Peppers

Peppers

By Senior Dietetics Students: 

SaRene Brooks and Alyssa Reidhead

Spicy black bean soup is made with a variety of peppers including bell, jalapenos, and anaheim. Locally, peppers can be harvested late summer and early fall. If you have a garden, you may find yourself with an overabundance of peppers and a lack of recipe ideas. 

Here is the link to the Spicy Black Bean Soup Recipe! 

Below are some tips for preserving peppers to use in soups or other dishes throughout the year.

Along with a kick, peppers also contain a variety of nutrients which promote health. Who would have thought something like peppers could be so good for you? Here are a few things found in peppers:

Vitamin C- Peppers are a great source of vitamin C. One bell pepper provides 250% of the recommended daily intake. One cup of bell pepper has more than two times the amount of vitamin C found in a typical orange!

Antioxidants- Peppers have high amount of antioxidants which perform processes to keep the body healthy.

Vitamin A- Vitamin A is important to maintain healthy skin, teeth, and vision. 

Folate- Folate helps tissues grow and cells work. It is important during early pregnancy to prevent Spina Bifida. Folate may also help prevent anemia.       

Peppers come in many varieties which vary in hotness, as you may know. We have all made the mistake of cutting jalapenos without gloves, only to rub your eyes or go to the bathroom! Most of us will only make that mistake once! A Scoville scale is used to measure the amount of spicy in each variety of pepper. Below is a chart listing the varieties to ensure you are purchasing a pepper fit for your recipe.

Just remember to check to Scoville scale so you're not breathing fire!!!