Sweet, mild or hot, red, yellow or green, all peppers are members of the capsicum family. The heat of chili peppers comes from capsaicin found in the seeds and veins of hot peppers but not in their walls. Sweet peppers are the most widely available and green bell peppers are the most widely grown in Hawaii.

When green bell peppers are allowed to ripen on the vine, they become red bell peppers, usually sweet in flavor and favored for their bright color. They’re attractive to birds, too, so farmers here rarely try to produce red bells.

Bell-shaped peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C and A as well as small amounts of calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Buy those with shiny skins that are richly colored and heavy for their size. Use them raw in salads, saute them with onions, use them in stir-fry dishes or stuff them with meat and grain mixtures. Roasted sweet peppers, skins removed, are terrific when marinated in olive oil with slivers of fresh garlic and anchovies.

To roast a sweet pepper: Heat broiler. Place peppers on a baking sheet and place under the broiler, close to the broiler unit. When the pepper is blackened on one side, turn it to another side, repeating until all sides of the pepper are blackened. Remove from the broiler and transfer to a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow peppers to cool, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cut peppers in half and remove the stem and seeds. Peel away the skin and cut peppers into wide or narrow strips, depending on the preparation.

———

Hawaii food writer Joan Namkoong offers a weekly tidbit on fresh seasonal products, many of them locally grown. Look for "Fresh Tips" every Wednesday in the Star-Advertiser.