For those who are not pepper-heads, the different colors are not different stages of ripening. All are fully ripe. Green Bell, Green Jalapeno and Green Hatch are among the few exceptions to the not-ripe rule. If they are close to color-change to end-color, they have some or most seeds that are viable, so technically ripe. But if you let them go to end-color they are sweeter and hotter - and softer. So better in sauces than on munching directly.