hot pepper cracks

Jalapenos? They normally crack a bit when they mature.

Otherwise, all I could suggest would be to be careful with water. Aim for consistant moisture: don't let the plants get very dry and then flood them with water.

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Penelope

"higgledy" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

I think it's due to inconsistant watering. If the peppers don't get a lot of water then the skins will harden. If you suddenly flood them with water the fruits will expand and the skin will crack.

On 04 Jun 2006 14:22:15 GMT, in rec.gardens.edible Deuteros , in glistered weave writ large for all to see:

One begins to wonder how vegetables and stuff ever grew in the wild. :-) (Yes, I know it is all about cosmetic appearance.)

FACE

From what I/ve read, cracking or corking is a normal and it indicates the pepper is ripe.

Thanks for the responses. It cannot be caused by dry preiods followed by a good watering because these pepper plants have never been left not watered. It has to be normal.

FACE wrote on [Sun, 04 Jun 2006 10:42:45 -0400]:

DID these varieties ever grow in the wild?

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 21:55:47 -0500, in rec.gardens.edible Justin , in glistered weave writ large for all to see:

I seriously doubt that what grew in the wild had a whole lot of resemblance to what we grow (or buy) today -- anymore than the wild forbears of a guernsey milk cow has the same certain physical attributes.

FACE

Some varieties of hot chile are pretty close to wild - as I understand it, the pequins are pretty close to the root stock, more-or-less undomesticated "bird chiles" that have been adopted in recent decades by varietal fanciers.