14 | SEptember
Ingredient of the Month
ALL ABOUT
Sweet Peppers
Buying, storing and cooking: Sweet peppers should be firm with no wrinkles, and
stems should be fresh. They should feel heavy and have
a vivid color. Avoid peppers that have limp, shriveled
skin, or soft, bruised spots. Unwashed sweet peppers can
be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator. Fully
ripened sweet peppers will spoil faster. Store at room
temperature to encourage the ripening process.
To prepare, cut around the stem and pull out the
spongy interior with the seeds. Rinse in cold water
to remove any remaining seeds. Do not substitute sweet
peppers for various chile peppers as the flavor profiles
are different. Snack on raw sweet peppers with a
healthy dip, or sprinkle over salads for a colorful and
healthy crunch. Serve as a side dish or add to favorites,
such as stir-fries, casseroles and omelets.
What are sweet peppers? Sweet
peppers grow on compact, vertical bushes and are
botanically considered a fruit. Sweet peppers are
plump and bell-shaped with three or four lobes. They
come in a variety of colors ranging from green to red
and purple to brown. They have crispy, juicy flesh
and a mild, sweet flavor, although green and purple
peppers are slightly bitter. Sweet peppers contain trace
amounts of capsaicin, the substance that controls spice
or heat in peppers, so they are not as spicy as chile
peppers. Sweet peppers are available year-round
with a peak season from July to September.
Health benefits: Sweet peppers are
considered a super food with a range of healthpromoting nutrients. With only 50 calories per serving,
they contain an abundance of vitamin C, which
promotes a healthy immune system. Sweet
peppers are an excellent source of vitamin A for
strong eyes, bones and teeth. They also contain
phytochemicals, the natural pigments that give sweet
peppers their color, which are powerful antioxidants
that help protect against cellular damage.
Fun Facts
• One red bell pepper has twice as much vitamin C
as an orange.
• Although they share their name with the type of
pepper used with salt, the two peppers are not related
in any way. When Christopher Columbus brought
peppers from the West Indies, Europeans said they
were “hotter than the pepper of the Caucasus.”
• Paprika is the dried and powdered form of bell peppers.
• In some countries, red, yellow and green bell
peppers are sold in packs of three and known as
traffic light peppers.
• Sweet peppers are members of the nightshade family.
Some people are sensitive to the alkaloids in nightshade
vegetables and are unable to fully digest them.
Presented by ACF Chef & Child Foundation. More tools and resources available on www.acfchefs.org/ccf