1. Bell Peppers

3. Bell peppers are native to Central and South America. The Spanish and Portuguese explorers carried the seeds to Spain in 1493 and from there seeds were spread to other European & Asian countries.

4. Bell Peppers Currently, the world’s main producers of bell peppers are China, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Nigeria and Mexico. Leading producers in the U.S. are Florida, California, New Jersey and Texas.

5. Bell Peppers Bell peppers have a glossy-smooth greenred yelloworangepurple skin and come in a variety of vivid colors such as green (unripe), red, yellow, orange (ripe), and purple. They are plump, bell shaped vegetables that usually have either three or four lobes. Inside the thick flesh is an inner cavity with edible bitter seeds and a white spongy core.

6. Bell Peppers They are good sources of these nutrients: –Vitamin C –Vitamin A –Vitamin B6 –Vitamin K – green peppers –Folic Acid –Beta-carotene –Fiber –Lycopene - red peppers

7. Bell Peppers They have a delightful, slightly watery crunch. Green and purple peppers have a slightly bitter flavor; while the red, orange and yellow peppers are sweeter and almost fruity. Pimento and paprika are both prepared from red bell peppers.

8. Bell Peppers You can eat bell peppers either raw or cooked. They can be used in many recipes; such as salads, soups, stews, pasta and rice dishes. They can also be grilled, stuffed, or fried.

9. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_pepper http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=50 http://www.hort.purdue.edu/rhodcv/hort410/pepper/pe00002.htm http://www.everynutrient.com/healthbenefitsofbellpeppers.html http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/bell_pepper.html http://www.harvestofthemonth.com/download/Summer/Peppers/Peppers_Edu.pdf