If you’ve been following what veggies I grow, you should know that I grow multiple varieties of sweet and hot peppers. So many varieties to choose from!
Harvesting Tips: My criteria for harvesting peppers is to look at the size and color. 1) Once in a while a pepper might get stunted due to weather fluctuation between hot and cold, however, you can usually rely on the size listed on the seed packet or on the seed company’s website.  2) For peppers that turn red or another color when they are ripe like guajillo hot peppers and Jimmy Nardello sweet pepers, I typically start harvesting them when they start changing to the desired color. I bring them in the house and put them on the counter top to fully change colors. You can also wait until it fully changes color on the plant. As for hot peppers, most eventually turn red. Some taste better at the green stage like Anaheim Green Chile Peppers and some taste good at either stage like Jalapenos.  3) I would suggest harvesting peppers with a pair of scissors so you don’t mess up the plant. You want to leave a little stem at the top like in photo.
Eating Tips: 4) For sweet peppers, I prefer to eat them fresh as a snack or on a salad or cooked via grilling, roasting or sautéeing. 5) For hot peppers, I like to cook them by grilling, roasting and sautéing and making a variety of Mexican dishes.
Short Term Storing Tips:Â 6)Â If I am going to eat them fresh, I will keep them on my kitchen counter since the air conditioner is on.
Long Term Storing Tips: There are quite a few ways to store peppers – I love options!  For long term storage, I usually freeze them. 7)If the peppers have a tough skin like Anaheim Peppers, then you want to char them first so you can get the skins off. 8) You can freeze peppers whole, sliced and stuffed with cheese or meat. Keep in mind that you do not need to blanch them. 9) My second favorite way to store peppers is to dry them. We typically dry them for at least 6 hours in our air fryer at 150ËšF. 10) You can also can or pickle peppers.
If you don’t know how to sow and grow peppers, then just click on it.
