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To produce pepper of good quality and high selling value, you need to know how to harvest pepper and how to handle it afterwards.

The following is how to harvest pepper and post-harvest handling:

1. Harvest Time
Pepper is usually harvested when the fruit is ripe, marked by a change in color from green to yellow or red. The right time is very important for optimal results.
Harvesting is recommended after the fruit is 6-7 months old. To find out if the pepper is ready to be harvested, you can squeeze the pepper fruit. If white liquid comes out, it means it is not ready to be harvested.

2. Harvest Techniques
Harvesting can be done in two ways, namely manually and using a threshing machine.
Manual or traditional harvesting techniques. The traditional method involves manually picking the pepper pods. Farmers usually use their hands to pick ripe fruit from the stalk.
Not only that, pepper fruit that falls to the ground should not be mixed with pepper fruit that comes from trees.
Pepper fruits that fall to the ground need to be processed separately and used as needed.

During the harvest season, picking must be done as often as possible so that what is picked is uniform.
If pepper picking is done several times during the harvest season, it is possible that fruit that is too old or not ripe will be carried over.

Harvesting technique with a threshing machine. In some cases, especially in areas with large production, threshing machines are used to increase efficiency.
This machine can remove pepper fruit from the stalk more quickly and reduces labor requirements.

3. Collection of Harvest Results
After harvest, the pepper fruit is collected in a clean container to prevent contamination and damage.
Picking must be done hygienically, then collected into clean containers or bags for processing to the next stage.
Bags that have been used to store agricultural chemicals must not be used again to package pepper fruit.
Make sure each bag that will be used is clean so that it is free from materials that can cause contamination

4. Handling after harvest
Harvested peppers should be washed thoroughly in water to remove dirt, insects or other contaminants. Wash the pepper in clean running water.

The next step is the drying stage by drying it in the sun for about two to three days until the water content reaches 15%.
During the drying process, do several turns so that the peppers get heat at the same time. The drying process in large quantities can be done using modern dryers.
After the drying process, pepper must be stored in a dry and cool place to maintain its quality before being sold.
The storage room needs to be covered with bamboo to prevent the bags from touching the floor. Pepper can last around 3-4 years if stored at room temperature without exposure to direct sunlight.
That's how to harvest pepper and handle it afterwards. By following the steps above, pepper farmers can maximize harvest yields and maintain the quality of the produce.

source : https://kumparan.com/seputar-hobi/cara-panen-lada-dan-penanganan-setelahnya-23b9rnaSDMo/full