Use it up · Vegetables

Bell peppers

Have extra bell peppers? Here’s how to choose, store and prep bell peppers, plus 36 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Pick glossy, firm peppers that feel heavy for their size. Red and yellow are sweeter than green.

Best season: Summer into fall. Timing varies by region.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: About 1 week
Freezer: 6 to 8 months, sliced (for cooking)

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

🔪 Prepping it

Cut off the top, pull out the core and seeds, and slice into strips or dice.

🌱 Grow it

You can grow your own: peppers. The Food Garden Planner shows how much to plant for your family and when it comes in.

🌱 Plan a garden with it →

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Green bell pepper. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	20 kcal	1%
Protein	0.9 g	2%
Total fat	0.2 g	0%
Saturated fat	0.1 g	0%
Total carbohydrate	4.6 g	2%
Dietary fiber	1.7 g	6%
Total sugars	2.4 g
Sodium	3.0 mg	0%
Calcium	10 mg	1%
Iron	0.3 mg	2%
Potassium	175 mg	4%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 170427 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

36 recipes, the ones that use the most bell peppers first.

With a smaller amount

Sheet-Pan Pizza Night1 hr 10 min · serves 6 · dinner 🧒 kid-friendly

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.