bell pepper

Bell pepper
Red bell pepper and cross-section
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Subclass: Asteridae Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Capsicum Species: C. annuum
Binomial name
Capsicum annuum L.

Bell pepper is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Colors of the fruit include red, yellow, green and orange. Bell peppers contain a recessive gene that prevents capsaicin from being produced, so they lack the spiciness that many other varieties of peppers have^{[citation needed]}. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers".

Nomenclature

The term "bell pepper" is one of the many names for some fruits of the Capsicum annuum species of plants. The misleading name "pepper" (pimiento in Spanish) was given by Christopher Columbus upon bringing the plant back to Europe. At that time peppercorns were a highly prized condiment.

Today, the term "bell pepper" or "pepper" or "capsicum" is often used for any of the large bell shaped capsicum fruits, regardless of their color. In British English, the fruit is simply referred to as a "pepper", whereas in many Commonwealth of Nations countries, such as Australia, India, Malaysia and New Zealand, they are called "capsicum". Across Europe, the term "paprika", which has its roots in the word for pepper, is used—sometimes referred to by their color (e.g. "groene paprika", "gele paprika", in Dutch, which are green and yellow, respectively). Paprika also refers to the powdered spice made from the same fruit. In the United States and Canada, the fruit is often referred to simply as a "pepper" or referred to by color (e.g. "red pepper", "green pepper"), although the more specific term "bell pepper" is understood in most regions.

In parts of the U.S. around southern Ohio and northern Kentucky the term "mangoes" (or "mangos") has sometimes been used to refer to bell peppers. However, as the actual mango fruit has become more common in the region, this usage has faded.

In Russia it is commonly called болгарский перец (bolgarskiy perets), meaning Bulgarian pepper. In France, it is called poivron, with the same root as poivre (meaning black pepper). In Denmark the bell pepper is referred to as "peberfrugt", meaning pepper-fruit.

Bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C. Green bell peppers have two times the vitamin C by weight than citrus fruits (oranges, lemons etc.) and Red bell peppers have three times what the green bell varieties have.

Storage

Long Term

Bell peppers can be stored in a number of ways, one of which is longer-term storage via freezing. One must clean the pepper well and remove the membrane and seeds. Afterward, chop and slice according to preference, bag the peppers, remove most of the air from the bags, and place the bags in the freezer.

Another way of storing them is to can them in ordinary mason jars. After they have been grilled, the peppers must be canned and stored in a refrigerator unit. A last way to cook and store is to fry them in oil with onions and place them in containers that can stand up to a freezer.

Buying Peppers

When buying bell peppers, the first thing you want to look for is if it's firm and crisp. The crispier the pepper, the better it is. Next thing to look for is that it's not wrinkled and has no bad spots. Next you have to use your nose. Smell it for freshness. Lastly, look at the coloring. Peppers come in a variety of colors, but a buyer has to make sure that the color is nice, bright, and uniform all over the pepper before purchase.

Varieties

Heat: None (SR: 0)

The color can be green, red, yellow, orange and, more rarely, white, purple, blue, and brown, depending on when they are harvested and the specific cultivar. Green peppers are unripe bell peppers, while the others are all ripe, with the color variation based on cultivar selection. Because they are unripe, green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than yellow, orange, or red peppers. The taste of ripe peppers can also vary with growing conditions and post-harvest storage treatment; the sweetest are fruit allowed to ripen fully on the plant in full sunshine, while fruit harvested green and after-ripened in storage are less sweet. Peppers are native to Central and South America. Pepper seeds were later carried to Spain in 1493 and from there spread to other European and Asian countries.

Gallery

Green bell peppers	A variety of colored bell peppers	A red bell pepper cut in half	A whole red bell pepper
A whole purple pepper

See also

• List of capsicum cultivars
• Scoville scale
• Paprika

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Bell Pepper

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