Bell Pepper

Cooking and storing tips for bell pepper, a powerhouse of nutrients

With the price of produce increasing at an alarming rate, it becomes more difficult to get adequate amounts of fruits and veggies on your table. However, there are some very pricey produce items which freeze well.

Summer is upon us, with bountiful harvests and lower prices just around the corner. You can save significant amounts on your food budget when you stock up on freezable produce in season. If you shop smart, you can have many produce items stored in your freezer at summer prices, well into winter. If you plan a garden, be sure you plant bell pepper!

The bell pepper freezes wonderfully, is a versatile ingredient and is packed with nutrients. These sweet peppers come in green, yellow, orange and red, making a colorful addition to many dishes. Here's how to prepare and freeze bell pepper.

Choose bell pepper which are blemish free and heavy for their size. Wash them well. Using a sharp knife, cut off the stem ends, pop the stem out with your fingers and set aside. Remove the 'choke' containing the seeds and discard. Quarter the peppers from top to bottom. Cut any white pith from the inside, as this causes a bitter taste. Slice each quarter into julienne style lengths. Rinse to remove any remaining seeds.

Separate portions of your peppers to suit your uses. For example, if you like gumbo, dice the amounts needed for each gumbo pot and bag in a sufficient amount of water with a tablespoon of lemon juice. Squeeze out the air, seal and pop the bag in the freezer.

For dishes which call for julienned lengths, bag them in meal-sized portions, in lemon water, and freeze. The lemon helps retain that garden-fresh color, while the water keeps the texture crunchy.

Now, how many ways can a bell pepper be used? The answer is wonderful. You can slip these into breakfast, lunch and dinner menus so easily and deliciously, no one will ever complain, "Not peppers again!"

An assortment of colorful diced bell peppers are a great addition to an omelet or strata. Add some cheddar cheese and a little ham and you've got a Sunday breakfast. Diced bell pepper, onions and diced potatoes make delicious hash browns.

Julienned pepper slices make a crunchy statement in a sub sandwich and are great in a chef's salad. Dinner ideas are plentiful. Lightly fry cooked rice. Toss in julienned peppers, water chestnuts, chunks of chicken, ham or sausage and a couple of scrambled eggs for a family sized meal of fried rice.

Heat bite-sized pieces of pork or chicken, along with some diced peppers and onions, in a sweet and sour sauce. Serve over rice. Add to dinner salads, bruschetta mixtures or veggie medleys as a side dish.

The question becomes, where can you not use a healthy, colorful bell pepper?