Why is there never a green bell pepper in your multipack of bell peppers?
Multipacks of bell peppers are ideal. Because honestly, when do you ever need just one bell pepper for your recipe? Still, there is something striking about such a multipack. The green bell pepper is never to be found in that pack. Even though they are available loose on the shelf next to it. Why is that?
By the way, I have the idea that green bell peppers used to be included in multipacks. I would buy a pack like that and was always a little conflicted about the green bell pepper. What was I supposed to do with it? Because if you ask me, the yellow, red and orange ones are much tastier.
Bitter (&) sweet
That is precisely the first reason why you almost never find a green bell pepper in your multipack of bell peppers. Red, orange and yellow bell peppers taste much more approachable than green ones. They are much sweeter, while green bell peppers are quite bitter. Green bell peppers are therefore not particularly suitable for eating raw. You are better off frying them. Because red, orange and yellow bell peppers are better for raw applications—such as in salads and as vegetable dippers, for example—producers chose to bundle those colours together.
It’s all about the money
The second reason is more of a financial issue. Green bell peppers are generally 40% cheaper than red, orange and yellow bell peppers. If green bell peppers are in a sealed package with red, orange and yellow bell peppers, customers may feel that they are getting a less attractive deal. So they buy fewer of them, and the store consequently loses money. In the end… It’s all about the money.
More bell pepper facts
Since we are talking about bell peppers: did you know that botanically speaking, a bell pepper is a type of fruit? That is because of the seeds inside the fruit. Culinarily speaking, though, we consider it a vegetable, just like cucumber and tomato. And that story about male and female bell peppers? That’s nonsense. None of it is true. So you can safely leave your vegetable drawer full of bell peppers closed, because nothing exciting is going to happen in there.
Also read:
- You’ve been cutting your bell pepper incorrectly your entire life
- This is why paprika powder doesn’t taste like bell pepper at all
- Recipe: Chiles Rellenos (stuffed peppers/bell peppers) with salsa roja risotto
Source: EatingWell
