Description
Enjoy the crisp, sweet flavour of our red peppers, perfect for snacking, adding to salads, stir-fries, roasting, or enhancing your favourite dishes with a pop of colour and taste. Available in our Local Farm Shop in Bellaghy, Mid Ulster Area.
🌶️ Red pepper refers to a variety of peppers from the Capsicum genus, known for their vibrant color and diverse flavor profiles. Here’s a breakdown of what makes them so special:
🧬 Types & Characteristics
- Red Bell Pepper: Sweet, crisp, and mild with no heat. It’s the fully ripened version of the green bell pepper.
- Red Chili Pepper: Spicy and pungent, often used in dried or powdered form (like cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes).
- Fresno, Serrano, and Cayenne: These are smaller, hotter red peppers used to add heat and flavor to dishes.
🍽️ Flavor & Culinary Uses
- Sweet red peppers: Used in salads, stir-fries, stuffed dishes, and roasted vegetable medleys.
- Hot red peppers: Found in spice blends, sauces, pickles, and cuisines like Mexican, Indian, Thai, and Szechuan.
- Versatile forms: Fresh, dried, powdered, flaked, or made into pastes and oils.
🩺 Health Benefits
- Rich in vitamin C (up to 159% of daily value per half cup) and vitamin A
- Contains antioxidants like beta-carotene and capsaicin (in hot varieties), which may:
- Boost immunity
- Support eye and skin health
- Reduce inflammation
- Aid metabolism and digestion
🌱 Origins & Cultivation
- Native to Central and South America, domesticated over 7,500 years ago
- Grown globally in warm, sunny climates with well-drained soil
- Bell peppers are technically fruits, though commonly treated as vegetables in cooking