Yes, you can still ripen unripe peppers you’ve pulled from your pepper plants due to frost or other reasons. Here is how.
It’s the end of the chili pepper harvesting season and I’ve just pulled all of the remaining peppers off the plants. Sadness reigns. It was necessary, though, because the weather is calling for frost and frost will destroy anything that is left.
The problem now, though, is I’m stuck with a bag load of green, unripe chili peppers. Should I eat them green? Sure, they are still edible, but they have a raw, green flavor that some may not enjoy. Whatever you do, don’t toss them out because you can still ripen those green peppers.
The Windowsill Method. This is easiest if you only have a few unripe peppers. Simply leave your peppers on a sunny windowsill in a warm room for a few days. They will begin to turn color and ripen in the sun and warmth.
Once ripened to your liking, store them in the refrigerator or use them right away. If they start to go soft, throw them out.
The Branch Method. Another trick is to hang them upside down while still attached to their branches, indoors, and they will continue to ripen. This will, of course, require you to remove at least the plant branches, but at end of season, it won't really matter.
Realistically, peppers do continue to ripen on their own after you’ve picked them, so even if you keep them in a small bin at room temperature, they should ripen up for you in about a week or two, though be sure to check on them periodically to make sure none of them goes bad.
The Paper Bag Method. Store the unripe peppers in a paper bag with a ripe tomato or apple. This also works with green tomatoes. The ripe fruit will speed the ripening process and your peppers (and tomatoes) should ripen in a week or longer, though this particular method has been disputed.
I'd love to hear your personal experience ripening peppers using the paper bag method.
Note that temperature is an important factor when ripening your peppers indoors. The peppers will ripen more quickly at room temperature, and more slowly at cooler temps.
Let me know what methods work best for you!
Enjoy your bountiful pepper harvest! Check out other methods for Preserving Chili Peppers.
Joe says
I just picked my green fruit, since it’s supposed to be in the low 30’s here in Nebraska tonight. Have about 30 peppers that I put in a open Tupperware tub to ripen. Should this work?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
It can work, Joe. Maybe try adding a tomato to the mix if you can. Place it close the window with some light, if possible. Let me know how it goes. If you see signs of softening or rot, refrigerate immediately.
Don says
I've got 4 habanero plants in pots on my deck. Two of the plants have nice sized fruit...all green. The other two are farther behind...still with flowers and very small fruit just coming on. Will the fruit continue to develop if I just keep them indoors in the pots?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Don, yes, though you'll need to make sure the plants have plenty of light and warmer temps. They should continue to ripen so you can pick them.
Bob Jones says
Hey CPM!,
I pick my "green" hotties when there is extended mid -low 40° Temps forecasted.
I've hung them, placed them on windowsills (all over the house, lol) and paper bagged them. For the past several years, I lay them out on MANY tables in several tents with grow lights, heat, fans, etc in my basement lab. I get it, some folks don't do what I do & don't need or have the these specialized resources. Folks that are sane, only have 8 or 10 pepper plants. Ive NEVER been called sane! Lol
Whichever ripening method a person uses, there's NOTHING better than doing a little research & figuring out what's best for them or their circumstances.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks for your input, Bob.
Mike says
Ed... that do cross pollinate but parent plants will still be what you planted. Like in your example your habenero would still produce habenero peppers and same with ghost. The next generation or seeds would be reapers since that is how they were originally
made.
Faye says
I have a lot of green pimentos. How do I ripen them.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Faye, probably best to just leave them on the windowsill in the sunlight to let them ripen.
Ed says
Dont plant different peppers next each other. I planted a Ghost pepper next to my older Habernero and they cross pollinated, producing bastard unusable fruit
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Peppers can cross-pollinate, but the results don't show up until you plant the seeds from those pods.
Cred says
Yessss! People really struggle with this concept. The fruit are not the current plant's 'offspring', it's the seeds within the fruit. The fruit will be the genetic makeup of the parent plant.
V says
Yeah your right. Not sure what that guy was on about. If his chillis were inedible then they were always going to be, regardless of pollination.
charles R Murray says
I did exactly that and had no problems,,,. Hmmmm
Mark Zambelli says
Ed, did you mean that you saved the seed and the next year you got some unusable fruit indicating the two plants had cross-pollinated the previous year?
I had a cross-pollination 'incident' this year with my Jalapenos... fortunately it wasn't bust. In 2021 my Cayenne must've pollinated my Jalapenos (my other chillis were far enough away) and as I always save seed for my crops each year I got quite the surprise... I'm not getting Jalapenos this year for sure. Instead, my Jalapenos are producing wonderful pods.
Each pod is longer than a Jalapeno, curved and pointy like a Cayenne and they have all gone bright red just a day or two after stating to darken as a Jalapeno does. There is no corking but the flesh is as thick as a Jalapeno with a kick more like a Cayenne.
I'm loving these 'Jalap-eyennes' and I'm keeping the seeds to see what they'll be like next year. Fortunately, my Serrano's will stand-in instead for pickling... my Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets and Nagas are ear-marked for sauces only!
Take care all... hope the season was kind to you (we had a better year this year in the UK)
Pete says
Hi,
I live 800feet, 244m above sea level in the Pennines, N England . This is the first time I've grown chillies. There are lots of green chillies in my greenhouse. With the weather set to get cold in the next month or so, how can I ripen them? Average temp is 13degC and 10 hours of daylight, 4 hours of sun if I'm lucky.
Thanks
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Pete. There isn't much you can do to ripen them faster on the plants, but you can pick them green and try to ripen them indoors. Check out my page on How to Ripen Unripe Chili Peppers. Let me know if this helps. https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/how-to-ripen-unripe-peppers/
Wayne L smith says
I have ghost pepper growing outside here in Oklahoma, it's been hot and all of my habaneros have turned red and the ghost peppers are still green. Both types of peppers became peppers at the same time. Will the ghost peppers eventually turn red
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Wayne, yes, some peppers ripen at different times from others.
Erik Williams says
Can the seeds be saved still for planting if it has to finish ripening off of the vine?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Erik, you can, though you'll have more success with ripe pods. Check out my Saving Chili Pepper Seeds for Growing Later page. I hope this helps!
Carlo says
Hi,
I'm in Dallas and it was a hot summer with little rain. I was growing Habenaro's Ghost Peppers, 7 Pot Douglahs, and Chocolate Carolina reapers. Didn't get any flowers until the heat broke and that was September. I got plenty of peppers but hardly any ripened. Picked all the green ones today as we are getting a freeze. I will try the apple in a bag method. I would hate to lose all these peppers. 16 plants in all. My chocolate reapers are the size of a plum to peach.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hey, Carlo. Yeah, that's a lot of peppers. I hope you can save some of them. You can still process some of them green, but they won't be as good as ripe. I hope they ripen up for you! Good luck.
Dave says
Thanks for the tip! I have two plants full of ghost peppers, and a pretty good bundle of halbaneos, which are still on the plants, here in Delaware. I've managed a total of about three red ghosts this year, and while the halbaneos have yielded like crazy, I still have plants full of green peppers. That's my high-class problem. The japapaneos, bells, and poblanos barely had any fruit this year.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad to help, Dave! Gotta save as many peppers as we can!
Sanne says
Help! While I was in the shower my toddler ripped off all my peppers, I promised them to some friends who want to make spicy mead. Can I still save them? Half of the peppers had already turned red but a bunch are still completely green. It took so much work to save the plant during a huge drought this summer so I'm pretty bumbed out..
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sanne, bummer! Refrigerate them right away, and for the unripe ones, try the techniques on this page. You can still use them green, however. Best of luck!