Q: I am a novice gardener. This year I planted a red bell pepper plant in the spring and I now have three large green peppers. Do I keep them on the vine until they turn red or do I pick now and ripen in the window?

A: You can eat bell peppers at whatever stage of color you like but they have more flavor and are more nutritious when allowed to change color. This will happen gradually as the fruit matures on the plant. If you are worried that squirrels will get the peppers before you do, watch for the first bit of yellow color on the blossom end of the pepper. At that point you can bring it indoors and ripen it on a kitchen window. To hasten ripening, put the pepper in a paper bag with a ripe apple overnight.