Cayenne peppers are a popular spice that can be used in various dishes. When harvesting cayenne peppers, it is important to know when the best time for picking them is so you don’t miss out on their nice flavor.
Once the cayenne pepper has turned into a strong red, they are ready to harvest. When squeezed the pod should still have some firmness, however, it reduces slightly while ripening. Harvesting the cayenne pods before they are completely red is possible because of the continued ripening.
This blog post will discuss when to harvest cayenne peppers and how to do so successfully!
When to harvest cayenne peppers?
They will turn red when ripe! The color that the cayenne pepper turns is a good visual marker of its ripeness, which means you can simply look at the pepper to know whether or not it’s ready to be harvested.
Normally the cayenne pepper is ready to be picked around 70 to 100 days after planting.
A ripe cayenne pepper still has some resistance and should be firm when squeezed between your fingers.
If the pepper feels too solid, then chances are high that your peppers are not yet fully ripe and they will need more time on the plant.
If you suspect that your cayenne peppers may be too ripe when they become fully red, simply pick them off the plant and store them in a paper bag.
When left out at room temperature for about a week, green or slightly red peppers will turn red. As the pepper’s ripening continues the seeds also start to ripen inside of its pulp.
Additionally, if you have some plants where all of the cayenne peppers are looking mature but most or even none of them are turning red yet, which is very common, then this could mean that there is not enough sunlight reaching those parts of the garden!
If possible try moving these plants into more direct sunlight during mid-day hours when the sun shines directly overhead.
The color will soon change from green to a nice red.
How do you take care of cayenne peppers?
The cayenne pepper plant is a tropical perennial that can grow up to four feet tall. They can reach a width at maturity of around two feet.
Cayenne plants have been grown in South America for more than 7000 years which makes it one of the oldest crops from this region!
And even today you still find these plants growing wild along roadsides throughout Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador!
What is the right care for cayenne pepper plants?
Cayenne pepper plants need a warm and sunny place to grow. They can be planted in the garden or indoors, but outdoors is preferred because it’s more natural for them.
For cayenne peppers, full sun means at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. If you want to plant it in the garden, try to search for a place that gets enough hours of sunlight.
Cayenne Pepper is sensitive to consistent extreme temperatures. They thrive well in temperatures over 60 Fahrenheit and warmer, however, if temperatures don’t drop under 75 Fahrenheit at night it will affect the number of peppers you’ll get.
The cayenne pepper plants should be watered regularly. How much water is needed depends on how hot/humid your climate is. Hotter climates need more water than cooler ones do and humid climates need less watering than dry ones.
Be sure the soil stays moist but drains well so the roots don’t rot. Stay on the dryer side more than on the waterlogged.
Once the cayenne pepper plants are about a foot high, they can be fertilized with an organic, all-purpose fertilizer. You should only need to do this once every three months or so depending on your climate and/or when you see signs of nitrogen deficiency in leaves.
When it’s time for harvest, wait until the peppers have changed color completely from green to red. They’re ready if there is no hint of green left in them at all.
What are the right growing conditions for cayenne peppers?
Growing cayenne peppers outdoors is the best but you can also grow them in containers.
The best soil type for growing these spicy plants are well-drained ones with neutral pH levels! They need soil with high organic matter to thrive and deliver enough peppers.
These plants love temperatures between 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 degrees Fahrenheit so it’s important that these temperatures remain consistent throughout their growth stages.
Can you eat cayenne peppers green?
Eating cayenne peppers green is fine, although mature peppers are spicier and taste better if they are red.
Commonly harvesting is done when the color of the peppers changes from green or pale yellow to a deep red. The reason is that this change in color signals that capsaicin, the molecule giving the cayenne peppers their heat, has increased significantly, making them much hotter.
However, there are no health reasons to not eat green cayenne peppers.
You can let them turn red and ripe them off the plant or choose to process them, either way, is fine.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you process them while they’re green, they will never work as full-fledged peppers.
But for those who enjoy their food spicy, nothing beats biting into a nice bright red pepper!
How many peppers does a cayenne plant produce?
A single cayenne pepper plant produces about 30 peppers each year.
The average cayenne pepper plant can live from five to ten years and will produce new peppers every year.
You can try to pick some peppers as soon as they start getting red and ripen them off the plant in the sun. This way you get nearly perfect peppers while making space for new ones to grow if you are lucky.
As simple as it is you can increase the number of peppers by growing more plants. Just make sure to not plant them too close together because that will reduce your yield.
How do I dry cayenne peppers?
Drying cayenne peppers is simple and has several benefits. Dried chilies have a longer shelf life than fresh ones, so you can store them for use at any time during the year.
You won’t need to worry about mold or bugs ruining your harvest either. So drying is a nice option if you have a yield too big to be used instantly.
To dry cayenne peppers, start by washing and removing their stems if they’re still attached.
Hang them in small bunches or tie them together with string so they’re easier to manage when you check on their progress.
