Banana pepper is a tasty vegetable that is great for pizza, pasta, and salads. Many people love to grow this vegetable for many reasons. It also comes with different nutritional benefits. Meanwhile, you must learn how to pick banana peppers if you don’t want to get a bad vegetable. To help you with this, read further.
Typical Length of Banana Pepper’s Ripening Stage
The normal pepper can mature around 70 to 75 days after its plantation. It was the estimated time length for common peppers. However, there are always some factors you must consider before picking the banana peppers. These factors include the following:
- Weather conditions
- Soil quality where they have been planted in
- If they are watered properly or not
Criteria to Know When to Pick Banana Peppers
In picking banana peppers, there are criteria that you must consider when to pick banana peppers including:
- Time
- Color
- Softness
- Size
In these categories, you must take note that each type has a unique characteristic from others.
Flavor of Banana Pepper
The flavor of banana pepper can depend on when they are picked. They can have a tangy but sweet flavor if they are picked at the right time. On the other hand, if they are picked too early, they don’t have good taste. If you picked them too long, it could be mushy and rotten. That’s why it is important to learn the best picking time of your banana pepper.
Ripe Banana Pepper Color
A banana pepper has a bright yellow and light green skin texture when it is premature. With this color, leave the plant for additional weeks. Banana peppers can turn to bright yellow to a sharp shade of red from its greenish-yellow color. If the vegetable is already in the reddish stage, you can pick them.
Size of A Ripe Banana Pepper
Another factor in determining whether the banana pepper is ready to pick is its size. The average length of banana pepper is around 4 to 8 inches. The plant can still be premature if it is shorter than this length. So, you must not pick it. Make sure that they are fully grown before picking them.
Varieties of Banana Pepper
There are varieties of banana pepper. You must take note that the size, color, and the rate when they will ripe can also depend on its variety. The hot banana pepper and sweet banana pepper are among the 2 most common types of the vegetable.
Hot Banana Pepper
The hot banana pepper can have an average length of 6 inches when fully matured. If you want to have milder taste hot banana pepper, you can pick them if they already have bright yellow. However, you can pick them when they are reddish if you want a spicier taste.
Sweet Banana Pepper
When fully matured, the sweet banana pepper can grow 4 inches or more. Its skin color can transform to a bright yellow.
Picking Your Banana Peppers from the Branch
If you want to prevent banana peppers from being damaged, you must not pick them using your hands. Instead, use a pair of clippers. If you clip banana peppers through the branch, you must not twist them off using a snipping tool. Consider the following tips:
- Use a sharp tool for cutting your banana peppers. If you have dull equipment, you must sharpen it before using it to remove the vegetable from the branch.
- You must take your time and do it carefully and softly when cutting banana pepper from the branch.
- As you cut the banana pepper, you must leave a bit of stem. It is also advisable to leave at least an inch of spacing.
- You must not fray the branches’ ends.
Never bruise the branches of the plant or the banana peppers. Thus, bruising can make it rotten and get bad easily. You must not pinch, pull, or break off the peppers since it can damage the overall plant and can have a negative impact on the next crop of the banana peppers.
After the harvesting process, use clean water for rinsing the banana peppers. You can prepare for the best way of storage. Sweet banana peppers and hot banana peppers can ripen with a soft texture. It is also a good idea to harvest regularly, so you can encourage additional crops to flourish. Freezing the vegetable and refrigerating them can keep them for a longer time.
Now that you have learned when to pick banana peppers let us know about its nutritional benefits.
Health Benefits of Banana Peppers
Banana peppers are not just crisp, tangy, sweet, and delightful vegetables. It is also a great source of essential nutrients. Including it to your regular menu reduces blood pressure, enhance blood circulation, and improve your digestion.
Additionally, they are low in calories and fat. They are rich in Vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, manganese, Vitamin K, iron, potassium, protein, and fiber.
Growing A Good Banana Pepper
Do you want to know how to grow a great banana pepper? Read further. This vegetable needs full sun but not direct sun. Thus, it can damage the plant’s leaves and develop a decay known as sun scald. It also needs enough watering, moist, and good drainage. You must also need to water from the soil to avoid infestation and disease. They are prone to disease and insects, so you must be responsible for growing them.
Do you want to grow banana pepper in your garden? Well, by simply following the tips mentioned in this article, you can grow a great banana pepper you can use for salads, pizza, and pasta. You must know how to care for them properly and when to pick them. With that, you can ensure to have a great banana pepper for your menu. It is also rich in essential nutrients that are good for your health. Investing your time and effort to grow a banana pepper is all worth it. It can be a good and relaxing hobby too.
Source: https://gardening101.net