Peppers (Capsicum)

WOULDN’T YOU RATHER EAT A PEPPER TOO?

Did you know … red and green bell peppers are one and the same? A red bell is a riper version of the green but has twice as much vitamin C and eleven times more beta-carotene!

What’s the Story?

The Capsicum umbrella of peppers includes varieties from the sweet bell (red, yellow, green and purple) to hot chilli peppers. There are several varieties of chilli peppers and each differs in flavour and heat intensity. The pain caused by the heat of the pepper is actually a group of phytochemicals called capsaicinoids, which act on pain receptors in the mouth and throat. Capsaicin is the primary capsaicinoid and can be found in varying degrees throughout the pepper. William Scoville, a chemist, developed a heat-ranking scale based on the amount of capsaicin a pepper has. Bell peppers rank a zero (no capsaicin) while the habanero varieties may go well beyond 350,000! In general, larger chillies are milder because they contain fewer seeds and white membrane (the hottest part of the chilli) in proportion to their size. Most pepper varieties can be found dried, tinned or fresh.

A Serving of Food Lore …

Peppers have been traced back 6,000 years in Central and South America. Columbus brought pepper seeds back to Spain in 1493.

Where Are Peppers Grown?

China, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Nigeria and Mexico are the main producers of bell peppers. India, Mexico, Indonesia, China and Korea are the leading hot pepper producers.

Why Should I Eat Peppers?

Peppers are rich in vitamin C and a good source of beta-carotene and B vitamins. They also contain flavonoids and capsaicinoids, inflammation-reducing phytochemicals.

Home Remedies

Heat up cold feet with a pinch of cayenne pepper in each sock. (Can you smell what the sock’s got cookin’?) You’d think the last thing you might want to swallow is hot peppers when you have a sore throat, but because of its anti-inflammatory effects, cayenne pepper may be soothing instead.

Throw Me a Lifesaver!

SKIN CANCER: There appear to be other capsaicinoids beyond hot capsaicin that have health benefits. A mouse study showed that capsiates in sweet pepper induced cell death (apoptosis) in skin cancer cells.

PROSTATE CANCER: Capsaicin, found in red peppers, had an antiproliferative effect on both androgen-positive and -negative prostate cancer cells when fed to mice with prostate cancer.

ARTHRITIS: A task force found that out of seventeen evaluated treatment types for hand arthritis, only six of them were supported by research evidence. The use of topical capsaicin (a phytochemical in hot pepper) cream was one of them.

Tips on Using Peppers

SELECTION AND STORAGE:

• Bell peppers come in a variety of colours.

• Choose peppers with tight skin and that are firm to the touch.

• Store unwashed bell peppers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for about a week. Sweet peppers can be frozen without being blanched.

• Green bell peppers will stay fresh a little longer than the yellow and red ones.

PREPARATION AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Cut top off of peppers and remove seeds.

• Grill peppers until skin becomes blackened. Place peppers in a sealable bag for 15 minutes to allow them to steam. Remove pepper from bag and scrape the skin off. Remove stem and core, and remove seed from pepper.

• Add a dash of cayenne pepper to your favourite sauce or side dish to spice it up!

• Grilled sweet bell peppers are delicious on sandwiches.

• Chop up a little jalapeño or serrano pepper and add it to chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic and green pepper for a tasty salsa cruda.

Red Pepper Hummus on Zahtar Whole-Wheat Pita

by Dave Grotto

Servings: 8 • Prep and cooking time: 15 minutes

Zahtar is a Middle Eastern seasoning consisting of sesame seeds, sumac and thyme. It is easy to make but much easier to buy at a specialty store. This recipe contains five powerhouse foods.

HUMMUS INGREDIENTS:

1 tin chickpeas, drained

2½floz/75ml sesame tahini

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 large roasted red pepper

ZAHTAR PITA INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons zahtar

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 whole-wheat pitas

DIRECTIONS:

Roast red pepper over open flame until charred. Remove black skin. Core and remove seeds. Slice into medium pieces. Combine red pepper and all other ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy. Set aside. Brush olive oil on pita bread. Sprinkle zahtar seasoning liberally over pita. Toast until browned. Cut into triangles and serve with hummus.

BREAK IT DOWN …

Calories: 210; Total fat: 11g; Saturated fat: 1.5g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 90mg; Total carbs: 22g; Fibre: 5g; Sugar: 1g; Protein: 7g.