Crop of the Week: Bell peppers

  Bell peppers, also known as sweet peppers, are like the Christmas ornaments of the vegetable world since they are beautifully shaped, glossy in appearance and come in a variety of vivid colors such as green, red, yellow, orange, purple, brown and black.

  Despite their varied palette, all are the same plant, known scientifically as Capsicum annum, and are members of the nightshade family that also includes potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant. Bell peppers contain a recessive gene that eliminates capsaicin, the compound responsible for the "hotness" found in other peppers.

  The variety of the pepper plant and the stage of the ripeness determine the flavor and color of each pepper. For example, a red bell pepper is simply a mature green bell pepper.

  As a bell pepper ages, its flavor becomes sweeter and milder. Green and purple peppers have a slightly bitter flavor, while the red, orange and yellows are sweeter and almost fruity.

  Pimento and paprika are both prepared from red bell peppers.

  Yuma bell peppers are a minor crop in the county with only about 100 acres in production.

  Green bell peppers have twice as much vitamin C as oranges; red and yellow bell peppers have four times as much. Red bell peppers contain 11 times more beta carotene than green bell peppers.

  Choose peppers that have deep vivid color and taut, unblemished skin. Peppers should be heavy for their size and firm.

  Store unwashed bell peppers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for about a week.

  Like their relatives, the chili peppers, bell peppers originated in South America with seeds of a wild variety dating back to 5000 B.C.

  Mild, sweet bell peppers have established themselves as staples in salads and as integral components of almost all sectors of American national and regional cuisine.

  According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United States ranked fourth in pepper production in 2005. China is by far the largest producer, followed by Mexico and Turkey.


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Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent and Yuma County Cooperative Extension director. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.