When a red or yellow bell pepper changes color fully should it be picked?

Or should I leave the pepper on the plant for a week or two to develop more flavor?

Was told to pick them just when they start to change color or the plants will stop producing peppers.

Does maximizing color change stop the plant from producing more?

I am not an expert but I pick mine as soon as they have finished changing color.

A lot depends on the type of pepper. I have a variety called pickle pepper that is covered in peppers in all stages of color. It is designed to keep producing. With the larger peppers, a pepper ripening is a signal to the plant that its job of reproducing is done for the year. Peppers are really perennials where it is hot year round. A good compromise is to pick them less ripe until you get closer to the end of the season. Then let the last ones ripen fully.

I find pick them as you need them works. But it is easier on the plant & it will produce more if you take the pepper directly after it turn "the " color. It will put the same enegy into new as it does old.

Pick it when it's fully ripened to it's appropriate color. Leaving it on longer won't increase the flavor. What it will do is decrease the texture - i.e. start to rot. This also will signal the plant that it's reached its goal (producing viable seed) & it will decrease production.

With peppers, which are really tropical perennials, production won't stop entirely until the plants are cut down by frost, but production will definitely decrease until the next growth cycle.

I didn't realize that peppers were perennials until I read this. Thanks for that info. I planted some pepper plants and they got hit real bad by bugs in the spring and by the time they recovered it was too hot. I hope that means I can get some peppers off of them come fall when it cools down again.

You might, but chances are they might be finished. It also depends on how "cool" your weather gets.

One year I potted up a couple of my hot peppers & brought them inside for the winter. Believe it or not, they flourished like houseplants for 3 solid years - producing flowers & peppers - until finally becoming too woody/weedy & I planted them back out & let them live out a last season in the great outdoors. However, they did definitely take "rest periods" before beginning new growth/flowering/producing peppers. That's why I'm thinking yours might not produce more for you this season - I think they take a rest.

No, leave it on the vine till it rots and falls off and drops its seeds for next years crop...LOL...yeah, completely changing colors is indicative of its maturity...

Its OK to pick your peppers when you like. I pick my paprika as soon as its fully red.