banana peppers

[desertlady]

whats a good size to pick banana peppers?

 

[digitS']

These are sweet banana peppers, DL?

I don't suppose it makes much difference - sweet or hot. One of my favorites! Good, consistent success when I grew those!

Don't worry about the size - that will depend on too many things other than maturity. I like peppers to lose any depressions to the skin/walls before harvesting. There are lobes in other peppers, but banana peppers don't have those so you should be able to slice thru one and have "circles" not odd shapes to the slices. Of course, you can chop them up in whatever way you want but I'm just talking about that fullness look to them.

Peppers will go from shiny to not-very-shiny, as they mature. You can't go too far with that because they may get too mature - not that I really know anything about that . . . Still, if they are real shiny, they are likely to be pretty early in their development.

Oh and color? You never really have to wait until a pepper leaves the green stage, to make use of it. (I should know about that!) In fact, I'm not interested in waiting until something like a jalapeno changes from green to orange - it is best before.

Steve

 

[desertlady]

yes they are sweet banana peppers. Ok I was concern if they will get too tough to soon ! Thanks ! also have anyone ever freeze them?

 

[so lucky]

I freeze bell peppers, chopped up. No blanching, just freezing. I don't think they would be a good texture after thawing to use like you would a raw one, but cooked, heck yes!

 

[catjac1975]

The thing about peppers is they are "ripe" as soon as they start growing. I pick peppers small because they are ready to eat. Meanwhile the rest are growing large.

whats a good size to pick banana peppers?

 

[Dave2000]

Presuming they're the yellow type, some I pick when the last hint of green is fading and some I leave until there's an orange blush... but I am partial to fruit ripened on the plant as long as possible, even jalapenos. Other times I pick as early as I can bare to because the plant can't stand the weight of the fruit.

 

[Dave2000]

Also, banana peppers don't get tough like a cucumber or okra would, at the largest they get they are still only crisp, no tougher than when small. I'm not so sure a pepper is ready to eat before it reaches full sized, maybe bells or jalapenos but there's a definite change in taste and texture with many when they get closer to ripe, especially subtle overtones and sweetness and tartness from an increase in ascorbic acid (vitamin C) content. There's also a change in vitamin content, usually for the better as they ripen but some may lose vitamins.

 

[Dave2000]

I freeze bell peppers, chopped up. No blanching, just freezing. I don't think they would be a good texture after thawing to use like you would a raw one, but cooked, heck yes!

I freeze them while still wet from rinsing (and the puddle of pepper juice accumulating on the cutting board), so they have a protective ice shell on them which I theorize helps prevent frostbite like it would on some other foods. They thaw out to be fairly crisp raw, not as crisp as fresh but pretty close.