In this story, I am Peter Piper. And I prematurely picked some hot peppers.
Last year, I shared with you how I strung hot peppers to hang in my kitchen and use throughout the year. What I didn’t share, but have thought about ever since, was the thing I learned after that little DIY project: namely, the fact that I sure can’t tell when peppers are ripe for picking. I had planted a mixed pack of peppers in my garden, and didn’t know what mine were, nor whether they were supposed to be green or red when they were harvested.
It turned out that about two-thirds of the hot peppers I pulled out of my garden weren’t ripe yet, so they never turned red, and they weren’t as hot as they were supposed to be. It’s a tricky thing, that gardening. There’s a lot I don’t know.
This year, I bought my peppers at the farmer’s market (partly because I don’t know peppers very well, partly because none of my peppers came up this year). The farmer who grew them knew they were ripe, and all my peppers turned red. Look how pretty!
I can tell you now what I did with last year’s peppers, at least the ones that were ripe and red. I pulled them off one at a time and chopped them for scrambled eggs, tacos, cheese balls, and anything that needed a little extra kick. And that’s what these little darlings are destined for! Do you use hot peppers in your kitchen, and more importantly, where? I’m looking for new ideas, share your suggestions in the comments!
