One of the most popular and hottest topics about chili peppers, especially habanero peppers, is when you should pick them. Habaneros, like other chili peppers, are harvested at different stages of growth.
While there is no exact date that tells you a chili pepper is ready to be picked, there are some basic guidelines you should follow in order to have successful harvests.
There are few moments as satisfying in a gardener’s life as picking their first crop of habanero peppers. The thrill of seeing the fruits of their hard labor comes with a certain sense of pride, but when are habanero peppers ready to be picked?
The best way to tell if your habanero is ready to be picked is to check its skin color. Habanero peppers are fully matured when they begin to turn orange. You can also look for other signs of maturity, such as the presence of wrinkles and small dark spots.
5 Signs That Your Habanero Peppers are Ready for Harvest
Habanero peppers can be harvested at any time during their growth, but there are a few signs that you can look for to tell when it’s the right time.
1. Color
The color of your habaneros should be bright orange or yellow-orange when they’re fully ripe. This means they have reached full maturity and are ready to be picked.
The color of the pepper changes from green to orange-red as it matures. At this point, the pepper is ready for harvesting.
If you prefer yellow or red ripe habanero peppers, then you will need to wait until the color has ripened on your plant. The process can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months, depending on your climate and the amount of sunlight your plants receive each day.
2. Size
Another thing that happens when you grow habaneros is that they get bigger as you age. Once they reach about 2 inches, you might harvest them so you can use them in other dishes later.
They will get larger and larger as they continue to ripen. You can even use this as one way to tell if they are ripe or not if you don’t have any other way.
If they are getting larger and larger without turning red, they probably aren’t ripe yet. However, if they are getting bigger but still green, they may be ready to pick soon.
3. Leaves
The leaves of your habanero plant should be green initially, but they should change color as they mature. They are ready for harvesting when they turn from green to other colors.
If you leave them on the plant too long, they will eventually dry up and wither away, so make sure you pick them before this happens.
4. Stems Become Brittle and Break Easily
If you pick up one of your habanero plants by the stem, it should break easily and fall off from the plant without too much effort on your part.
If the stem does not snap when picked up or if it does not break off easily when touched with your fingers, then it’s not yet ripe enough for harvest.
The fruit will remain on the plant until it’s ready to be harvested and picked off by hand, which is why it’s important for gardeners to know how to tell when their habaneros are ready for harvesting, so they don’t go past their prime and lose some of those delicious flavors that make them so popular.
5. Shape
The shape of the fruit is a good indicator of its ripeness. When the fruit starts looking like a bell pepper and loses its pointed shape, it is ready for harvesting.
You can also hold the pepper in one hand and gently squeeze it to see if it gives under pressure. If it does, then it is ripe enough for picking.
3 Ways to Store Habanero Peppers
Habanero peppers are considered one of the hottest peppers in the world. If you have a small garden and want to grow your own habanero peppers, you must know how to store habanero peppers.
1. Refrigerating
The most common way to store habaneros is simply by placing them in the refrigerator. This will slow down the aging process and make them last longer.
To keep your habaneros fresh longer, place them in a plastic container or ziplock bag before refrigerating them. This will help prevent moisture from forming around them and causing spoilage.
If you plan on using your habaneros within two days of purchasing them, then you don’t need to store them in this manner. However, if you plan on using them later in the week or even months later, then refrigerating them is recommended to keep them fresh longer.
2. Freezing
Freezing is another great way to store habaneros. You can put them in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag and freeze them for up to 6 months without any problem whatsoever.
When freezing habaneros, it is important that the skins remain intact. This will help keep their flavor and texture intact for longer periods of time after they are thawed out.
It is also important not to cut open the peppers before freezing them because this will cause them to lose their flavor faster than if they were left whole while they were being stored in your freezer.
3. Drying
Drying is the easiest way to store habanero peppers. Simply lay them on a drying tray and place them in a dry, well-ventilated place.
The peppers will take anywhere from one to two weeks to completely dry out. Once they are dry, you can store them in an airtight container.
4. Pickling
Pickling is another great method for preserving habaneros because pickled peppers have a longer shelf life than dried or frozen ones.
Pickled peppers are best used within six months of being made but can last up to one year if stored properly in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
It’s always exciting to grow your own food from seed. It’s even more exciting when that food is a fiery hot habanero pepper.
So when does a habanero pepper reach maturity? When are the pods ready for harvesting? The best way to know for sure is by checking out the answers above.
From there, you should be able to determine when it’s time to begin your own harvest and make your own sauce.
