Varieties

Green: These bell-shaped vegetables are sweet bell peppers in their mature green stage--fully developed, but not ripe. As they ripen on the vine, most bell peppers turn red and become sweeter. Green bell peppers are excellent sources of many essential nutrients, especially vitamin C.

Red: Red bell peppers are sweet, juicy, colorful, and surprisingly nutritious: They are excellent sources of many essential nutrients. By weight, red peppers have three times as much vitamin C as citrus fruit. Moreover, red peppers are quite a good source of beta-carotene, and they offer a good amount of fiber and vitamin B6.

Yellow: Yellow bell peppers are also sweet, juicy, colorful, and surprisingly nutritious. They are excellent sources of many essential nutrients. Yellow peppers have three times as much vitamin C as citrus fruit.

Care & Handling

Availability - Green Giant® Fresh Bell Peppers are available year round.

Selection- Peppers should be well shaped, firm, and glossy. Their skins should be taut and unwrinkled, and their stems fresh and green. Bell peppers are best when they are thick walled and juicy, so they should feel heavy for their size. Watch out for soft or sunken areas, slashes or black spots. If a green bell pepper shows streaks of red, it will be slightly sweeter than a totally green one; however, once picked, it will not get any redder--or sweeter, either.

Storage - Store unwashed sweet peppers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week; green peppers will keep somewhat longer than red or other ripe peppers. Check them frequently; immediately use any peppers that have developed soft spots.
Preparation- Wash peppers just before you use them. Some bell peppers are waxed, and these should be scrubbed well before eating. If you are going to cut the peppers into strips or pieces, cut the pepper lengthwise into flat panels. Discard the stems, spongy cores, and seeds (which can have a bitter taste). If you are using the pepper whole, cut the stem end off and then discard the core and seeds. Or, for pepper halves, cut the pepper in half lengthwise (not crosswise).
Pepper skin can be unpleasantly tough in cooked dishes; you can easily peel peppers by blanching or roasting them, as explained below. For most recipes, the various colors of bell peppers are interchangeable (keep in mind that reds and yellows are sweeter than green peppers).

Cooking

Baking: Cut bell peppers into large chunks and place them in a baking dish (alone or with other vegetables). Bake in a 350°F oven until tender. For baking with a stuffing, choose solid, thick-walled peppers so that they will hold their shape. Cut off a “lid” (about 1/2” deep) and a thin slice from the bottom of each pepper so that each one will stand without tipping; or, halve each pepper lengthwise to form two "cups." Stuff the peppers and place them in a baking pan in which they will fit snugly. Bake in a 375°F oven until the filling is heated through and the peppers tender. Cooking time: 20 - 25 minutes.

Blanching: Blanched sweet peppers can be used without further cooking as containers for cold salads. Cut off the caps and core the peppers, and then blanch them in boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes.

Microwaving: For whole stuffed peppers, first microwave the cored pepper shells for two minutes to soften them. The precooking ensures that the shells will be done at the same time as the filling. Then fill the peppers and cook until the filling is heated through. Cooking time: 7 – 8  minutes.

Broiling/Grilling: Sweet bell peppers take on a wonderful smoky flavor when charred over a flame; this procedure also allows you to peel the peppers. You can broil or grill pepper pieces (or you can fire-roast whole peppers over an open flame; see below). To prepare peppers for broiling, slice the pepper lengthwise into four or five flattish panels (this will depend on the shape of the peppers; sometimes they are four-sided, but sometimes their shape is a little less defined). Discard stem, ribs, and seeds. Lay the pieces on the grill skin-side down, or on a broiler pan skin-side up, and cook about 4" from the heat until the skin is blackened. Place the charred peppers in a bowl, cover with a pot lid or a plate, and let them "sweat" for about 15 minutes; this will loosen the skin. Then scrape off the skin with a table knife (doing this under running water is helpful). Cooking time: 6 - 10 minutes.

Fire-Roasting: To fire-roast whole peppers, cut a small slit near the stem of each one. Impale each pepper on a long-handled cooking fork and hold over the flame. Place the charred peppers in a bowl, cover with a pot lid or a plate, and let steam for about 15 minutes; this will loosen the skin. Then scrape off the skin with a table knife (doing this under running water is helpful). Cut around the stem, pull out the stem and core, and scrape out any remaining seeds. Cooking time: 6 - 10 minutes.

Sautéing: Strips or squares of pepper (a mix of colors makes an attractive side dish) can be sautéed in oil or broth. They are good alone or in combination with other vegetables. Cooking time: 10 - 15 minutes.

Stir-frying: Add 1" squares or strips of pepper to Chinese meat or poultry stir-fries, or cook the peppers with broccoli, water chestnuts, green beans, or other vegetables. Cooking time: 4 - 6 minutes.

Freezing: To freeze whole peppers, wash, remove seeds and stem, cut in half and blanch for 3 minutes. Immerse in ice water immediately after blanching. For diced or strips of pepper, blanching is not required.