desertgirl
Garden Ornament
Growing green chiles in a topsy turvey type thing. They are growing well, but how do I know they are ready to be picked?
Green Chiles
- Thread starter desertgirl
- Start date
HiDelight
Deeply Rooted
well first of all you are in the chile state of the universe you know 
I am sorry others may argue but they will not win the battle as far as I know... New Mexico has the market on sensational chiles!!!
I make an annual trip there in the fall to buy bushels of green chile freshly roasted and then take them home where have my fix all winter long
chiles should nicely grown and full ..bright green
what type of chiles are you growing? the meatiness of the chile depends on the strain
I love chimayo chiles the best they are the epitome of chile to me!
good luck and how about a picture? I can not imagine upsidedown chile plants!
I am sorry others may argue but they will not win the battle as far as I know... New Mexico has the market on sensational chiles!!!
I make an annual trip there in the fall to buy bushels of green chile freshly roasted and then take them home where have my fix all winter long
chiles should nicely grown and full ..bright green
what type of chiles are you growing? the meatiness of the chile depends on the strain
I love chimayo chiles the best
they are the epitome of chile to me! good luck and how about a picture? I can not imagine upsidedown chile plants!
digitS'
Garden Master
I once advised an Irish gardener on potato storage . . .
Really, I knew next to nothing about the subject but was able to rely on information from the University of Idaho (my Alma Mater). If pressed, I was going to reference my acquaintance with a U of I potato scientist . . .
Now with chilies, DesertGirl, uh, it isn't entirely my fault that I garden closer to the northern US border than the southern. (But then, I don't know anything about maple syrup, either.) Dad grew up in Las Cruces. That might count for something . . .
(Really HiDelight, you travel all the way from gray, fog-shrouded, cold Puget Sound to New Mexico every year?? . . . Oh yes, I see.)
Well, it is my understanding that no pepper matures green. But of course, we often eat peppers when they are green and full maturity doesn't mean better, necessarily.
For the peppers I grow, I like them best when they more-or-less stop growing. Jalapeos are best just before or as they develop the white specks on the skin - not later. Bells and Italian Sweets will begin to lose some of the shine. They might look a little like "old" peppers in the supermarket but they aren't old. After all, they are still on the plant. The tiny Thais and Super Chilies will be able to turn red in my garden. When red, they can be dried into fiery little dynamite caps 
! This year, I'm growing a couple of Japanese peppers .
Steve
:tools
Really, I knew next to nothing about the subject but was able to rely on information from the University of Idaho (my Alma Mater
). If pressed, I was going to reference my acquaintance with a U of I potato scientist . . . Now with chilies, DesertGirl, uh, it isn't entirely my fault that I garden closer to the northern US border than the southern. (But then, I don't know anything about maple syrup, either.) Dad grew up in Las Cruces. That might count for something . . .
(Really HiDelight, you travel all the way from gray, fog-shrouded, cold Puget Sound to New Mexico every year?? . . . Oh yes, I see
.)Well, it is my understanding that no pepper matures green. But of course, we often eat peppers when they are green and full maturity doesn't mean better, necessarily.
For the peppers I grow, I like them best when they more-or-less stop growing. Jalapeos are best just before or as they develop the white specks on the skin - not later. Bells and Italian Sweets will begin to lose some of the shine. They might look a little like "old" peppers in the supermarket but they aren't old. After all, they are still on the plant. The tiny Thais and Super Chilies will be able to turn red in my garden
. When red, they can be dried into fiery little dynamite caps ! This year, I'm growing a couple of Japanese peppers .Steve
:tools
HiDelight
Deeply Rooted
yes I do in September for Fiesta ...my sister who recently passed away lived there (I am heartbroken right now at loosing her) and my daughters were born there so I make the trip ..not sure what I will do this September with out her ...everyone in my family lives all over the country so I spend most of my free time finding cheap tickets!
I was just thinking desertgirl Durans pharmacy in your town makes the best green chile stew and fresh tortillas
...everyone in my family lives all over the country so I spend most of my free time finding cheap tickets! I was just thinking desertgirl Durans pharmacy in your town makes the best green chile stew and fresh tortillas
- Thread starter
- #5
desertgirl
Garden Ornament
MMMMM-Duran's!They certainly do!
I am a born and raised Nueva Mexicana, and go into painful physical withdrawls without a daily fix of chile in some form!
HiDelight-So sorry to hear about your loss! I do understand the pilgramage, though. When I fly up to Washington to visit family who are from here, before the hugs and kisses is a very firm, "You did bring the chile, didn't you?" (said with hands on hips and a slight almost addict tremor in their voice!). If I have indeed checked a large box full of green chile on my flight, I am embraced and welcomed.
digitS-The only tricky things with green chiles (vs. jalapenos etc) is that they will ripen and turn to red chiles (still good , but not as good as green for us). Here in NM, the red vs. green debate is perpetual , unwin-able, and has led to more than a couple of pretty heated debates/fistfights. Everyone has an opinion, and we know what we like.
But for us, green is better.
I am a born and raised Nueva Mexicana, and go into painful physical withdrawls without a daily fix of chile in some form!
HiDelight-So sorry to hear about your loss! I do understand the pilgramage, though. When I fly up to Washington to visit family who are from here, before the hugs and kisses is a very firm, "You did bring the chile, didn't you?" (said with hands on hips and a slight almost addict tremor in their voice!). If I have indeed checked a large box full of green chile on my flight, I am embraced and welcomed.
digitS-The only tricky things with green chiles (vs. jalapenos etc) is that they will ripen and turn to red chiles (still good , but not as good as green for us). Here in NM, the red vs. green debate is perpetual , unwin-able, and has led to more than a couple of pretty heated debates/fistfights. Everyone has an opinion, and we know what we like.
But for us, green is better.
HiDelight
Deeply Rooted
thanks Desert there is a strange connection between New Mexico and Washington dont you think only those who know understand
our foods go really well together for one thing!!!
only those who know understand our foods go really well together for one thing!!!
Broke Down Ranch
Deeply Rooted
I grew up in NM and it just KILLED me I couldn't find actual green chile plants here. And ask them at the grocery store for some and they always pointed me to the Anaheims. I would try to explain the difference and they would just look at me like I had 3 heads or something....
The way I test mine (yes, actual green chiles) is I gently raise them up. If they snap off easily then I consider them ready. If the stem is still very well attached and rubbery then I leave it. I have the Big Jim variety so I don't even try those until they are a good 8-10" long. Seems they snap off right when they start turning a lighter color green. I also have the Sandia strain but haven't picked any there yet (they are getting close tho).....
The way I test mine (yes, actual green chiles) is I gently raise them up. If they snap off easily then I consider them ready. If the stem is still very well attached and rubbery then I leave it. I have the Big Jim variety so I don't even try those until they are a good 8-10" long. Seems they snap off right when they start turning a lighter color green. I also have the Sandia strain but haven't picked any there yet (they are getting close tho).....
