Useful recommendations on where and how to store peppers for ripening

With the onset of autumn cold and on the eve of the first frost, the tender fruits of peppers have to be picked unripe.

In this case, it is necessary to create the necessary conditions for the pods to ripen.

We will tell you further about where to store bell and hot peppers for ripening.

Is it possible to remove unripe fruits?

Unripe vegetables differ from ripe ones in their rich green color. Such fruits have already reached technical ripeness, at which they are suitable for food. However, they still do not have the juiciness and taste inherent in ripe peppers. They acquire these characteristic properties when they ripen to biological ripeness and accumulate the entire range of taste and beneficial qualities.

Then is there any point in picking unripe fruits? It turns out yes. There are several reasons for this:

1. Unripe vegetables have a fairly dense structure, thanks to which they tolerate transportation well.
2. By removing green fruits from the bush, it is possible to stimulate the appearance of new ovaries, which helps to increase productivity.
3. Timely removal of peppers from the garden helps prevent crop loss due to the onset of frost.

Features of ripening of different types

Ripening peppers, that is, bringing them to biological ripeness, is a process that does not present any particular difficulties. However, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of different types of products.

Sweet Bulgarian

A distinctive feature of harvesting sweet peppers is that it is recommended to collect it at the stage of technical ripeness.

If you remove them from the bush fully ripe (in a state of biological maturity), they will not be stored for long, they will quickly wrinkle, lose their shape and begin to rot.

As for unripe vegetables, they can be stored for up to 3 months without losing their beneficial qualities.

Ripen bell pepper can be done in several ways:

1. Place in cardboard boxes with side ventilation holes, placing ripe fruits between the green peppers. At room temperature, unripe fruits ripen in 5–6 days.
2. Sawdust is successfully used for gradual maturation and long-term storage.
3. Ripening is carried out differently if full ripening of sweet pepper is desirable no earlier than a month for the purpose of longer storage. In this case, the fruits collected at the stage of technical ripeness are folded in 3 layers in a wooden or cardboard box. In this case, it is important to ensure a temperature regime of no higher than 12°C with a humidity of 80 to 90%. Gradual ripening allows you to preserve products for up to 3 months.
4. Another way to help ripen peppers is to hang bushes in the basement or cellar, dug up by the roots.

He will tell you how and where to store bell peppers so that they turn red. this article.

The video will show you how to organize the ripening of bell peppers:

Acute

Unlike sweet, fleshy types, hot peppers It is not recommended to remove it from the bush when it is green. Thin pods are removed from the bush when they acquire a brown tint, since the closer the stage of biological maturation is, the sharper the fruit becomes.

Seasoned hot pepper perfectly retains all its properties for several months. At the same time, its storage does not require maintaining special conditions, except for dry, but not overdried air in the room.

However, if there is a threat of frost, hot peppers are still removed and brought to a state of biological maturity in simple ways:

1. For storage, pods with stalks and without damage are selected. They are strung on a strong thread or fishing line, and then hung on the balcony.

   Ripening occurs in a matter of days. The pods quickly acquire a rich red color, after which they can be stored in a dry and cool room.

2. You can ripen hot peppers on the windowsill, provided that it is open to sunlight. The pods are rotated regularly to ensure even sun exposure. This method allows you to bring the pods to biological maturity within 3–4 days while maintaining their pungency and acquiring the bright red color of the fruit.
3. The easiest way to ripen hot peppers is to place the brown pods in the refrigerator. The fruits are first placed in a plastic bag with several holes. Hot peppers turn red in just a week. At the same time, it does not dry out and retains its pungency.

To ripen for seeds

Usually the seeds are collected from fruits that have ripened in the garden. But if necessary, they can be ripened. At the same time, seeds obtained from ripened pods are distinguished by better germination and speed of germination.

Duration of ripening of peppers for seeds depends on many factors:

• size of pods and characteristics of the variety;
• peppers with thin walls ripen within 3 days;
• for thick-walled ones it will take at least 7 days.

Then the seeds are removed from the pulp and dried for another day, after which they are cooled and stored in paper bags, ensuring a temperature of at least 18°C.

Adviсe

Harvesting unripe fruits is the best way to preserve the harvest of delicate produce. However, in order to avoid premature damage, it is necessary to observe listen to some advice:

1. One of the important conditions for ensuring long-term storage is storing only intact whole pods.

   At the same time, when removing fruits from the bush, it is necessary to leave the stalk behind.

2. For intact fruits that are in a state of technical maturity, it is necessary to create comfortable conditions.

   That is, maintaining a temperature of 0 to 3°C and air humidity of 80%. This will allow you to preserve the products for 2 - 3 months.

3. Unripe pods feel great in basements and cellars. They do not lose their presentation in cool rooms for 70 to 90 days.
4. Better shelf life is achieved by using wooden boxes or cardboard boxes with side holes.

Conclusion

Removing peppers from the bush at the stage of technical ripeness has a number of advantages. It is not difficult to create the conditions for successful ripening of peppers.At the same time, we should not forget that it is very important to ensure comfortable maintenance, without which the products will quickly deteriorate.