When To Pick Peppers – Harvesting At The Perfect Time

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Peppers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. It can be difficult to determine exactly when they’re ready to be plucked. How can you tell when peppers are ripe and ready to pick? Here, I’ll share exactly when to pick peppers of any type in your garden.

When to pick peppers? Large green bell pepper growing on plant

In this article:


When Are Peppers Ripe?

Different pepper varieties ripen at different rates. Hot peppers are usually slower to ripen than sweet peppers. If you have a seed packet, check the back to get an idea of the average time-to-harvest.

Peppers Change Color

The best way to tell when peppers are ready to pick is to look for changes in color. Almost all pepper varieties will go through a color change during the ripening process. For example, bell peppers change from green to a deep red when fully ripened.

Green and red bell peppers in hand.
Unripe and ripe bell peppers.

Peppers are edible at any stage of growth, but the flavor will be different. Unripe peppers will usually have less sweetness and more bitterness than ripe ones. If you want maximum heat, hot peppers are usually at their hottest when they are just turning color.

Time Since Planting

Under ideal conditions, most peppers will produce ripe peppers after 90-150+ days from transplanting. If you are growing any superhot varieties, like the ghost pepper or any habaneros, they will take longer. Bell peppers and jalapeños are typically ready for harvesting on the lower end of that scale.

Starting pepper seeds indoors is one way to get your peppers to produce earlier. This allows you to extend the season in early spring, giving the plants more time to mature outdoors in summer and fall. If you’re not sure if your peppers are ready to pick, count back the days to when you planted outside.

Timing is especially important to keep in mind as the growing season draws to a close. You don’t want to let your pepper plants stay out overnight if there is a potential frost. Be sure to harvest any final peppers before this happens!

Pepper Corking

Corking is a natural marking that can appear on many pepper varieties. It occurs when a pepper’s skin grows slower than the flesh, causing tiny stretch marks on the skin. White lines appear when the skin heals over the wounds.

Jalapeno corking
Healthy jalapeno corking.

Corking is completely normal and corked peppers are edible. It indicates that a pepper is maturing and may be ready for harvest.


When To Pick Peppers

Depending which peppers you’re growing, you may harvest at different times. To make it simple, I have put together when to pick the most common peppers. For all other peppers, just follow the basic principles of harvesting peppers:

  • Changing color
  • Peppers reach a mature size and stop growing
  • Softening flesh (over-ripe)
  • Easily picked from stem
  • Corking (on some varieties)

Note: If you plan to save pepper seeds, wait for the peppers to fully mature and change color before harvesting. This ensures that the seeds are mature and will germinate when planted next year.

When To Pick Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are one of the most commonly-grown pepper varieties, and often the most difficult to know when to harvest. This is because many people prefer to eat bell peppers when they are still green (before changing colors).

The fact is, green bell peppers are not fully ripened. You can pick them early, but waiting a few more weeks will result in delicious sweet red bell peppers. Fully ripened bell peppers have a higher nutrient content, too!

The bottom line: Pick bell peppers when they reach a full size and stop growing larger. For a sweeter flavor, wait for them to start turning red, then harvest to finish ripening indoors. I prefer the vibrant color and sweet flavor of red peppers, which are full of vitamin A (beta carotene)!


When To Pick Jalapeños

Jalapeños are some of my favorite peppers to grow. We grow multiple plants every year, so we have lots of experience harvesting jalapeños!

Traditionally, jalapeños are picked when they are still green. Green jalapeños have the savory, smoky, and punchy flavor we all know and love. Wait for the peppers to reach a full size, and ideally wait 1-2 weeks after that before plucking them green.

You can also wait for jalapeños to ripen before picking for a sweet flavor. As jalapeños ripen, they change from green, to almost black, and finally to bright red. The peppers also become slightly softer and much sweeter in the process. Red jalapeños are perfect for homemade chipotles.

The bottom line: Wait for your jalapeños to reach a mature size and develop a deeper green color. Wait a few more weeks for red jalapeños, which have a sweeter flavor.


