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Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Bell Peppers is our September Vegetable of the Month!!!!


 

 

Origin-

 

Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. Pepper seeds were imported to Spain in 1493 and then spread through Europe and Asia. The mild bell pepper cultivar was developed in the 1920s, in Szeged, Hungary. Preferred growing conditions for bell peppers include warm, moist soil in a temperature range of 21 to 29 °C (70 to 84 °F)

 

Varieties-

 

Bell peppers can be found in a rainbow of colors and can vary in flavor. The variety of the pepper plant and stage of the ripeness determine the flavor and color of each pepper.  For example, a red bell pepper is a simply mature green bell pepper. As a bell pepper ages, its flavor becomes sweeter and milder. Red bell peppers contain eleven times more beta carotene than green bell peppers. Other colors of peppers include brown, white, lavender, and dark purple, depending on the variety

 

When selecting -

 

Bell peppers are available and in good supply all year round, but they are more plentiful and less expensive during the summer months.  Fresh peppers come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes, but when selecting them they all follow the same guidelines. 

 

  1. Their skin should be smooth and firm without any wrinkles

  2. The stem should be firm and green

  3. They should feel heavy for their size

  4. Avoid peppers with sunken areas, slashes or black spots

 

Storing peppers-

 

Store unwashed bell peppers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  They will stay fresh for about a week.  Green peppers stay fresh longer than yellow or red peppers.

 

Information generated from CDC website and Wikipedia