Care & Storage

For Eating Fresh: Store unwashed in your fridge for a week or so(if left outside of the fridge at room temperature, peppers will continue to ripen, but also tend to shrivel).

To Freeze: Wash, core, remove blemishes, and cut into pieces. Blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. Cool immediately. You can also freeze sweet peppers without blanching for thawing and eating raw. (Tip: If you lay the pieces on a tray in the freezer before putting them in a container, then the pieces will freeze individually instead of in a large clump and can be used at different times instead of all at once.)

Availability

August - October

Varieties

FRYING PEPPERS
Jimmy Nardello
Carmen

PIMENTOS
Tangerine Pimento

BELLS
Purple Bell
Orange Bell

TAPAS PEPPERS
Shishito & Padron
Shishito (a Japanese variety), and Padron (Spanish), are small peppers used as an appetizer or tapas. Both varieties are predominately sweet, but you’ll find that 5-10% of them will have some heat to them, providing the extra fun of “pepper roulette” at the dinner table! To prepare, heat a cast-iron pan or wok over high heat and add a tablespoon or two of oil. Toss the peppers in and cook on high for just a few minutes until they have softened and the skin is browned in some places. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve hot.