"At the end of the season there are always loads of green peppers. Having been told we are too far north with too short a growing season to expect peppers to ripen before frost, this year is a bonus. Starting seeds in January under a lot of heat seems to be the key here. "
Paul, I can't imagine why anyone would say you can't expect peppers to ripen... I have ripe peppers every year, even the past 2 unusually cool summers; this summer has been unusually warm for us, and they are ripening like crazy. I start my seeds indoors around the beginning of April and plant them outside around June 1st. I usually use floating row cover over them for a few weeks when they are first planted out, because I don't harden them off otherwise, but they are just grown out in the open garden. My favorite bells are King Arthur (which ripens to a bright red) and Flavorburst (which ripens to a yellowish-orange). Inferno hot banana ripens early for me (earlier than I would like, actually). I'd suggest just to keep trying different varieties (paying attention to the "days to maturity") -- if they ripen up here they should certainly ripen for you!
