Bell pepper, assorted colors

There are dozens of varieties of the sweet pepper varying in size, shape, color and flavor. The colors on some of these are dependent on ripeness. Green peppers are harvested before they are fully ripe; left on the plant, the green pepper will turn yellow and then red as it matures. Inversely, purple, brown, and black peppers will become green if left to ripen on the plant. Peppers ripened on the plant are sweeter and more fragrant, with red and orange peppers being the sweetest. Green and purple peppers have a slightly bitter flavor. Pimento and paprika are both prepared from red bell peppers.

The history of sweet, or bell peppers is similar to that of hot peppers. They originated in Latin America, were one of the first plants to be cultivated in South America and were carried throughout the world by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers. Peppers are members of the nightshade family that include eggplant, tomatoes, the potato and the tamarillo. The main producers of sweet peppers today are China, Turkey, Nigeria, Spain, Mexico and Romania.

The sweet pepper is a fleshy walled berry containing numerous whitish seeds in its inner cavity. The plant that produces it can grow to a height of 3 feet. The pepper itself usually ranges in size from 2 ½ to 6 inches in length and from 2-4 ½ inches in diameter. The most popular variety in North America is the bell pepper. This pepper has four lobes and is somewhat square in shape. Certain varieties have three lobes, while others are more tapered in shape and have no lobes at all.

Storing
Sweet peppers can be stored unwashed in a perforated plastic bag or in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, where they will keep for about a week. They freeze well without being blanched, but it is better to wash them first. For maximum flavor and nutritional value, store them whole. Sweet peppers lend themselves well to drying and keep at least 1 year when dried. They are also good marinated.

Nutritional Value
The proportion of the different nutritional elements varies greatly from one variety to another. For example, red peppers contain much more vitamin A and vitamin C than green peppers. Red and green peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, two very powerful antioxidants, and a good source of potassium. They also contain vitamin B6 and folic acid. The nutritional value is almost the same for raw peppers as for cooked peppers. Green, sweet bell pepper have 2 times as much vitamin C as oranges; red and yellow bell peppers have 4 times as much.

Sweet peppers have a number of medicinal properties: they are held to be a good stomachic, diuretic, stimulant, digestive and antiseptic. Red peppers are one of the few foods that contain lycopene, a carotenoid whose consumption has been inversely correlated with prostate cancer and cancers of the cervix, bladder and pancreas. Bell peppers also appear to have a protective effect against cataracts, possibly due to their vitamin C and beta-carotene content.