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How to Chop a Pepper

Posted on September 16th, 2009 by Elaine
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Bell peppers add color, crunch and a delicious and tangy flavor to various dishes, including soups, casseroles and salads. Most professional cooks know how to prepare and chop these yummy veggies without much difficulty, but for an amateur in the kitchen, it can be quite a challenge and a mess. If you want to learn how to chop a pepper properly, here’s a quick guide to help you out.

What You’ll Need:

  • Red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers
  • Sharp knife
  • Chopping board

First Method

This method is ideal if you’re in a hurry and you want this task to be finished quickly.

  1. Wash the peppers. You never know where these veggies came from. Put them under running water for a few seconds, rubbing the skin and making sure all dirt and grime are removed. Dry them thoroughly. You should wash your hands, too.

    2. chopping pepper

  2. Put one bell pepper on your chopping board on its side. Using a sharp knife, cut the bell pepper lengthwise in the middle.
  3. Use your fingers to pull out the stem and the seed clumps from each of the pepper’s half, breaking it away at the pepper’s top.
  4. The white ribs on the pepper’s inside are bitter, so you need to remove them. You can cut or pull them out. Brush and remove the leftover seeds.
  5. Throw away the ribs, seeds and the stem.
  6. Put one pepper half on the board, with its open side facing upwards, and the shiny and smooth side facing downwards. This makes the cutting easier. Cut it half lengthwise, into quarters. Repeat with the other half.
  7. Work on one red pepper quarter at a time. Slightly press down each quarter using your hand, so it will be flattened and easier to cut.
  8. Cut the pepper quarters into lengthwise strips, if you need large strips for the recipe. If it calls for chopped pieces, lay a couple or three strips together then cut crosswise, making square pieces.

Second Method

If you’re not in much of a hurry or if you don’t want to spray the seeds and the ribs all over the place, this method might be more suitable for you.

  1. Wash and dry the bell pepper thoroughly.
  2. Get one, and set it on the chopping board, upside down, its stem touching the board’s surface.
  3. Put your knife at the center of the pepper, then angle it towards the outside. Moving in a slow and steady downward motion, fillet the edges of the pepper leaving the seeds and the stem inside.
  4. Turn the pepper and do the same to another side, starting again at the center. You can make at least three fillets.
  5. At the final side, hold the pepper down at its stem, so it won’t slip while you cut it. Move the knife carefully downwards, making sure you don’t wound yourself.
  6. Cut the pepper fillets into strips, then chop them in smaller pieces.

Some Tips:

  • Bell peppers have a tangy smell that can stick to your skin after chopping them. Wash your hands thoroughly after chopping, to remove the smell.
  • Always use a sharp knife when chopping onions. A blunt one will slip against the smooth surface and you might end up hurting yourself.
  • Leftover chopped pepper can be placed in the freezer and used later.

Give any a delightful by adding bell peppers. As long as you stick with these methods, you’ll be chopping these veggies up in a breeze.

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