Chillies - Growing and Over wintering 2020

[SimpleSimon]

I'm amazed by how quickly peppers can ripen off the plant in a warm room. Half a dozen of the ones I picked have already fully ripened, and a dozen or so more are nearly there, all just three days after picked peppers which were 90-100% green.

I had always wondered if they did this. I have loads which are nearly there but have hung the plants in the tunnel. Problem is it's plagued with black mold and I'm loosing loads of the chillis. I have enough to just go for it but if there is a quicker way I'm all ears.

[ameno]

I don't know which method is necessarily the best, but just leaving them on a shelf in my kitchen certainly seems to do the job. I would assume that large fruits will respond better to this, as they have thicker skins and more flesh, and are thus less prone to just drying out instead of ripening.

I also have my small-fruited chilli plants which I cut off at ground level and hung up in my conservatory. They are starting to ripen, too. For instance my mild habanero plant had only green fruits on it when I cut the plant, but now half of them are starting to turn orange.

[Baldy]

I've got a few plants in my polygreentunnel thing that are still doing ok - black zimbabwe is one - I'm going to give them some extra protection but not spend any money on that. Devon winters aren't too cold generally - might be ok if I cut them back hard and fleece them - nothing ventured nothing gained

[annie8]

Might try that with a few of my scotch bonnets. They are stubbornly refusing to ripen on the plant despite me bringing them inside and trying to stress them out.

[annie8]

Very excited to report that all of a sudden there has been some signs of ripening started in the scotch bonnet. Having waiting this long they are going yellow pretty quickly. Wondering I might take off the ripe ones once they are ready and freeze them so I build up enough to make some scotch bonnet sauce.

[annie8]

[ameno]

Put all of my peppers in the fridge today, as they are starting to get a bit soft.
I managed to ripen about 80% of the fully mature ones in the end.

[Chippy Minton]

Very excited to report that all of a sudden there has been some signs of ripening started in the scotch bonnet. Having waiting this long they are going yellow pretty quickly. Wondering I might take off the ripe ones once they are ready and freeze them so I build up enough to make some scotch bonnet sauce.

We're freezing the orange habaneros until we have enough for sauce. They're doing the same thing, stay green for ages then all of a sudden they're orange...

[annie8]

So did a bit of a harvest - the choc habaneros which were really small had a bit of heat but not as much flavour as I would have expected. The orange habaneros we are a bit more flavoursome but not that hot either. The yellow Scotch Bonnet which was a good size strangely had almost no heat. When I cut it open there are no seats or pith which I guess might explain it. It was all skin and actually inside it was almost like there is a double skin inside I"™m really hoping that they are not all are going to be like that. Quite gutted.

[jackarmy]

Sowed some Apache about three weeks ago just for something to do really.
theire up and looking good.I know light levels will be dropping more and more but hey, another four weeksish and we will pass the shortest day and light will be increasing again ,ish .
Anyway, no lights, no heaters, just a southerly ish facing windowsill, time will tell.

[Ms-T]

Sowed some Apache about three weeks ago just for something to do really.
theire up and looking good.I know light levels will be dropping more and more but hey, another four weeksish and we will pass the shortest day and light will be increasing again ,ish .
Anyway, no lights, no heaters, just a southerly ish facing windowsill, time will tell.

Good luck ,Jack , let us know how you get on..

[SimpleSimon]

Right I keep saying these pics I'm posting are my final harvest but I mean it this time! A washing up bowl full haha. Not really sure of the plan as the vast majority of these are super hots. And I've already fermented (or am fermenting) multiple kgs of superhots. And the freezer is full.

Might make a smoked chilli puree and freeze in small ice cubes to use when making chilli and such dishes. Worked well last year. Helps minimise the space in the freezer.

[Ms-T]

Very nice..make some hot sweet sauce ..