I have, for the first time, a couple of jalapeno plants. They were mistake purchases by my mom. I’m growing them to give to my neighbor who loves them.
Question is, when are they ready to pick? Having never grown them I’m clueless.
Thanks.
When the jalapeños exibit spider lines on the surface, it’s time.
Suggest buying some cream cheese to stuff, then wrap in bacon before cooking.
Enjoy !
The good news is you have a lot of 'leeway' in picking jalapenos. My opinion is that when they are big enough to make "jalapeno poppers", that is a good size which would be about 2.5 - 3 inches in length - if you want green peppers.
Jalapeno Popper Recipe
BTW, we leave the bacon out of the stuffing & actually wrap a half/whole slice of bacon around the stuffed jalapeno.
I leave most of mine on the plant until they start turning red (for jelly) ... first they get sort of 'black' before going to red. I take them off the vine when I see them starting to turn & let them finish inside. I use only red ones for Jalapeno Pepper Jelly - the jelly ends up the most gorgeous amber color. If you make the jelly out of green ones, the color is a 'muddy' green & green food coloring is generally used to brighten up the color.
If your jalapenos get 'old' on the plant, even as they turn red, they get sort of 'age' lines .... I don't know how else to describe it. I'd pick before they get 'lines'.
You may want to leave a couple on your plant & watch the process & then you'll have an idea of what they do as they 'ripen'. You could also take a look at jalapenos in the store - that would give you an idea of 'size'.
Some pictures:
Notice top right - pepper turning - green goes blackish, then goes to red - the one on the very far right, mostly red, has some 'age' lines.
Jalapeno pepper jelly color when you use red peppers.
Question is, when are they ready to pick? Having never grown them I’m clueless. It depends on if you want to save seeds for next year. If you do, wait until the turn red. If you don't, pick them when they are green and don't appear to be getting any larger. A good compromise is a mix, pick them as needed for whatever you want to make and save a couple for seeds.
Personally, Jalapenos are so common I don't bother to grow them unless they are a special variety like Farmers Market Jalapenos or the colored ones from New Mexico State University.