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Bell Peppers & Chili Peppers

By Laura Ng

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 06Nov2007 Word count: 425 Viewed: 2491 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Are peppers fruits or vegetables? You may be surprised to know that peppers are one of the amazing fruits which are eaten as vegetables.

Peppers are loved for their versatility in many great dishes, including grilled for barbecues, stuffed with desired filling and baked, steamed with other veggies, cooked in sauces or stir-fries, or eaten cold, crisp and raw in salads or as snacks any time of the day. No wonder they're the favorites of vegetarians and vegans.

Bell peppers come from the colorful Capsicum family which can be split into two main categories - sweet bell peppers and the spicy chilies, such as jalapenos. The difference arises from the presence of capsaicin in chilies but not in sweet bell peppers.

Other common names for sweet bell peppers are capsicums, sweet peppers or simply green / red peppers.

All sweet bell peppers start out green and change color as they ripen. Depending on the stage of ripeness and their varieties, their colors range from orange, yellow, red, purple, brown, black, ivory or green, and so do their sweetness.

But green bell peppers remain green throughout the ripening process. Thus, it can be challenging to differentiate the other bell peppers from the green variety before they ripen.

All peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C. Green bell peppers contain as much as two times of vitamin C as oranges while red or yellow pepper pack three or four times the daily value of vitamin C.

Besides power-packed with vitamin C, bell peppers also provide vitamin B6, phytochemicals such as lycopene and beta-carotene (the precursor for vitamin A), folate, potassium and plenty of fiber.

Peppers are available in the markets all year round. Choose well-shaped, firm and glossy peppers which feel heavy for their size. Look out for unhealthy peppers with soft or wrinkled areas, cracks, slashes or black spots. Except for jalapenos, which often have shallow cracks at their stem ends, chili peppers should be free of crack.

It's best to wrap the peppers in paper bags or paper towels and store in the refrigerator to keep their freshness, up to 5 days for bell peppers and up to 3 weeks for chili peppers.

Remember to wash the peppers before cooking so as to remove the wax on their surfaces. When you're handling chili peppers, make sure your hands do not touch the seeds where portion of capsaicin, the "hot" substance, is present. This can cause serious discomfort if you happen to rub your eyes with the hands that come into contact with the substance. Exercise precautions, always.

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