How to Know When Your Thai Hot Pepper Is Ready

Growing Season

• The growing season from transplant to harvest is 80 to 85 days for Thai hot peppers. Fully grown peppers are about 1/2 to 2 inches long and firm to the touch. A single plant can produce hundreds of the small, but powerfully hot peppers. Plant Thai hot peppers in full sun in a well-drained area.

Color

• Thai hot chili peppers are mature when they are fiery red in color, but they can also be picked when they are green or at any stage in between. All peppers form from flower buds that develop into small green fruits. As the fruits ripen they turn from green to yellow, orange and ultimately red. Bright red Thai hot peppers will be the most flavorful and pack the most heat. Peppers picked in the immature green stage will be sweeter and not as hot.

Heat

• Another indicator of the maturity of Thai hot peppers is their heat level. When ready to be picked and eaten, the peppers will be very hot, reaching 50,000 to 100,000 units on the Scoville heat scale. While still edible, green Thai peppers with little heat are not yet mature. Allow them to fully ripen on the plant to achieve the maximum flavor and level of heat. Peppers that are close to maturity will continue to ripen if left on the kitchen counter for up to three days.

Weather

• Weather can have a significant impact on the rate at which Thai hot peppers grow and when they are ready to be picked. During the peak of summer heat, peppers will grow rapidly and will be at their hottest on the Scoville scale. When the temperature is cooler at the start and end of a growing season, it takes longer for Thai hot peppers to reach maturity. Thai hot peppers also grow best during periods of drought; wet weather can slow growth and reduce heat levels in the peppers.