"Phil L" wrote in message
. ..
Tim C. wrote:
Following up to "Phil L" :

.the plants are now 2 feet tall and heavy with fruit,
each one having 20 or more long green (and hopefully juicy and hot)
peppers, my question is this: how do I know when they are ready? - I
don't think they turn red,

The do turn red, but are generally picked and eaten green. They will
start going a shade darker green (as the red pigments start to build
up, but are not yet red to the eye) - then they're just about ready.
As others have said they need stressing a bit. I always let then dry
out and just start to wilt then water well a couple of times (this
happens normally throughout the summer anyway).

*Long* peppers? Jalapeno are pretty stout looking - fleshy and roughly
triangular. Are you sure you don't have cayennes? Either way, treat
them the same.

Cheers, I've just accidentally knocked one off while weeding around them
(I've been away for a fortnight)... so I tasted it and it was quite
powerful, I've just had it sliced on a pizza and also in some pasta sauce,
I did notice however that it was six inches in length but they are not
dark yet, nor any shades of red on any of them, although they get very
little sun, cowering beneath the tomatoes.
I don't know whether they are jalapenos or not, but a regular on here,
Rusty Hinge (I think...there's another Rusty in one of my other groups..)
sent them to me and said they were jalapenos, either way, they taste
excellent!

He sent me some as well and I have 4 plants on the go. I will wait a bit
and see if they go red and then try them. I tried one green one and it was
mild; the heat and flavour may improve if it gets darker. I suspect they
are not Jalapenos but if Rusty thought they were worth growing, I will give
them a try anyway; it makes no odds.

Des