When To Pick Habaneros

Harvesting habaneros is easy. Habaneros turn orange or red when ripe. Then, and only then should you harvest your habaneros. The flavor and aroma improves dramatically in fully ripe, orange habaneros.

Habaneros are one of the more subtle pepper varieties when it comes to color change. Habaneros start off green, turning to pale or bright orange when ready to pick. They can be picked while green, but they will lack some flavor and heat.

Habanero plant in a pot with both green and orange peppers growing.
Habanero peppers ripening on plant.

The floral smell of a fully ripened habanero cannot be beat. Some habanero varieties change to other colors, such as red, mustard orange, deep brown or even light purple!

Avoid picking habaneros too early. Some varieties can be prone to sun scald, which can be mistaken for a ripening pepper pod. If it seems too early to be ripe, leave the peppers alone.

Ripe red habanero pepper on plant
Ripe red and unripe green habaneros on plant.

The bottom line: Wait for habaneros to turn bright orange before picking. They take a long time to fully mature, so be patient! Only harvest early if there is a threat of frost in the early fall.


When To Pick Cayenne Peppers

Cayenne peppers are widely used in spicy dishes. From cayenne pepper powder to Frank’s RedHot sauce, cayenne has made a name for itself. There are many varieties of cayenne pepper, but most have the same characteristics: Long, skinny, red, and spicy.

Harvest cayenne peppers when they fully change color to bright red. While the peppers can be picked while green, they won’t have a great flavor.

Cayenne pepper plant in pot with red peppers
Cayenne pepper plant with pods turning red.

If you’re growing cayenne peppers, you’ll often find that some peppers ripen before others. Be sure to pick the ripe peppers as soon as they are ready. You’ll get the most heat and best flavor this way.

The bottom line: Wait for cayenne peppers to fully turn red, and then harvest immediately. Other peppers on the plant will continue to ripen after each harvest.


How To Pick Peppers

When it comes to pepper harvesting technique, you have a couple options. Many varieties will easily come loose when they are ripe, but others may require some extra effort.

For example, we harvest jalapeno peppers by hand, pulling each pepper upwards to help it break loose. The peppers usually ‘pop’ off of the plant with ease when they are ready.

Green jalapeno on plant
Hand-picking jalapeño pepper.
  • Bell peppers can be a bit more stubborn when harvested. Due to the large stem on each bell pepper, I like using a sharp pair of scissors or pruners to cut the pepper off the plant. Make sure you get a clean cut to avoid damaging the surrounding branches.
  • Habanero peppers are easily picked by hand. Use one hand to hold the plant’s stem in place, and gently pull the pepper’s stem up and away from the plant.
  • Cayenne peppers can be harvested by hand, as they are easy to pick when ripe.

Overall, when picking peppers, your goal is to remove the pepper and cause as little harm to the plant possible. Use scissors or pruning shears if you prefer, or go old fashioned and just use your hands.


I hope this article helps you know when to pick peppers in your garden. This is the most exciting time of year, so enjoy harvesting! If you have questions, please feel free to leave them below.

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Calvin

One of the original Pepper Geeks! When Calvin isn’t gardening or learning more about peppers and botany, he might be traveling new places or playing some music.

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44 Comments

  1. Possibly a dumb question, but I can’t seem to find the answer anywhere. I have lots of habanero plants for the first time and I plan on making sauces with them. There are about 10 peppers that look fully ripe, should I be picking those, or leave them on until many more fully ripen?

    Thanks!!!

    1. I usually pick ripe peppers as they come (you can get a bigger overall yield that way), or leave them on if you plan to process them all together. You can also freeze the ripened peppers until you’re ready to use them for sauce.

  2. I am in Toronto. I’ve been waiting for my bell peppers to turn red. They were planted in late May. I noticed some have turned a bit of red so I picked them. They are all rotten inside. Some of the peppers have root rot although we fertilize on a regular basis. What am I doing wrong?

  3. I for the first time purchased a “Sport” pepper. See sports showing up in different sizes in the past week. When do I these?

