Bell pepper, is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum
annuum. Cultivars of the plant produce
fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green,
chocolate/brown, vanilla/white, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped
with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers."
Bell Pepper Coloring: Most often bell peppers are green, yellow, orange, and red
(between stages of ripening). More rarely, color can be brown, white, lavender
and dark purple, depending on the variety of pepper. Most typically, unripe fruit
are green or, less commonly, pale yellow or purple. Red bell peppers are simply
ripened green peppers, although the Permagreen variety maintains its green
color even when fully ripe. Green peppers are less sweet and slightly more
bitter than yellow or orange peppers, with red bell peppers being the sweetest.
The taste of ripe peppers can also vary with growing conditions and
post-harvest storage treatment; the sweetest fruit are allowed to ripen fully
on the plant in full sunshine, while fruit harvested green and after-ripened in
storage are less sweet.
Nutritional Value: Capsicum peppers are rich sources of antioxidants and
vitamin C. Compared to green peppers, red peppers have more vitamins and
nutrients.[2] The level of carotene, like lycopene, is nine times higher in red
peppers. Red peppers have twice the vitamin C content of green peppers. Red and
green bell peppers are high in para-coumaric acid.  
 
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