Finally have something from the garden. My first bell peppers!

What kind of bell peppers are those? They look so dark and I'm guessing they taste pretty good. If you box them up and send them to me, I can get them by the end of the week. Then I can tell everyone how yummy they taste.

I have a couple peppers growing. Some yellow bell peppers and banana peppers each have one pepper on them, but I don't think they will be ripe for a while. Bunch of the other plants have nothing but leaves and very few flowers. A bit disappointing, because I could have planted more hot peppers. I wanted the bell peppers for salads and stuffing. I think that should be my theme next year, to only grow peppers and tomatoes that are big enough to stuff.

I gave earthworm castings to all my eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes this morning before I watered.

I don't know the name of them, but they are dark purple. I like to get a variety of colors, makes the dishes/salads etc. look colorfull. I'm told that the purple ones have more omega 3. Although they turn green when cooked. I had harvested 2 hot banana pepers a while back but didn't take photos. You're out of luck ckat, I have already put the peppers in a potato, veggie bake for my cook out tonight. They're roasting as I type this.

Like many purple vegetables, a little heat reverts them to green. Be aware that purple is the immature color. They turn red when ripe.
This is Mavras.

Ah ha. If harvested while purple, it will not have the fullness of flavor as the red ones? Is the difference in taste noticeable, or very mild?

I want a bite or two.

Just like a green bell that ripens to red. I prefer green peppers regardless of thier color. Ripe peppers are smoother but I like that green bite. Purples and whites are green bells with different coloring. Ripe colors are red, yellow and orange altho all the purples and whites I have grown are red when ripe. One exception is the chocolate bell which actually turns red when ripe, but because the green coloring does not fade, the blend is visually brown.

I'm the opposite - I don't like the bite of green peppers and wait to eat them when ripe. We're growing Revolution this year and they are doing okay. Extremely thick walls on large blocky fruit. Usually we grow California Wonder which are very sweet.

Dill you are a treasure chest of information.

with Dave! Sure do enjoy the information Dill. I enjoy both the green and the ripe peppers, and the blend of having both in my salad, or other foods. I like them both raw to munch on as a treat as well. I'm hoping I get a lot, as I like to freeze a bunch for cooking this winter. These darn things cost $1.50 each for ripe ones here during the winter. The green ones are ususally about a $1.00.

Add me to the "ripe" peppers camp, too! Farmerdill, I think you are the first person I've ever heard say they preferred the bell peppers green -- but to each their own, I always say!! I do find the ones that start out white or yellow are milder than the ones that are actually green when they're "green," though...

On the other hand, for pickling hot peppers I find it's much better to use them at the "green" stage, they come out a lot crisper than once they ripen.

I love the green peppers too. I like the reds/ripe too, but I prefer green.

And I enjoy all the information provided by farmerdill. I have learned so much, including how much I didn't or don't know!

Put me down as a "Farmer Dill Fan", too! Thanks, Dill, always a pleasure to come across your posts.

As for peppers, I'll eat the green ones, especially Chinese Giant as it has really thick walls, is juicy (and I eat them like apples!) I really like most peppers at the red stage though as they are a bit sweeter and wonderful for stir-frys, grilling, salads and just fresh eating. The only non-red and non-green pepper I also grow is "Islander", one of the few hybrids I grow as it not only starts out purple but matures to yellow/gold and red.

Shoe (off to eat something besides a pepper; grilled chicken and okra anyone?) :>)

abhege said:And I enjoy all the information provided by farmerdill. I have learned so much, including how much I didn't or don't know!

Oh geez -- where is the "hanging my head" emoticon? Of course, Farmerdill has my vote for one of the most helpful and knowledgeable sources of information about all sorts of gardening... thanks, Dill!!

Shoe, I enjoy your gardening knowledge too! You have a lot to share as well. Could you let us know where you get your Chinese Giant and Islander seeds? Thanks. My okra is only about 8-9 inches tall, it will be a while yet before I can enjoy that!

Gorgeous peppers Tom - regardless of color. I sure hope my pepper production improves fast - not much to show here this year. The Plants look great, plenty of flowers but just a few scrawny peppers - must be our weird weather this season.

Depends on what I'm making regarding the red vs. green debate. Sure like a good stuffed pepper when it's green...but ripe fresh red peppers in a good garden salad are so good. At this point I'll take either in my garden...slim pickins

And isn't it great to have experts at ATP regardless of zone or plant type or almost any interesting subject.... Farmer Dill, Horseshoe and the rest of the crew

You're absolutely right, jerseyridgearts, "Depends on what I'm making regarding the red vs. green debate. Sure like a good stuffed pepper when it's green." I'm the same, much preferring a green stuffed pepper over other colors. Yummy!

TVE/Tom...Johnny's Seeds offers Islander pepper seeds. There may be others but I've only bought it from Johnny's for years. Here's a few pics of their beauty and glory if you want to take a peak:
Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum 'Islander')

I've saved my seed for years from the Chinese Giant, being an OP/heirloom variety. I'll have to go look in my records on the other computer to see where the original seed source is. Will be back in touch.

Hang in there w/your okra, they'll get there. And post pics when you can. After all, we still have to get Dave to eat okra one day!

Shoe (enjoying a nice slow rainy day...)

Shoe is the fellow that finds hard to to obtain seeds like Yellow Cabbage collards for me. Could not do without him. Chinese Giant is still radily available, I us Totally Tomatoes http://www.totallytomato.com/d... but lots of vendors offer it. Been about 40 years since I grew it. Ditto for Keystone Giant. There are lots of " colored" bells. One I grew for years in Virginia is Lilac. does not take heat well here. Have the same problem with Blushing Beauty, so I look for varieties that are most vigorous under my current conditions. Actually the only reason I grow colored bells is thier beauty, novelty and shock value. Mavras for example appears black at one stage in development and is realatively vigorous.

Switching gears. I prefer the Italian frying peppers for stir fries and other dishes that need cooked sweet peppers. Easier to grow and color up much faster than bells. These I do use in ripe form. I also like Cubanelles, but usually use them in green form.
Melrose Italia

I really like the looks of that "Italia" in particular -- might have to give that a try next year!

"Blushing Beauty" always did well for me here, but haven't been able to find it for the last several years -- anyone know of a source?

I'm going to have to start a list for next year. Just have to give some of these a try.

Blushing Beauty has a few vendors ,but is not as popular as when introduced in 2000. http://www.westcoastseeds.com/... http://www.reimerseeds.com/blu...

Great pics, Dill.

I, too, like the longer non-bell types and you're right, they sure do color up faster than bells. I like growing Aconcagua each year, and sometimes will grow Corno de Toro varieties (bulls horn.)

Shoe (who just picked his first batch of cowpeas; guess I better go pick some cayenne to cook w/them, eh?)