Bell peppers (also known as sweet peppers) are a food with high nutritional value and are good for your health. This type of pepper has different colors such as green, red, yellow, orange... When buying bell peppers, you will see the pepper divided into segments, with the bottom like a fan. Some fruits will have 3 grooves, some will have 4 grooves.

The difference between 3-slotted and 4-slotted bell peppers

Bell peppers with 3 small grooves at the bottom are considered male bell peppers. Meanwhile, bell peppers with 4 grooves forming a cross shape at the bottom are female bell peppers.

Bell peppers are considered firm, have a stronger flavor, are more pungent and are not as sweet as female bell peppers. Normally, male bell peppers should be used for stir-fried and grilled dishes.

Female bell peppers are sweeter and less pungent, so they can be eaten raw, made into salads, and juiced for drinking.

To choose delicious bell peppers, in addition to paying attention to the groove at the bottom of the fruit, pay attention to the following.

- The stem of the pepper must be fresh and firmly attached to the fruit. Withered or easily falling stems are signs that the peppers have been picked for a long time and are no longer fresh.

- Moderate size, not too big or too small. A bell pepper that fits in the palm of your hand is fine.

- Choose peppers with smooth, taut skin. Do not choose peppers that are soft, mushy, or have bruises or cracks on the skin.

How to preserve bell peppers

After buying fresh and delicious bell peppers, you can process them into attractive dishes for your family. If you do not use them all and want to preserve them for later use, follow these steps.

Put the bell peppers (no need to wash) in a zip bag or a lidded box and store them in the fruit compartment of the refrigerator. It is best to use the bell peppers within 5 days to ensure freshness.

When storing bell peppers, you should not store this fruit in airtight and humid places because the peppers will quickly spoil and lose nutrients.