Capsicums are equally known in New Zealand as peppers or sweet peppers. Native to tropical America, they took several centuries to spread to Europe. It is relatively recently, in the past 30 - 40 years, that capsicums have been commonly found in New Zealand.

Capsicums are seed pods and can be red, green, yellow, white, purple, brown and lime green. Green and red peppers grow on the same plant, it's just that a red pepper is a ripe green one. Yellow, orange, white and purple are different varieties and are not simply less ripe forms of red or green. Red and green peppers are by far the most commonly found peppers, although yellow and orange peppers are widely available. White, purple brown and lime green peppers have a more limited supply. Peppers are sweet and juicy with a mild spicy flavour. Being riper, red peppers are sweeter than green peppers. Shape also varies with each variety, from the more commonly found blocky shape to a pointy capsicum. Miniature varieties are sometimes available.

What to look for

Capsicums should be well shaped and have skins which are firm and shiny. Avoid those with soft spots or a shrivelled appearance.

How to keep

Store at 7 - 100ºC with a 90 - 98% relative humidity. Lower temperatures will cause chilling injury.

CONSUMER STORAGE: Refrigerate in your vegetable crisper. At cooler times of the year it is fine to keep capsicums in your fruit bowl.

Nutritional value

All capsicums are rich in vitamin C and â-carotene, they also supply potassium, folate and other B group vitamins. Red peppers have much higher levels of both vitamin C and carotenoids than immature or yellow types. Immature green peppers have higher levels of flavonoids.

How to prepare

You need to remove the seeds and inner membranes. If you want to stuff the capsicum, cut the stem off and remove the seeds from the top, otherwise it's easier to cut the capsicum in half first. If you wish to remove the skins from the peppers, roast, grill or barbecue until the skin blisters and is blackened. Slip the burnt skins off. If they are hard to come off place in plastic bag or covered dish for a few minutes and then they will be easier to slip off.

Ways to eat this vegetable

Peppers are delicious raw or cooked. You can use them raw in a salad, cut them into strips and eat them with dips, or use them as an edible garnish. Roasted peppers are increasingly popular either hot or cold in salads.

When you can get it

You can buy capsicums all year round but their main season is from January until April.


Vegetable information kindly provided by www.vegetables.co.nz