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Bell peppers add more flavor, color to your cooking

Sharon Maasdam Newhouse News Service

Bell peppers in a variety of colors and tastes are available at grocery stores, specialty produce stores, and some farmers’ markets. In addition to the common red and green peppers, you may see white, purple, yellow, brown or orange. The flavors differ a bit by color. Red bell peppers, for example, are sweeter than green.

How to buy

Choose peppers with shiny, even-colored skins that are not blemished or bruised. Look for plump, firm, well-shaped, brightly colored peppers with strong green stems.

Cooking by color

The brown or chocolate variety is sweet and green inside; the skin turns green when cooked.

The orange pepper retains most of its orange color inside and out when cooked.

The deep purple pepper is the color of eggplant. The flesh is green and sweet; the outer skin turns green when cooked.

The red pepper is actually a green pepper left to ripen on the vine. Red bells have more sugar, so they’re sweeter and slightly more tender. They retain their vibrant color when cooked and are the best for roasting.

The golden yellow pepper has yellow flesh; the color stays golden when cooked. It’s very sweet and mild.

The white pepper is actually more of a creamy ivory color with a very mild flavor that diminishes even more when cooked.

Uses

Bell peppers are eaten raw or cooked and are good in salads, savory dishes, stuffed or eaten on their own. They make sweet and colorful additions to pizza, antipasto and omelets, and they can be a main ingredient in a cold salad with olive oil and spices. Raw bell peppers are a great appetizer with dips and spreads.

Stir-fry an assortment of colors as an accompaniment to grilled sausage, or saute with sliced olives, green beans, corn or zucchini; season with garlic, basil or rosemary. Puree bell peppers for soups, stews or sauces. Peppers can be stuffed with chopped cooked meats, cheeses or vegetables. Use roasted pepper strips in omelets, other egg dishes or sandwiches.

Roasting peppers

When roasted, red bell peppers seem almost like another vegetable – their sweet taste develops smoky overtones, their crunchy flesh turns velvety, the color deepens to brick red. To roast, preheat a broiler or an oven to 500 degrees. Place the pepper halves cut sides down on a baking sheet or broiler pan. Broil about 5 inches from the heat source until the skin is charred. Place in a bag or covered bowl for about 10 minutes. The skin should peel off easily. Or place oiled peppers on a barbecue grill and grill until blackened on all sides. Time will vary according to the heat of the coals. To store, drizzle peppers liberally with olive oil, cover and refrigerate for up to one week or place in airtight containers and freeze for up to two months.

Storage

The riper the pepper when harvested, the less time it will maintain its freshness. Green peppers keep longer than sweeter red, purple and yellow bell peppers. Store fresh bell peppers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper up to one week. Do not wash peppers before storing. To freeze, remove seeds and stems but do not blanch. Store in airtight freezer containers up to six months. Frozen peppers will lose their crisp texture, but will be fine for cooked main dishes, soups and stews.