Ever wondered when is the best harvest time to start picking up Cherry peppers in your backyard garden? In this article, I break down everything you need to know about harvesting cherry peppers.
Cherry peppers are produced from sweet cherry pepper plants. They have small pores which are 2 to 7 cm when measured in length and diameter. They have an ovulate shape, joined to dark green fibrous stems.
The outer layer of cherry peppers is shiny, with no roughness and firm. Cherry peppers get mature from green to bright red when it is time for harvest. At the lower side of the surface, the skin of the pepper is tough, brittle, and aqueous enclosing a primal cavity full of many rounds and flavorless cream colors seeds.
These seeds are also firm, full of liquid, and have a shining, sweet taste and pleasant spice. Cherry peppers have a botanical name called capsicum annum. They are called different names because of their similarity in size and shape with cherries and tomatoes.
As a general guide, Cherry peppers can be picked from the garden as soon as they mature. Typically, matured and ripe cherry peppers change color from green to bright red when they are ready for harvest. In general, the best time to pick cherry peppers is when the peppers have turned bright red, just like a ripe tomato. The entire pepper should be red, if you notice any green spots around, it means you have to wait for a few more days before harvesting.
They can be picked for fresh uses like dehydrating them or pickling if they are fully ripe. Harvest is best before the coming of freezing weather. If you leave them for a long time till harvest time passes, the color changes from dark red to yellow or even brown.
At this stage, more useful contents rot away. Cherry peppers contain a group of vitamins that are very important and are increased during the maturing stage. They are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
Cherry peppers should be stored in a cool place so that they do not continue to ripen and you will have to store them in a cool place after picking them to avoid them from rotting.
When harvesting time has come, use a sharp knife and pruners and make sure you do not break off the cherries away from the plant when picking them. This can cause harm to the branches leaving the plant weak and unprotected from diseases. Make sure to leave some of the stems joined to the peppers in the picking time.
A well-recommended way of harvesting cherry peppers is to pick the red ones, leaving the green ones to nature until the end. Red curry peppers contain a tasteful taste and contain nutrients. Red and green peppers can be combined when cooking and they produce a delicious and healthy meal.
When the cherry peppers are not ripe during weather changes, it is advised to use a safe recommended method that will keep them safe till the ripening stage. You will have to cover them using a plant blanket and you can also use transparent plastic that you will have to spread on top of the hoops.
These methods help to bring fast ripening process and they are the best methods which work well in dark hours when the temperature dips below 60°F. Just like tomatoes, the pepper plant can be removed from your garden and be put indoors for the ripening process to continue.
Cherry peppers contain Vitamins such as vitamin and vitamin A, Vitamin C and have antioxidants that help to circulate the immune system and form collagen in our skin. Vitamin A helps pregnant women. Iron and capsaicin are compounds that have a big role to play in our everyday life.
Capsaicin provides the needed stimulus for the circulatory system supplies anti-inflammatory properties. Cherry peppers can also be eaten while raw to reduce stomach pains. You can also use the peppers in green salads, sandwiches, and when preparing meat.
You can also fill the peppers into cheese, fish, and eggs just as you desire. Pepper can also be pickled. They take in the solution of salt and water which is used for pickling to enhance the flavor of peppers. Peppers are cut into pizza when you have pickled them.
Nutritional Facts
- Calories
Cherry peppers contain 20.0 amount of calories. You have to consume 1.8 calories per day in your body.
- Carbohydrates
1% of carbohydrates is needed in our bodies daily.
- Vitamin C
140% of vitamin C is required for your health benefits. Vitamin C has antioxidants that protect you from diseases.
- Vitamin A
41% of vitamin A is needed in your body for many benefits.
Where to find cherry peppers
Peppers are plants that are planted. You can find pepper seeds in the grocery shops. They are not hard to plant they just need a good garden with the alto of manure. Peppers do not take a lot of time to harvest.
They get mature in some weeks and you will know the right time to pick them through the change of color. When they are growing the color is green till it will change to dark red which is the ripening color.
When they are ripe find a sharp knife that you will use to pick them and make sure you do not pull them. Pulling them away from the plant will break branches leaving the plant unprotected from plants diseases. Try to avoid that and leave the stem joined to the plant.
Cherry peppers can be served raw depending on how you need them, you can also stuff them in meat, sandwiches, and eggs. Peppers can make your food taste more delicious if you prepare them well. Let us look at some of the health benefits of cherry peppers which come from a compound called capsaicin.
1. They improve our digestion system
The capsaicin in the peppers works as an anti-irritant. In most cases, it is always said that for those with ulcers, peppers are not recommended, yet research has proved peppers to be more beneficial to such problems.
Pepper powder has a trace total of anti-oxidant and other chemicals which help to cure digestion disorders such as stomach pains, high intestinal gas, and diarrhea.
This treatment works by minimizing the acids in the digestion system that can lead to ulcers. Peppers also help to form saliva and induce gastric juices which are bad for digestion.
2. They maintain a healthy heart
Peppers are a treatment for the circulatory system. They protect your body from heart diseases by minimizing blood serum cholesterol and reducing lipid deposits. Peppers can also turn back numerous blood clots.
3. They lessen migraine
Migraine is a pain that is unbearable and stressful. Eating cherry peppers can help prevent migraines and also helps reduce the pain in case you already have it.
4. They reduce joint pains
With cherry peppers, pain is reduced in a short period of time because of the easing compounds of the capsaicin in the cherry peppers.
The powder which contains capsaicin is used through rubbing on the skin to minimize the chemical P, which is an ingredient that has pain messages to the brain. The pain Denver organs eat up themselves through destroying the body’s reserves.
5. They improve metabolism and reduce weight
Peppers in the form of spices change the metabolic rate by producing the thermogenic process in our bodies. Energy is used in this process for burning calories. Weight is also lost through losing appetite which comes when you eat peppers on regular basis.
6. They are good to treat Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a condition in which your skin is infected with small itchy bumps. This is a skin disease that leads to skin spots. Use capsaicin cream for your skin to be smooth and healthy again. Capsaicin reduces the amount of cell which causes such disorders and is also found in cherry peppers.
7. Cancer risks are very low
The capsaicin which is found in the outer layer of the cherry peppers contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The anti-oxidant is recommended by research to fight cancer.
It prevents the development of prostate cancer cells which are found in males and they leave the normal cells in good condition. Large pieces of peppers also provide benefits in breast problems, kidney disorders, and bladder cancer.
8. They remove colds, flu, and fungal infections
Peppers are rich in beta-carotene and antioxidants which maintain your immune system by chasing away all colds and flu. It has been proved by the research that nasal spray with capsaicin minimizes congestion. A high body temperature that develops from pepper makes the immune system fight away all the colds and flu. Its fungal strains are pushed out through eating peppers while reducing fungal bacteria.
9. They promote good breathing
Cherry peppers promote good breathing, they act as a disinfectant to the air that you inhale. Therefore eating raw cherry peppers is beneficial for good breathing.
10. They prevent allergies
Many people suffer from allergies. This is a problem that can be treated by eating cherry peppers. They help to prevent allergies and symptoms of allergies since they contain the anti-inflammatory benefits of capsaicin.
Conclusion
When it’s time to pick cherry peppers, wait until the peppers have turned bright red, just like a ripe tomato. The entire pepper should be red, if you notice any green spots around, it means you have to wait for a few more days before harvesting. Cherry peppers also have many health benefits, for starters, they help fight colds and flu, they contain capsaicin, and many more. As long as you provide the best plant nutrients for your cherry peppers, they will grow and ripe on time for a bumper harvest.
