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Topic: Bell peppers...

Also known as: Banana Peppers, Bull's Horn Peppers, Cubanelle Peppers, Green Bell Peppers, Pimiento Peppers, Red Bell Peppers, Sweet Peppers

What do these three bell peppers have in common? The most unlikely fact is that all of them can come from the same field. In the same way that green olives are "green," which is to say, "not ripe," green peppers also are green, as in "not ripe."

The green bell peppers are harvested and shipped to market while they are still immature - green. If left to mature, they will change into one of the brighter colors. The red bell pepper is the most common mature pepper. (Yellow peppers can be found in immature and mature varieties.) As bell peppers mature, their sugar content increases, so they become sweeter, and develop more nutrients, primarily vitamins A and C.

California and Florida are the two largest bell pepper-producing states. Others include New Jersey, North Carolina, and Texas. Peppers are also imported from Mexico and Holland.

Storage & Selection

Bell peppers should have smooth, firm, glossy skin with no soft spots or shriveling, and feel heavy for their size. They like cool not cold temperatures, ideally about 45°F to 50°F with good humidity. Peppers are ethylene sensitive, so they should not be stored near ethylene-producing food such as pears or apples. Put peppers in plastic bags and they will keep up to five days in the refrigerator. Green peppers will keep slightly longer than the other, more ripe, varieties.

Varieties

Bell peppers range in color from green to yellow, orange, red, purple, and black. Red bell peppers are fully ripened green bell peppers, with a milder, sweeter flavor. Other peppers include the red, heart-shaped pimiento; the pale green, slender and curved bull’s horn; the long, tapered Cubanelle, which ranges in color from yellow to red; and the sweet banana pepper, which is yellow and banana-shaped.

Nutritional Highlights

Peppers, 1 cup (sweet, green, raw)
Calories: 40
Protein: 1.3g
Carbohydrate: 9.6g
Total Fat: 0.24g
Fiber: 2.7g
Excellent source of: Vitamin C (133mg), and Vitamin A (942 IU)

Health benefits and concerns

Asthma
Vitamin C, present in fruits and vegetables, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This anti-inflammatory activity may influence the development of asthma symptoms. A large preliminary study has shown that young children with asthma experience significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet high in fruits rich in vitamin C.

Bruising
Many people eat insufficient amounts of foods containing vitamin C; the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, scurvy, causes easy bruising. While very few people actually have scurvy, even minor deficiencies of vitamin C can increase the incidence of bruising. People who experience easy bruising may want to try eating more fruits and vegetables—common dietary sources of vitamin C.

Capillary Fragility
Eating plenty of flavonoid- and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables helps to support the structure of capillaries.

Multiple sclerosis (MS)
In one survey, researchers gathered information from nearly 400 people (half with MS) over three years. They found that consumption of vegetable protein, fruit juice, and foods rich in vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and potassium correlated with a decreased MS risk.

Night Blindness
Low intake of fruits and vegetables containing beta-carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A, may contribute to a vitamin A deficiency.

Pap Smear
Most dietary studies have found that women receiving high amounts of nutrients from fruits and vegetables have less risk of cervical dysplasia. Protective effects may be especially strong from diets high in dark yellow and orange vegetables (carrots, winter squash, etc.) and tomatoes.


Recipes with Bell Pepper




since 21 July 03

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