From sweet to spicy, all peppers are part of the Capsicum family. One of the most popular peppers in the family is the bell pepper. These peppers are sweet, big and come in a rainbow of colors like green, yellow, red, orange, purple and more! Bell peppers also belong to the nightshade family, along with white potato & tomatoes.
Bell peppers can be eaten raw or cooked, but the color of the pepper not only determines the ripeness of the pepper, but its taste as well! Green peppers are unripe, which is why they taste the most bitter. At the end of the spectrum is the red bell pepper, which is the sweetest because it is fully ripened.
Although all bell peppers are considered healthy, the red bell pepper is the healthiest to consume. Red peppers are fully mature, giving them almost ten times the Vitamin A & Vitamin C content of their green counterparts. In fact, red peppers have double the amount of our daily recommended Vitamin C intake. Both Vitamin A and Vitamin C are vital to our health. Vitamin A supports eye health, while Vitamin C boosts the immune system.
Red peppers are primarily made up of carbs, and the carbs are mostly sugars such as glucose and fructose. This is what gives the pepper its sweet flavor. They also are high in iron, making them an excellent way to prevent anemia. Lastly, peppers contain antioxidents and carotenoids.
Some peppers contain capsaicin. This is the chemical that makes them spicy! The chemical causes a reaction when it comes in contact with our skin and mouths, causing a burning sensation. Paprika and chili peppers both contain capsaicin, but bell peppers do not. The amount of capsaicin in a pepper determines how hot it is. The scale for ranking the spiciness of a pepper is called the Scoville Heat Chart.
Do you like your red peppers sweet or spicy?
