Peppers are very varied and they come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, shapes and hotness. Some of the most popular colors include red, green, orange, purple, yellow and chocolate brown. It's important to understand that a green pepper is simply an unripe one. After a while, it will naturally turn red, orange, purple, etc.

They make an excellent addition to meals and they can be grown relatively easily. Many plant growers are passionate about growing peppers but they are still not as popular among gardeners as some other tasty plants.

It's possible to use peppers in many different ways. For example, they are excellent for making veggie dip additions, sauces, salsa, stir-fry as well as a multitude of other tasty additions for your meal. Peppers play an important part of today's kitchen in many people's homes. To make them super-tasty, it's important to know how to care for them and how to store them for future use. Ripe peppers have a distinctive crunch and a beautiful sweetness.

How to Care for Peppers

The first thing to keep in mind is that peppers like when it's fairly hot. They can't set fruit at all when they are located somewhere where it's extremely hot, but they prefer warmer climate. So it's important to plant peppers in a warm area.

When planting, make sure to place them close together. A good distance is an open hand's width apart. Also, it's good to place a few individual book matches in the hole before you plant your peppers. This will make the plant produce well.

In case the fruits get heavy they will often need support. Therefore, you should monitor the plant and provide appropriate support for the peppers if you estimate they'll need it.

In case the frost appears before the crop has matured, it's best to pick the entire plant out of the ground and wash its roots. Hung the plant upside down in a warm place. Finished porches seem to work best in these situations. This will make the fruits ripen. They might be a bit wrinkly but they will still be very tasty.

How to Store Peppers

After you collect the fruits, it's usually advisable to freeze them in order to preserve them for future use. Peppers are very easy to freeze. They don't require any blanching. All you need to do is to cut them into the size of pieces you'd like to use, put them in a plastic bad and store in your freezer. When storing peppers, make sure that the bags lay flat so they can stack nicely in the freezer.

You may use peppers in many different ways. Some people prefer to break off a bunch and toss them into the pan. It's good to fry them with onions. Wait until the oil begins to turn the color of the peppers before you continue with the recipe. This will take about 20 to 30 minutes and it will ensure that the peppers and onions are soft and ready for consummation.

Photo credit: hardworkinghippy