevant section here recently).  They need to be red, otherwise it looks as though there are dubious 'bits' in the jam!!  I make it in big quantities (I use 5kg of red peppers at a time), so the colour does make a difference for me.

[compostqueen]

When you freeze chillies they keep their colour very well 

[shokkyy]

At this time of year I leave them on the plant until they turn red. But at the end of the season when I want to get rid of the plants, I do pick the green ones and put them in a dish on the windowsill. Or sometimes I string them up. Either way, they'll turn red and then dry out nicely, don't need to do anything special. I personally prefer using dried chillies because they're just easier to handle. I've got chilli juice in my eyes once and I don't ever want to do that again. And when they're dried you also have the option of turning them into chilli flakes or chilli powder if you want to.

[Ian_A]

i leave about half to ripen and the rest I pick while green to freeze whole, and to take out of freezer as and when over the coming year.

[compostqueen]

I am a chilli nut and love to use my chillies fresh, dried, frozen, ground, flaked, raw etc etc.  I once decided to freeze a huge amount but I thought it would be a good idea to deseed them and have them sliced in two as they were quite big. Big mistake!!!! They give off some sort of gas and I was soon coughing, choking, spluttering, unable to breathe etc etc   You live and learn 

I think varieties of hot chillies become even hotter on being dried