Peppers

From the same capsicum family as other peppers, these bell peppers are not hot but mild tasting. Originating in and around Central America, records of pepper cultivation can be traced back to 5000BC. They were brought to Europe in the 15th century from where they spread eastwards. They can be found in a range of colours from white, green, red, yellow, orange to purple and brown. Most commonly seen are red, green and yellow. Red peppers were originally green, but nowadays green peppers are often grown from a developed strain that will never go red. The green ones are not as sweet as the red ones, red ones are left longer on the plant so the sweetness develops fully. Supermarkets present row upon row of virtually identical peppers... naturally these peppers grow in less uniform shapes and sizes and the colours are often mixed, red and green peppers are not under ripe, but entirely normal.
Whatever they look like, they can be eaten raw or cooked. Inside the smooth, glossy skin and thick flesh walls, is a hollow containing the seeds. Remove the green stem. The seeds and the membranes they are attached to should scraped out leaving the thick walls. Peppers are a good source of vitamin A, C, E, B6 and folate.