ABOUT Sweet Peppers/Chilis

Sweet Peppers/Chilis are fruits in the same family as tomatoes and tobacco, and are distinct from hot peppers, in that rather than being spicing their flavor can range from being herbaceous to bitter to sweet. On the Northeast they peak from June - October, but in warmer climates they can grow almost year round.

Peppers, both sweet and hot, have their origins across South and Central America where they’ve been cultivated for at least 8,000 years and were first cultivated by Indigenous Peruvian and Bolivian people. From South and Central America they’ve spread to the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia due to the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade as well as Indigenous peoples’ own trading routes, and dispersal by animals and the elements. Sweet peppers have thus become widely important in the marinades, curries, stews, sauces, and stir-fries of Black and brown people across the globe.

COOKING & STORAGE

Edible parts: Fruits
Medicine and Nutrients: Peppers are an incredible source of potassium, vitamin C, iron, and fiber.
Storing and Shelf Stability: Store your peppers in your refrigerator crisper drawer for a week or more. In the fridge, raw sweet peppers will last between 1 and 2 weeks. You can also roast peppers over a flame to blacken them, then peel the char, and freeze them as a way to preserve them for the out-of-season months.

Ways to Prepare

RAW: The green peppers in the photo above have a slightly bitter, sharp flavor and their texture is crispy. Add them to salsas, vinaigrettes/dressings, or salads.
COOKED: Sweet peppers can be sauteed, roasted, grilled, broiled, stuffed, stewed, and stir-fried.

RECIPES

Beef and Pepper Stir-Fry, Everyday Vegetable Stir-fry; Egg & Pepper Stir-Fry (The Woks of Life)
Hearty Tofu Chili (Sweet Potato Soul)
Easy Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (Jessica in the Kitchen)
36 Sweet Pepper Recipes (Eating Well)
7 Ways to Use Up Extra Peppers (Nature Fresh)

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri