Sounds like you're doing just fine. Once the pepper has turned it's final color (generally, not green) it's ripe. You can pick it and harvest the seeds just as you did.

After they've dried for a few days - week (really depends on your humidity) they are ready for storage.

If you have any doubts about the viability of the seeds, plant a couple. See if they sprout. That way you will know whether to try again while there is still time this season.

Thanks,

I left the first fruit on the vine, I guess I see what color it becomes. I guess the real problem is I have NO idea what kind of pepper it is, so I've been unable to look up any specific advice.

I tried to look it up. I think it might be a Gernika pepper plant, but I'm unsure because my Grandmother isn't from anywhere close to the region where they come from. Guess I'll have to keep looking

Thats okay, to my knowledge there is no difference in how you save pepper seeds based on specific type. You just do exactly what you did, let them ripen, scrape the seeds out, put 'em on a paper towel for about a week, then store them for next season. If you want to be extra sure the seeds are mature, you can leave the pod on longer than it would take to be ripe, to the point it starts to shrivel on the plant a bit. But as long as the pod has turned red (or orange, or yellow, or whatever color they're supposed to be), you should be fine.

If you have doubts about them, you can always go ahead and try and sprout a couple of test subjects now. Sure, its too late in the season to actually grow them and get any peppers, but it will at least put your mind to rest that they will indeed sprout.

I will admit though that I am vaguely worried about hearing that the seeds are turning brown though. Long as its just around the edges should be okay, but generally pepper seeds stay white.

I think you've helped me figure out the problem. These type of peppers are always picked early and fried in oil in Spain (while they are young and green). It never occurred to me that they would turn red like other varieties! The seeds I took were from a green pepper - what my spanish family always called 'ripe'. They are not the final form and that must be why they were so thin and drying brownish. I'll leave the first pepper on until it gets red and wrinkly and then I'll see if the seeds do better. Thank you!

Yup, there we go!
There are no peppers that are green when fully mature. They all turn to another color (usually red) when they are actually ripe. Its just that many peppers are edible while green, so many people don't bother wasting the extra month or so it takes to get them all the way to red. Those green bell peppers you see on everything will actually turn red (or yellow, or orange) if they were allowed to ripen.

Also, they will usually taste much better when they are fully ripe as well.

I think its only sweet peppers that turn red or yellow when mature. Actually in the book Seed to Seed available through the Seed Saver's Society, they say that America is the only place where sweet peppers are eaten green. Poblano peppers just keep getting darker and darker green. In this book, they say to put the pepper seeds, cleaned of all pulp in a container of water and let them sit undisturbed, the immature and underdeveloped seeds will float, the mature seeds will sink to the bottom. I did this with a sweet green pepper's seeds, and sure enough, they floated. I let a pepper ripen to red, and floated the seeds, and about 3/4's of them sunk to the bottom in a matter of hours.

Also, you can test your seeds for germination. This works with old seeds as well as new seeds. Take several seeds, and roll them up in a damp paper towel, on a plate or container cover, and put them on the window sill. Look up the germination rate for the seeds, usually 7-10 days. Keep the towel damp, and after the time has gone by, open it. If the seeds have sprouted they are viable. If some have and some haven't you can roll it up again, and see if a few more days will sprout them, or know to plant extra seeds.

I dry most of my seeds (if they don't have a gel-coat like tomatoes) in a metal mesh colander. I set it on paper towel in a dark corner, and cover just the top with Press and Seal wrap. Then I can shake the seeds when I walk by to mix them up. When they stop sticking to each other for a day or two, I put them in labeled and dated zip locks. You'd be amazed at how much seeds look alike when they aren't labeled! Have fun!

Edymnion,

I would have to disagree. There are green peppers that stay green. I grew out some green Scorpions that stayed green when ripe. Almost impossible to tell when ripe. The only way to tell was a slight tint in the green color. There is also a green Habanero that stays mostly green when ripe (cross of Hab St Barths and Brown Hab). I never grew those. I think if nature can create it or people can cross it, any color can be achieved.

http://www.seeds-gallery.com/en/green-habanero-seeds.html

The book said that SWEET peppers were not mature when Green. Habanero's, jalapenos and (from the name I'd guess) Scorpions are hot peppers. Hot peppers are a 'whole different animal'. Sweet peppers came from the Northern Hemispheres, and hot peppers originated in the Southern. Varieties of each have been adapted most everywhere, but that's not where the genetics started. This whole floating thing is new to me, as is seed saving.

I just think its really interesting.

Just to clarify a couple things, poblanos should ripen to red if given enough time. And there are green when ripe bell peppers such as Permagreen.

Rodney

Post a picture of the plant for us to check out.

Ok. Next year, hopefully, is my first year of not buying plants, because I couldn't get the one's I wanted this year. I live in a 'Flyover' area so my resources are limited. I bought the best resource book I knew of, and I'm following their directions. I'm Midwestern and hot foods do not appeal to me. I garden mostly by the rules that I was taught by my grandmother in the back yard garden. I am a Master Gardener who learns something new about growing (and sometimes killing things) all the time, and tries to share it. This isn't a competition. I'm just trying to help. Peace. Blue Cat.

They wouldn't by chance be Padrons would they? those are typically picked immature (green) and fried. Pimiento De Padron it the full name I believe. I have a few of these plants.

Anyhow, thy will turn bright red when fully mature but it takes a while. That is when you seed them.

Blue Cat- Not sure why you went on a ramble like that but if it was because of what I said then it seems you've taken my comment the wrong way. These forums are a place to ask and answer questions and to discuss and learn. All I was did was pass along info pertinent to the discussion. My poblano comment was in response to what you said. But the Permagreen comment was put out there because a few people made the claim that there are no green when ripe sweet peppers. I certainly don't know everything about peppers but if I do know something I share. And I hope you'll keep sharing as well.

Rodney

Uuummm, you folk can read anything on the web or from a book and take what you want from it, my observation is it worked for someone at some point.. An interesting discussion on when to harvest seeds on hot peppers and are floaters viable at another forum here.> How to Isolate Seeds Pg.2

Sorry Rodney, sometime writing things its hard to know how to take them. As an MG I'm required to do continuing ed, and at every continuing ed session I go to, (and I go to everyone I can get in my schedule), I learn how much I DON'T know about growing things, and why they don't grow. This has been a really bad growing year in, from what I understand, most areas of the US, and things just aren't acting the way they are 'sposed to'.

Bluecat.

I am pretty sure it's Piemento Padron. Bought them once, HOPING they were good and spicy. No. Sorry, not my thang, didn't like them.

I know this thread is old but I wanted to say that they may be d'espelette peppers.