My balcony baklouti is finally fruiting (I planted the seeds in FEBRUARY). But I’m concerned that the fruit won’t ripen before the plant freezes. Other than infusing olive oil, I can’t find any uses for green baklouti peppers, but there must be a way to cook with them, right? All responses appreciated!
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I am having the EXACT same issue, so I am following this thread with interest! All of my peppers were slow this year but the Baklouti was a real laggard!
It’s Tunisian so I immediately think of harissa. I know it’s supposed to be red but yours don’t have enough time to ripen and Tunisian harissa uses the same peppers.
I made harissa with the peppers last year, but I think if it were made with green peppers it would be very different - less fruity and sweet.
If they are starting to color, they may continue after picking, but have no ideas for green baklouti. I grew them last year, but they ripened by November. I mostly dried them.
I’m keeping the faith. I’ve got a bunch of tomatoes ripening right now. And my kale is apparently immortal (I planted it last year, and it’s still going strong).
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I am bumping this and also sending up a bat signal to @bogman, 'cause he grows peppers and might have some advice. The peppers are still alive, and still green, but I’m pretty sure we’re going to get a hard freeze sooner than later.
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small_h, if you can bring the pots, containers in on cold nights, that would extend the season. Barring that, some sort of cover, e.g. plastic film, would help, especially if you could add a heat source safely. Perhaps a heating pad, 60 watt old-fashioned light bulb, etc. If the plants will be sacrificed to the frost gods, then here’s what I do to after ripen or store peppers:
Wrap 1-3 peppers at a time in paper, newspaper, brown paper, etc. NOT waxed or coated. Put the wrapped peppers in a plastic bag. Instead of closing the plastic bag, add some more paper sheets, like a blanket, over the wrapped peppers. Keep this in a dark, warm place. Peppers and tomatoes are nightshades and ripen best in the dark. The paper wrapping keeps plastic from touching the peppers and the potential for “sweating” leading to rot. The paper and the plastic keep the humidity high, but not so moist that rot is induced. Check on the peppers every few days. Smell the bag and keep your eye out for any bad ones.
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Thanks! Let’s see if the ripening works. I only have about 8 peppers, so I’ll try eating one now just to see. Can the peppers share space with my tomatoes, which are in a paper bag right now? The tomatoes are almost ripe, so they should help the process.
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As long as the fruits are not too crowded and the heavier tomatoes are not on top of the peppers, they should play together just fine.
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I ran an accidental experiment. I brought home an ordinary green bell pepper and some bananas, and forgot they were in the same bag. The bananas greatly accelerated the pepper - you could see that the part nearest the bananas was far more orange than the rest.
Yes, bananas throw off a lot of ethylene as they ripen. But I’m allergic to them, so I’m stuck with tomatoes and the occasional avocado for my ripening agents. The baklouti plant is still alive, so the peppers are still on it. And still green.
