If you've harvested green peppers due to frost or timing, don't worry, they can often continue to ripen off the plant under the right conditions.
It’s the end of chili pepper season, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve just harvested the last of your peppers before the frost sets in. A hard frost will destroy anything left on the plant, so sometimes you have no choice but to pick them early, even if they’re still green.
Now you’re staring at a bag full of unripe peppers and wondering: what do I do with these unripe peppers?
Yes, you can eat them green. They’re still perfectly edible, though the flavor is sharper and “greener” than when fully ripened. Some people like that raw bite, but many prefer the sweetness and depth that comes with color and maturity.
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to toss them. With a little patience, you can still ripen green peppers off the plant. Just remember, the very best way to maximize flavor and heat is to leave them on the plant as long as possible. When that’s no longer an option, you’ve got some simple tricks to finish the job indoors.
Warm, Sunny Location (Best Method). Place your peppers in a bright, warm spot, such as a sunny windowsill or sheltered outdoor table, at around 70°F (21°C) or higher.
They may begin to change color within a few days, though full ripening can take up to one to two weeks. Peppers ripen slower off the vine compared to tomatoes.
The Branch Method. If harvesting late-season, you can hang pepper-laden branches (roots removed) upside down in a warm indoor space. They’ll often continue to ripen, although taste and heat may differ slightly from vine-ripened fruit.
Room Temperature in a Bin or a Box. Place the peppers loosely in a bin or cardboard box in a room-temperature spot. Leave them undisturbed, check periodically, and expect ripening over about one to two weeks.
Skip the Paper Bag Trick. While placing fruit like tomatoes in a paper bag often helps ripen climacteric fruits via ethylene, peppers are non-climacteric. That means they do not ripen faster with ethylene exposure. This method is not effective for chili or bell peppers.
Don't Refrigerate Prematurely. Cold storage stops the ripening process. If your goal is to ripen the peppers, keep them warm. Only refrigerate once they’ve reached the color and firmness you want.
I'd love to hear your personal experience ripening peppers using the paper bag method.
Let me know what methods work best for you!
Enjoy your bountiful pepper harvest! Check out other methods for Preserving Chili Peppers.
Wendy says
I have a rocoto that is heavily laden & still flowering with more chillies, they are all still green, should I leave them on the plant to ripen?
I picked a couple and put them on a sunny windowsill and they have ripened now after 5 days.
The plant is growing more and doing well with being fed on a weekly schedule, not sure if I should pick them to ripen to give the plant the energy to produce more.
I'm in New Zealand and the plant is in a greenhouse where it seems to be thriving.
Mike Hultquist says
I would leave them on the plant to ripen, Wendy, as long as the temps allow it. Best way to do it. Enjoy!!
Anne says
Yes I saw this post a few weeks ago and followed your cut branch solution. No sunny space but plant stand with grow lights. Used S-hooks and suspended under lights and one by one my precious fresnos turned from green to red! Many thanks for your all your tips Mike!
Mike H. says
Very glad to be reading this, Anne. Have fun with it! 😉
Helen says
Hi Mike,
I'm on the other side of the world and our chilli season is in the early stages. I'm growing beautiful Hungarian paprika peppers and need some advice. I really want to pick some so the plant will produce more. Some are just slightly changing colour. Can I pick them now and will they ripen while hanging?
Thanks so much
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Helen. It's best to wait for the peppers to ripe on the plant, but you can pick some early if needed. Best is to place them in a paper bag with a banana or apple on a window sill to help them ripen. I have some advice on this here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/how-to-ripen-unripe-peppers/
Kurt says
How soft is 'too soft' and they should be tossed? I have been known to still use semi-soft peppers in a stir-fry or something. (Obviously rot or mold is much too far gone)
Mike H. says
Kurt, if the pepper is mushy to the touch and you can easily press through the flesh, it’s likely past its prime. At this point, the texture may not hold up well in cooking, and it’s usually best to discard it.
Lauren says
I have a campervan that gets warm inside on most autumn days so I’ve put my green chilli peppers along the front windscreen to ripen. So far they seem to be doing well!
Mike H. says
Very creative. Well done!
Martyn Sharman says
Will a banana work?
The reason I ask, is that bananas ripen other fruit very quickly.
Kind regards,
Martyn
Mike H. says
That can work, Martyn!
Kyla says
Hi Mike,
I have a very large and loaded Datil pepper plant that was snapped off at the base during a wind storm several days ago. It had a very little root structure left and I was a little hopeful that if I stuck it back in the ground it might survive, but it is not 🙁 I contacted my local extension office and was told it was hopeless and peppers would be tasteless. I have been so excited to find your site and it has been so full of information and cannot wait to dive into most of your recipes. Anyway, just wondering if your think all of my green Datil peppers I have would ripen in a paper bag if I threw a green tomato in (maybe a couple of green tomatoes)? Makes me sick to just pull this huge plant and toss in the compost pile. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Kyla. Sorry to hear! That's a bummer. You can try to ripen them, but it may not work if the peppers are very young. You can still use them, though. You can make a verde sauce or salsa. They will still have a bit of that "green" flavor, unripe, but at least it's not a total waste.
Connie says
I soak the unripe peppers in water for 15 minutes then put out to dry. Thick shinned peppers go on the window sill & thin skinned peppers go in a fruit box (has holes in the sides) lid on with a few ripe apples. I place the box in a sunny window. It works very well & my peppers stay crisp.
Mike H. says
Thanks for sharing, Connie!
Helene U Taylor says
I live in London, UK where we typically only have night frost once or twice every winter - a few nights each time. The first cold spell usually in December, the second in January and then we are finished with winter - no snow usually.
Before the first forecasted frost I chop off all my unripe chillies and place them on double layers of kitchen paper on a long shelf I have on top of the radiator in my hall, sadly I can’t post a photo here of last year’s tightly packed, all lined up chillies - looked amazing! The shelf was not long enough so many of the chillies had to wait in the fridge to go for their ripening treatment.
Once fully red, all chillies not eaten were opened, de-seeded, stalk cut off and frozen.
It’s now end of July 2024, this year’s 3 chilli plants have started to fruit and I still have a big bag of chillies in my freezer from last year….
I grow Aji Delight, Aji de Mocha and Poblano every year - in addition to tomatoes and other fruit and veg in my tiny garden.
The chillies I grow don’t need sunlight to ripen indoors, but the ‘bottom heat’ from the radiator makes all the difference - no rotten chillies, and they taste almost as good.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks for sharing, Helene!
Don St John says
Using the paper bag with apple method I placed the bag in a seldom used room at about 80F. I forgot about them, about 2 or 3 months later they had ripened dried. Only a couple out of the bag didn't ripen. Can I rehydrate them and use them in Cowboy Candy? What is the best way to rehydrate them?
Mike Hultquist says
If there are no signs of rot or mold, you may be able to use them, Don. You can rehydrate them by soaking them in very hot water, but they'll be quite mushy, and probably won't make the best cowboy candy.