It’s probably fair to say most of us think a green bell pepper is just an immature form of a red one. While that may be true in a culinary sense, it misses what’s actualy happening on the plant. A complicated set of chemical reactions create different tastes, nutrients, and colors over time. That makes a difference when shopping for, storing and preparing the veggie. How about getting the story of that transformation? There’s even a handy illustrated timeline explaining the range of color (and sugar level).
A green pepper is an unripe vegetable. So when you purchase one, that’s what you’re getting, an immature thing with a lot of chlorophyll, and thus a certain bitterness, but also crispness. That’s great for cooking something like a pickle, when you want a little more bite, or perhaps a stir-fry that rely on texture.
The Secret Life of Bell Peppers: From Green to Red
But wait. Wait till you let it sit on the vine a while longer. Then some new chemistry take place. The pepper stops making chlorophyll and starts producing different substances. You see, as they go from green to yellow, then to orange, and eventually red (as the chart illustrates), each stage gets sweeter and less bitter then.
The change from green to red mean something. Ripe red peppers has significantly more sugar than green ones do. That’s why red peppers are the standard for roasting or stuffing them. The natural sugars in the peppers caramelize under heat and brings out a sweeter, smokier depth that a green pepper simply can’t match. Roast a green pepper and you won’t achieve that richness of flavor. All you’re doing is making the bitterness stronger, and that makes all the difference with the finished dish.
Same goes for nutrition: Fully colored green peppers are good for you, but even better is the full-on ripened version that have higher levels of nutrients. Yellow peppers top the charts in Vitamin C, offering over your entire day’s worth per cup. Then there’s orange, high in beta-carotene (which the body turns into Vitamin A, supporting skin and eyes). And red peppers is loaded with lycopene, another antioxidant thought to be good for health protection. Wait till they get ripe, says the infographic; it’ll boost nutritional value.
Other unusual pepper types to think about include ones with chocolate skins (yes!). You can also find white or purple-colored fruits, which has an interesting twist of flavor and look great. Purple peppers contain lots of anthocyanin and sometimes have green interiors, kind of a surprise when you slice them up. White peppers are sweet but mild, good for use in salads where the color will show off. The different colors creates some nice contrasts to your meal.
Here is what you need to know about storing bell peppers. They won’t continue to ripen after picking; in fact, they’re delicate, so treat them right. Buy (or pick) them at the peak of ripeness.
Should you store them in the fridge? Keep them dry and unwashed before putting them away. This will add 2 weeks or more of keeping time. For longer storage, you can slice and freeze them without blanching. Slice, but do not blanch. Pack into freezer bags; use within several months.
But at its core, the bell pepper is not just something we crunch on in salads. It’s a dynamic veggie that evolves. You can change texture, nutrition, and even sweetness by simply noticing its color based off of how it looks. So next time you’re in the produce aisle, don’t just overlook the green peppers. Consider the color. Roast the red ones, and maybe try stir-frying with a green one instead. Knowing those differences makes an otherwise simple ingredient a helpful addition to the culinary arsenal. That’s what learning about the bell pepper color chart should of teaches us.