  4. Hi! I live in Central Florida and am brand new to growing peppers. I have a bird pepper plant that is loaded with green & purple peppers and I picked 1 orange one off the plant this afternoon. The peppers are very small but in spite of their size they are VERY HOT! I’m trying to determine what color they should be when they are fully ripe.

    1. Hm, most bird-type peppers will ripen through to a bright red color. Can’t be sure without knowing the exact variety, but many red peppers will turn orange before fully turning red. Hope you enjoy!

  5. I have an Armageddon pepper plant that has produced 20 plus peppers. Most have changed colour to a vibrant orange, however, many are quite a bit smaller than the full size (about golf ball size). Will the small peppers continue to grow even though they have changed colour?

    Thanks from Victoria BC Canada

    1. Hi David – no, once a pepper has ripened, it will not grow in size. Some peppers just grow smaller than others, it happens a lot with early peppers, but is very common in general.

  6. Sweet peppers I grew from seed of another pepper now we are losing sunshine will they still ripen with less sun on them first time growing them

  7. What do I need to do to The Hatch chili’s I’m growing they are only about an 1″ long and then they turn red. They are suppose to get to 5″ to 7″.
    Please Help.
    Thank You.

  8. My ghost pepper plant was producing nice big bright red peppers then all of a sudden I noticed this week the peppers that were green are now turning purple why? why is the plant producing red and then suddenly producing purple thank you

    1. Purpling can happen when the peppers are exposed to direct sunlight – it is a natural effect that usually is no harm – the peppers should still ripen to red.

  9. Hello!
    This was my first year gardening and none of my seedlings survived transplanting. 🙁 So I bought many different varieties of peppers from the nursery in June. Because of this, I have no idea how old they are. My habanero and cayenne peppers are not ripening… I started picking a few here and there for tasting and to encourage new growth but there are some that have been the same size on each plant for A MONTH and are still green. People keep telling me to be patient but I have also heard other Michigan gardeners say their hot peppers NEVER get ripe!!! Is there a guideline for how much longer this will take if they are not growing in size? Are there signs that it is becoming overripe without changing color? Are there things I can do to encourage ripening? I fertilize every week with organic tomato and veg and added bone meal to the soil about 3 weeks ago… My cayenne currently has about 20 peppers and my hananero has about 10 and I’m concerned production will stop if I don’t keep picking… HELP! 🙂
    Jen
    P.S. I discovered your content about 2 weeks ago and can’t get enough. I’m immensely greatful to have you geeks as a resource and I want to thank you for the wealth of information and for already answering so many of my questions!!!

    1. Hi Jen – so ripening can take longer if your plants are in lower light conditions. However, they should change color and ripen fully eventually. We have some plants in pots that are in very limited lighting and have taken much longer to produce ripe peppers than those in full sun. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do other than wait it out. Thankfully, peppers are edible at any stage, and many of them taste pretty good when still green, but there are benefits to the color change (nutrients, appealing color, etc.). If frost is near, you could try removing stems and branches that do not contain fully formed fruits to concentrate the plant’s energy on ripening the existing peppers. Hope this helps, and good luck!

      1. Thank you! That does help!! I had read a few places that peppers prefer morning sun since the afternoon sun is hotter and since I was having a ton of wilting and slow production, I moved them to east of my corn so they were shaded from the afternoon sun. But I’m going to move the cayenne and habanero so they get more sun and see if that helps. Thanks again!!!

  10. Any thoughts on serano peppers growing them the fist time. They seem fatter then the ones in the store. Picked a couple they weren’t hot yet. How will I know if they are ready?

    1. Love serranos – usually productive and delicious. They should be hot though – I usually wait for them to start turning dark/red before picking. Great sweet flavor and pretty spicy when mature (10-20K Scoville)

  11. Is there a particular time of day that is best to harvest your peppers? Tomatoes are best picked early in the morning. Is it the same with peppers? Thank you!

    1. It won’t make much difference, but morning is a great time, Allows any unintentional wounds to heal and dry quickly before the sun is intense and humidity rises.