You can even find racks specially designed for this purpose at home improvement stores and online.
Allow two weeks of continuous air circulation to ensure that all surfaces are dried thoroughly before storing your peppers away in jars or freezer-safe bags until use time rolls around!
You are also able to dry cutted peppers. Slice each pepper in half lengthwise with a sharp knife then discard the seeds as these are where most of a chili’s heat resides.
Place chopped pieces onto an oven tray lined with baking paper then place into a preheated 150°C (300°F) oven until fully dried out which could take up to six hours depending on how thickly sliced they are.
Then you can as well store them in air-tight jars or freezer bags.
Do peppers get hotter when staying on the plant?
The chemical Capsaicin, which makes cayenne peppers hot, reaches its maximum production at the end of the peppers maturing cycle.
Capsaicin is actually produced everywhere in the pepper where cells are found, but it’s most abundant in the produced seeds. As they grow larger, the seeds but also the plant will start to store more capsaicin to ward off insects and other threats for longer periods.
For this reason, you should wait until the pods have turned a strong red before harvesting, and longer if they are still hard when squeezed.
What makes cayenne pepper hotter?
The first thing is to choose a species that suits your heat requirements. Then remember the longer the pods stay on the plant the more heat they will produce.
Another way of growing hotter peppers is not over-watering the plants. Indeed, you might be a bit stingier than usual and give them just enough water.
This works well because the plant will produce hotter peppers if it senses that there is a shortage of water. This technique works well because the plant increases capsaicin production, which will be stored in plants and seeds.
If too much water is available to the plants they don’t need to protect themselves from predators and so down-regulate their own capsaicin production. The end result? Less spicy vegetables!
Another way of increasing the heat factor is by using fertilizers containing nitrogen. Nitrogen stimulates growth so add the fertilizer gently and not too excessive.
This would stimulate the plant but the number, spiciness, and size of the pods would suffer too much!
As well, sulfur can increase the heat of your cayenne pepper plants. However, you must not add too much sulfur or it would be harmful to the plant and reduce yields.
You should avoid cross-pollination with sweeter pepper varieties because this would result in a loss of heat. If you want to grow both plant them not too close.
Peppers are closely related and would cross-pollinate easily.
What are the hottest pepper species?
The world’s hottest chili pepper is the Carolina Reaper, which averages around a whopping two million Scoville Heat Units (SHU) according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
However, there are many other hot peppers that can pack some heat as well! Let’s take a look at what we think are five of the best for anyone looking to add some spice into your cooking:
- The Sweet pepper is below 100 Scoville
- Jalapenos are normally around 2.000 to 8.000 Scoville
- Tabasco has from 30.000 up to 60.000 Scoville
- Spicy habaneros burn with 100.000 to 600.000 Scoville
- Ghost peppers have mostly over 1.000.000 Scoville
- Carolina Reaper will burn with 1.5 to 2 million Scoville
It is important to note that these are all hot pepper species, but not every pepper contains a constant number of SHU. For example, a Carolina Reaper averages around two million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), but Ghost Peppers can vary between 400.000 and over one million SHUs per pepper.
It depends on the growing conditions as well as each plant’s genetics for how much heat it will have in its fruit. You can as well try to cross-breed two of your favorite peppers and create your own perfect suiting pepper.
Are cayenne peppers healthy?
Cayenne peppers are a hot topic of discussion when it comes to healthy eating. Some people believe that eating cayenne peppers is good for you, while others think it’s not helping.
Cayenne peppers are definitely healthy, but they’re not the cure-all remedy some claim them to be.
They have certain nutritional benefits which can lead to better health if eaten in moderation along with other nutritious foods. The key here is in moderation!
Just keep in mind, cayenne pepper should never be used as your main food or medicine!
Cayenne peppers contain capsaicin which can act as an anti-inflammatory agent. The capsaicin can increase the body’s metabolism which supports weight loss efforts, although this isn’t enough on its own for effective weight loss.
Eating them in moderation along with nutritious foods such as vegetables and healthy fats will give you the best results!
Final thoughts
The deep red color that the cayenne pepper turns is a good visual marker of its ripeness, which means you can simply look at the pepper to know whether or not it’s ready to be harvested. A single cayenne pepper plant produces about 30 peppers each year. Normally the cayenne pepper is ready to be picked around 70 to 100 days after planting. A ripe cayenne pepper still has some resistance and should be firm when squeezed between your fingers.
Eating cayenne peppers green is fine, although mature peppers are spicier and taste better when turned red. When the color of the pod’s changes from green to deep red capsaicin increases significantly making them much hotter. The first thing to get hotter peppers is to choose a species that suits your heat requirements. Then remember the longer the pods stay on the plant, the more heat they will produce. Another way is to be a bit stingier with watering than usual.
To dry cayenne peppers, start by washing and removing their stems if they’re still attached. Hang them in small bunches or tie them together with string so they’re easier to manage when you check on their progress.
