How to Mature Green Hot Chili Peppers

Monitor peppers for brown lines near their connection point with the plant. The brown lines are often raised and of a different texture from that of the rest of the plant. These lines show a drying of the plant connection and indicate an end of the growth cycle for the pepper.

Check the pepper for a change in color. Though many peppers change from a green color that dominates while they are young to a red or yellow that indicates their increased ripeness, green peppers have less pronounced changes in color. When monitoring green peppers, look for a change in the pepper's color depth to either lighter or darker as a sign that it is maturing.

Test the connection with the plant. As peppers ripen, the attachment with the plant loosens. Often, ripe peppers will fall from the plant with just a slight touch, which takes away any guessing as to whether or not the pepper is ready to be harvested.

Pick peppers at the first sign of ripeness. Peppers take a good deal of energy to produce, so you can encourage the plant to produce more peppers by removing them at the earliest sign of maturity.