pepper seeds

Should I let the pepper ripen till it changes colors on the plant. I want to save the seeds of a few of my plants. TIA
Cara

As with flowers I would let the pods dry on the plant! Any body else want to help?

if it's not the only pepper you are growing, it won't come true. they are notorious for crossing with any pepper even remotely nearby!

sorry Cara, I didn't even answer your question. Yes, let the pepper go completely ripe (red).

Depending on where you are, peppers will rarely dry on the plant. They'll rot, instead. This includes Memphis, which is too humid for out-in-the-air drying.

To harvest seed, let the peppers go fully ripe. That is, they should reach their final color---which will be red, orange, yellow, or purple depending on variety.

Some people let them go past the edible stage, but this isn't necessary. And why waste the pepper?

To save the seed, cut open the pepper. The seed will mostly be in a "strawberry" just under the stem, with some spread out on and between the ribs. Merely brush the seeds onto a plate or screen, and set them in a warm place, out of direct sunlight, to dry.

Thank you all so much. I had planned to cage them but didnt. So am just going to save some of the seeds for personal use and see what I come up with. Have several different kinds of hot pepper plants. Thanks again.
Cara

Only trouble with that, Cara, is that you're liable to come up with something that you really like. And then, sure enough, it won't breed true.

BTW, it isn't too late. You can bag flower clusters before they open. Then, once fruit starts to grow, either leave the bags in place or mark those peppers with surveyors tape, colored yarn, or some such.

Alternatively, strip off all the current flowers and fruit, and then cage the plant.

Brook, can growing hot peppers near mild ones make the mild ones hotter? not the seeds, not next years plants, but the fruit from this year? we grew jalapenos next to my sweet banana last year, and the first bananas were great, and then they were so hot I couldn't eat them.

In theory, tiG, the answer is "no." Characteristics are passed down through the seed, not the fruit.

That said, I had the same thing happen one year when we grew sweet bananas next to a hot variety. The bananas were pungent, to say the least. Some hot, some medium, and some sweet; often from the same plant.

I have no idea why that happens.

thanks!