One of the high points of summer occurs when the beautiful elongated Italian peppers arrive. There are so many delicious recipes for peppers spanning the regions, from the grilled and marinated peppers of Sicily to the Bagna Cauda of Piedmont.
We use only red and yellow peppers – green peppers do not have the same sweet flavour. It is really worth seeking out the irregularly shaped, thinner fleshed Italian peppers. The uniform peppers that are grown under glass with their thick flesh and skins have a completely different flavour. The best peppers are those which have ripened in the full heat of the sun.
When choosing peppers, look for a smooth, unblemished and glossy skin, with no soft parts. Any sign of green indicates that the pepper has not yet fully ripened and it may be less sweet. To ripen peppers yourself, leave in a sunny place for a few days. Yellow peppers are the sweetest of all. As peppers cook, they release light, syrupy juices which are delicious and distinctive.
It is essential that the white pith and seeds inside the peppers are removed before eating. If the peppers are being cut, then this is done before cooking. If the peppers are being grilled whole, then this process is done afterwards when the peppers are cool enough to handle. To skin peppers, see here.