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Peppers, Sweet

This includes all non-green bell peppers, from red to orange to yellow!

Bell peppers (or "capsicum" in British English) are technically fruits that originated in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.The color can be green, red, yellow, or orange depending on when the peppers are harvested. Generally, red, yellow, and orange peppers are sweeter than green peppers due to their longer ripening. (Read more on Wikipedia.)

Compared to green peppers, red, yellow, and orange peppers have even more vitamins and nutrients! They are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, and folate. One cup of chopped red peppers actually contains over 50% more vitamin C than one cup of chopped green peppers. Red peppers also contain higher amounts of carotenes, like lycopene, which may be a potentially important chemical for preventing cancer. (Read more about lycopene on Wikipedia and see more nutrition facts at Self.com.)

 

Bell peppers are ethylene sensitive, so they should not be stored near ethylene-producing food such as pears or apples. Store 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.