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Bell
pepper - a powerhouse of nutrients(Cooking and Storing tips)
With the price
of produce increasing at an alarming rate, it becomes more difficult to
get adequate amounts of fruits and veggies on your table. However,
there are some very pricey produce items which freeze well. Summer is
upon us, with bountiful harvests and lower prices just around the
corner. You can save significant amounts on your food budget when you
stock up on freezable produce in season. If you shop smart, you can
have many produce items stored in your freezer at summer prices, well
into winter. If you plan a garden, be sure you plant bell peppers!
The bell
pepper freezes wonderfully, is a versatile ingredient and is packed
with nutrients. These sweet peppers come in green, yellow, orange and
red, making a colorful addition to many dishes. Here's how to prepare
and freeze bell peppers.
Choose bell
peppers which are blemish free and heavy for their size. Wash them
well. Using a sharp knife, cut off the stem ends, pop the stem out with
your fingers and set aside. Remove the 'choke' containing the seeds and
discard. Quarter the peppers from top to bottom. Cut any white pith
from the inside, as this causes a bitter taste. Slice each quarter into
julienne style lengths. Rinse to remove any remaining seeds.
Separate
portions of your peppers to suit your uses. For example, if you like
gumbo, dice the amounts needed for each gumbo pot and bag in a
sufficient amount of water with a tablespoon of lemon juice. Squeeze
out the air, seal and pop the bag in the freezer. For dishes which call
for julienned lengths, bag them in meal-sized portions, in lemon water,
and freeze. The lemon helps retain that garden-fresh color, while the
water keeps the texture crunchy.
Now, how many
ways can a bell pepper be used? The answer is wonderful. You can slip
these into breakfast, lunch and dinner menus so easily and deliciously,
no one will ever complain, "Not peppers again!"
An assortment
of colorful diced bell peppers are a great addition to an omelet or
strata. Add some cheddar cheese and a little ham and you've got a
Sunday breakfast. Diced bell peppers, onions and diced potatoes make
delicious hash browns.
Julienned
pepper slices make a crunchy statement in a sub sandwich and are great
in a chef's salad.
Dinner ideas
are plentiful. Lightly fry cooked rice. Toss in julienned peppers,
water chestnuts, chunks of chicken, ham or sausage and a couple of
scrambled eggs for a family sized meal of fried rice. Heat bite-sized
pieces of pork or chicken, along with some diced peppers and onions, in
a sweet and sour sauce. Serve over rice. Add to dinner salads,
bruschetta mixtures or veggie medleys as a side dish.
The question
becomes, where can you not use a healthy, colorful bell pepper?
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