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While there are a few basics you must know in the kitchen, preparing fruit and vegetables is arguably the most important. Green peppers are a delicious and valuable vegetable that you can use in almost any meal from various cuisines and cultures. If you want to cut a bell pepper but do not know how you have come to the right place. You will quickly learn how to cut green peppers—no sweat!
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What Are Bell Peppers?
Bell peppers, also known as sweet peppers, are technically a fruit that can come in 3 different colors such as green, red, and orange. While it is classified as a fruit, a berry to be more precise, the bell pepper has a culinary definition of being a vegetable and is used as such in a lot of recipes.
Bell peppers are also used to make paprika as it is just dehydrated bell peppers and some spices added together. You will find bell peppers in a lot of different recipes from all around the globe as they are so versatile and can be used in any dish. On top of this, they are also tasty and healthy which makes them a great addition to anyone’s dietary routine.
Bell peppers are shaped somewhat like a sphere but have a few more curves and bumps. Despite their wonky shape, the inside of the pepper is quite easy to hollow out and the bell peppers can be used as a bowl to stuff other food inside. This is commonly done with ingredients such as chili, mozzarella, and rice.
How To Cut Bell Peppers
Do not let the complex shape of a bell pepper put you off, they are incredibly easy to cut and can be cut in many different ways depending on how you intend to use them and how you want them prepared. Although you may be intimidated at first, you will soon realize how easy it is to cut up these vitamin C-rich peppers and chop them into whatever pieces you want.
Before cutting any bell peppers, you will want to make sure you have the correct equipment for this. While that may seem like overkill for a simple task, it is best to be prepared. Firstly you will need a cutting board that has ample room around it so that you do not feel cramped while cutting.
Secondly, you will want a very sharp knife. When cutting fruit and vegetables you come across a lot of skin that can be tough or difficult for a knife to get a grip on. This is why people slip and cut themselves as they apply too much pressure to a knife that is not gripping anything and they end up slipping. This can be avoided if you invest in a sharp knife such as a chef’s knife or a small paring knife. Either will work as long as they are sharp.
Preparing Bell Peppers
Before you even start to cut bell peppers, you need to make sure they are properly prepared. This is more about ensuring that they are ready for being used in food. Firstly, you will want to check your peppers all over to see if there are any blemishes or any damage to the skin.
If there is nothing wrong with the pepper, you will want to wash it. This will wash away all of the bacteria that are sticking to the exterior of the pepper. A thorough rinse underwater will do the trick and clean the pepper of all bacteria. It is possible for there to be bacteria inside the pepper if there is damage on the outside. Although, this can be countered by washing your pepper again after you have cut it and it is ready to be used in a recipe.
After washing your peppers, the only thing left to do is dry them. This can be done with a paper towel as they just need to be patted dry so that they do not slip while you are trying to cut them.
Slicing Bell Peppers
Slicing bell peppers is incredibly easy and will leave you with lots of uniform slices of bell pepper ready to be used however you wish to use them.
To begin, you will want to cut off the top and bottom of the pepper. Only the first 1/4 inch as you do not want to waste too much of the flesh. Once both of these sides are cut off and the inside of the pepper is exposed, you can cut out the core and stem and also remove all of the seeds. This can be done by cutting the bits of pulp that connect the middle bit to the outer shell of the pepper.
Once you have cut all four bits of the pepper to remove the entirety of the middle, you can cut your pepper in half vertically. To do this, it is best to lay it on one of the flat edges that were cut into it so that it does not slip while you are trying to cut it.
After you have halved your pepper, you will want to lay the pepper halves on a cutting board with the bell pepper skin side facing down. This is because the flesh on the inside is a lot easier to cut with a sharp knife than the skin is. This will make it easier and safer for you.
Here you will want to start cutting thin strips of bell pepper to your thickness of choosing. These can then be added to any meal you want to add them to.
Diced Bell Peppers
If you are looking to add green bell peppers to your dish without the crunchy texture that thin strips of the vegetable will have, then you will want to dice them. Diced bell pepper is very easy to add to any dish as it cooks quickly and will impart its flavor without the very noticeable texture alongside it.
To dice your bell peppers, you will want to follow the same instructions as before. This includes removing the core and all remaining seeds. Once you have cut your pepper into thin slices, you will be ready to start dicing them. Dicing is thinly slicing something in two different directions to cut it into very small pieces.
To effectively do this, cut your pepper halves into thin slices and then rotate them by 90 degrees. It is important to try and allow your slices to remain in the same shape that the pepper half was before you cut it. After turning them 90 degrees, thinly slice the pieces again in the same direction so that it creates a grid pattern with your other slices.
This will give you very uniform and small pieces of bell pepper that you can use to flavor a chili or any dish of your choosing.
Tips For Cutting Bell Peppers
When it comes to bell peppers, the texture is everything. They taste amazing no matter how they are cooked. However, the texture can either match the dish or completely ruin it. This should be taken into account when cutting your bell peppers.
For dishes where you want the flavor of the bell pepper but not the texture, you will either want to dice it or thinly slice it. The pepper will cook quicker the thinner it is, so thin slices will be ideal for something like a fajita where you want all the ingredients to cook quickly.
On the other hand, in a dish where you want the crunch of bell pepper, it is a lot better to cut them into chunks or pieces rather than slices. This will improve their texture a lot and make them crunchier and more noticeable.
If you are wanting to learn other and more complex ways of preparing bell peppers, try coring them without removing the bottom. If you can successfully remove the core, pulp, and remaining seeds then you can fill your bell pepper with anything you want and have a healthy and delicious twist on any meal.
Is It Important To Learn How To Cut Bell Peppers?
While the bell pepper may not be a vegetable you intend to use all the time, learning how to cut and prepare one can be extremely helpful. All vegetables that require cutting will have the same movements and techniques needed so it is good to try and get as much experience as possible.
If you cut bell peppers into slices, you easily practice the skill of thinly slicing things. The more often you do this, the better you will get at it. It requires practice and a lot of patience but learning how to prepare and cut any vegetable will be worth your time in the long run.