  12. Most pepper varieties are sweeter and have more vitamins when they turn color, and usually the color of ripeness is some shade of red, occasionally orange and in special cases brown, yellow or white. Immature fruits are usually green, but can be purple or black.

    For a lot of pepper cultivars, immature fruits are bitter or “green” tasting, and their taste improves dramatically when ripe. But a few varieties — especially Jalapeno, Garden Salsa, bell peppers, and smaller sweet peppers like Anaheim — are optimized for tasting good while still green. This has the advantage of not having to wait for full ripeness and giving you a traditional green pepper taste. Others have interesting alternate flavors while green — for example, Ghost peppers are sour and citrusy (due to Vitamin C) and spicy from quite early on. But very small, young fruits have an inferior taste compared to larger green fruits in nearly every cultivar.

    There are also big variations in how long peppers keep on or off the bush once fully ripe. Some turn soft and start to rot within days, while others keep for much longer. Peppers also tend to continue to ripen once picked, and even continue to ripen when refrigerated.

  13. Thanks for an easy to follow pepper information! I am growing jalapeño, poblano, Tabasco, sweet yellow and delicious Garden Salsa peppers! I am thoroughly enjoying growing them!

  14. We live near San Francisco, CA and planted a bell pepper plant in early July. It now has three green peppers, one of which is about three inches long and the other two are about an inch long.
    Our nights are now getting just below 50 degrees and it sits outside in a pot. Should I bring the pot in at night? How long into the winter will the plant continue to grow?

    1. 50°F is the tipping point for peppers – growth will slow substantially and leaves may start dying and turning yellow. It will stay alive down to around 35, but won’t thrive unless nighttime temps remain above 65°F. You can keep it alive through the winter by keeping it away from frost, it will come back quickly in the spring when temps rise.

      1. Thanks for the info. The plant still seems to be doing okay but the peppers aren’t getting any bigger or turning color. Is it time to pick the peppers, green though they are, before they start to rot?

  15. I have a bunch of Tabasco peppers growing and need an idea of how long it takes to ripen from green to red. I know it’s 90+ days from germination but we had a brutal summer here in Phoenix and the months old plants are just now bursting with fruit. The reason I want to know the ripening time is cuz I might have to remove the plants to redo my irrigation. Thanks

    1. It varies based on the conditions for the plant. Temperature, overall plant health, etc can change the time it takes to ripen. The only thing you can do is wait for the peppers to begin changing on their own, no real way to force it.

  16. Hello : I grew two cayenne pepper plants (from seed) on my balcony. As of September 16 only 7 have ripened (and were picked) and there are about 15 peppers still remaining. They are a deep glossy green and about 2 to 3 1/2 inches long. They are not ripening. I live in southwestern ontario canada and tonight the temp is going down to 50 F. QUESTION: can I pick the peppers when they are green and how do I ripen them.

    1. The peppers will only ripen to red off the plant if they have begun to change color. If they are still green with no signs of red, I would leave them on the plant until they turn. A few nights of 50F is tolerable for peppers, or you can also bring the plant inside if it is going to get colder.

  17. We live in Texas and my wife and family would love for you all to check us out our Facebook page; Fire It Up Peppers

    This is our first year growing Super Hots and we would love to send you a bottle of our sauces to try once we get the labels and the DBA is complete.

  18. Thank you for a your insights! As a first time grower of pepper I am wondering about when to pick tabasco peppers. I am growing cayenne, jalapeno and tabasco (along with some bells [gypsy and various colors]). Looking forward to using them at the end of the season!

    1. Though we have yet to grow tabasco peppers, I believe that they turn red when ripe. Check your seed source (packet, website) to make sure it is the standard variety that changes to red when ripe.

      Good luck!
      -Calvin

  19. Thanks for all this information. First time grower and when my jalapeno plants developed black at the joints I thought something was wrong with them. Now I know they are doing just fine and looking forward to picking my first pepper in a few weeks. Lots of great information for pepper lovers. I will be coming back to you as a reliable resource. Many thanks.

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