Which varieties of chili peppers must have their skins removed?

[Dave Zellers]

I start them indoors in April and its September or even October sometimes before they turn. I'm in southern NE on the coast so we have milder Falls due to the warm water.

Maybe cover them in poly to protect against an early frost?

[Doug Dawson]

I presume that 65 to 80 is when they are harvestable as green. How much longer does it take to turn red.
The fact that you are in New England is encouraging. Green peppers make a lousy sauce, but I want to try poblano.
I tried putting the green poblanos in a paper bag, but all they did was get old.

I work with chili peppers a lot here in Texas, and I’ve never seen anyone cook with poblanos that are anything other than green. In fact, I’ve never even seen them sold anywhere. It would be considered odd.

[Dave Zellers]

I work with chili peppers a lot here in Texas, and I’ve never seen anyone cook with poblanos that are anything other than green. In fact, I’ve never even seen them sold anywhere. It would be considered odd.

Yes very true. One of those things an individual gets to do that can't be found in stores. Jalapeños as well- always sold green but I love leaving some on to ripen to red and then smoke dry them into a chipotle. They will keep for years.

[Doug Dawson]

Yes very true. One of those things an individual gets to do that can't be found in stores. Jalapeños as well- always sold green but I love leaving some on to ripen to red and then smoke dry them into a chipotle. They will keep for years.

The heat of the jalapeño is optimized when it’s still green but has developed striations (brown “stretch marks”). The red jalapeño is considered “spoiled”.

Chipotles (dried jalapeños) are easy to buy in good grocers (at least around here,) pretty cheaply because they keep so well.

[Dave Zellers]

I'm liking learning the more authentic Tex-Mex terminology. Up here we just say 'that jalapeño is woody'. Very cool to learn that the heat is optimized at that point.

For me, the red jalapeño is awesome. Sweet and hot.

[Doug Dawson]

I'm liking learning the more authentic Tex-Mex terminology. Up here we just say 'that jalapeño is woody'. Very cool to learn that the heat is optimized at that point.

For me, the red jalapeño is awesome. Sweet and hot.

The striation thing is partly a matter of the jalapeño not being cosseted, or taken care of too carefully (watered etc), they thrive on benign neglect and reward you with good performance (we grow them.) They take that and throw it back at you with a delirious punch. That also makes the best chipotles (concentrated hostility :^)