The first pod usually = bleh

Unripe pods sometimes = bleh

I'd withhold judgement for now, at least until you've tried some of the later, fully ripe pods. As per comments from this random seed seller, Purple Star gradually ripens to a red color.

Steve

Ahhh...that's good to know, thanks guys. I normally eat Red Bells when they are green....love green peppers and they are never spongy or bitter. So I assumed this would be the same. Guess not, ha ha. I'll wait until it changes to a red-tinge next time.

Also, if it has been super hot outside and you've been really watering the plant, the pepper will taste odd and have a different texture. Ripening will help but peppers will taste better after excessive heat subsides.

Oh, we've had excessive heat by the bucket load. And not a single drop of rain in 6 weeks.

Just pop a green red bhut and tell me there ain't no heat... ;-)

Huh? Every under-ripe, constantly watered pepper I've ever had made for much disappointment, including disappointing heat levels. Haven't tried it with a super hot but I have with habs. Bleck!!

If it is excessively hot to the point where you have to water the plant everyday/all the time to keep it going, any peppers it grows then are flavorless and bitter and can have weird spongy texture. They get better cooked. But, when it cools down and constant watering isn't necessary, the peppers will taste much better. I know from experience, having bitten into many mealy poblanos during excessive heat warnings.

Disagree. I drip irrigate all my peppers, in ground and in pots, and their flavor and heat don't seem to fluctuate with the temp. Although size does.

A green bhut salsa with tomatillos can, and is, just as spicy as one made with fresh red ones. Flavor is different, but good. Dried ones have less flavor.

If the pepper you picked and ate was the same size as the one in the photo then that's your problem. The one in the pic doesn't look anywhere near full size yet and very young peppers that are still growing/developing, especially bells, usually taste awful. Wait until the peppers get full sized before trying them again. Since you like green peppers, as do I, you don't have to wait for them to fully ripen to red before picking. The whole point of growing a purple bell is to pick them while they're still purple (which would be equivalent to a green pepper), otherwise you might as well just grow a normal green to red bell variety.

Rodney

And here I thought this was a hot pepper forum, as in the title.

And is there any other pepper forum here? Good grief.