Originating in South America, sweet bell peppers have been grown on earth since 5000 BC. Spanish and Portuguese sailors, who traveled through South America, commonly ate this popular vegetable. Today bell peppers are primarily grown in China, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Nigeria, and Mexico, but are also found in California, Florida, and New Jersey.
Bell pepper can be found in a variety of colors including, green, red, yellow, orange, purple, gold, and white. The yellow, orange, and red peppers are simply ripe versions of the green bell pepper. Bell peppers can be 3 inches wide and 4 inches long and have 3 to 4 lobes and blocky appearance. The vegetable grows in warm climates with day temperatures of 75 ° F to 85 ° F and night temperatures of 15 ° F to 20 ° F. However, bell peppers are sensitive to extreme temperatures such as 100 ° F and have a rapid decrease in germination at 68 ° F . The bell pepper is harvested green before maturing to a different color. However, some fresh markets sell bell peppers that have been ripened red before harvest.
Red peppers have higher amounts of beta-carotene, thus are more nutrient dense than their green counterparts. In addition, red peppers are high in vitamin C and have a fair amount of vitamin E. These vitamins and other nutrients have been shown to prevent heart disease, stroke, some cancers and cataracts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information per 1 large yellow pepper: calories: 50, carbohydrates: 12 g, proteins: 2 g, fat: 0 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, fiber: 2 g, sodium: 4 mg, potassium: 394 mg, vitamin A: 45 RE, vitamin C: 341 mg