What’s in season: Peppers

Vegetables can be a matter of perspective. On the original Iron Chef, not the Alton-Brown-narrated Iron Chef America, fish heads received the biggest accolades from the Japanese judges when it was revealed that they were a secret ingredient.

The ingredient they were least excited about? Bell peppers. The lesson here is that you better learn like to peppers because you could be eating fish heads instead.

Bell peppers come in a wide variety of colors — green, red, yellow, orange, purple, brown and black. Choose peppers with vivid colors that are uniform in texture. Avoid ones with soft spots or bruises and look to see that the stem is still green and not withered. If you’re looking for hot or chile peppers, you want one with a shiny and firm skin. Smooth, straight sides will be easier to peel if you’re roasting them. 

Peppers will keep about a week in your vegetable crisper or a Ziploc bag inside the fridge. As long as they’re not soft, you’re fine. If you’re only using half a pepper, start from the bottom, not the top. It will retain moisture longer.