*Sweet peppers are a cultivar group of Capsicum annuum.

*There plants produce different colors of sweet peppers – red, green, yellow, orange, and rarely purple. They add color, tangy taste and a crunchy texture to hteprepared dishes.

*These are not as pungent as hot chillies or peppers and are also known as bell peppers, capsicum, or just peppers.

*Red bell peppers are the fully ripened peppers. They are sweeter than the unripe green peppers.

*Freeze-dried red sweet peppers have a lighter weight, and keep well indefinitely.

*These need to be rehydrated for 15-20 minutes before cooking. On rehydration, the weight and volume increases 2.5 to 3 times their dry weight.

*They can also be added to soups, stews, etc.

*These are excellent as emergency foods, and widely used in army, military, hiking, etc.

*Rehydrated red sweet peppers may not be as crunchy as the fresh ones, but cooked rehydrated green sweet peppers taste almost similar to their cooked fresh counterparts.

*Buying and storage: Select good quality dried or freeze-dried chopped red peppers. They keep very well for several months to several years when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. No need to refrigerate or add oxygen absorbers to the storage container.

Is it raw?

Yes and No.
*Yes, generally dried or freeze-dried green red peppers are raw.
*No, because sometimes commercially dried or freeze-dried red sweet peppers are sulphured. Make sure you read the label.

Health Benefits

1. Dehydrated red sweet peppers are low in calories, fat, sodium, and absolutely no cholesterol.

2. Excellent source of Vitamin C, a natural water soluble antioxidant. It enhances the body's immune system, increases the elasticity of skin and blood vessels, and prevents bruising of the skin.

3. Excellent source of beta-carotenes, the precursors of Vitamin A and also powerful antioxidants.

4. Beta-carotenes act as powerful antioxidants and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancer, enhance the vision, especially night vision, reduce the risk of cataract formation and macular degeneration in the elderly.

5. Regular consumption of sweet peppers also reduces the risk of inflammatory diseases like arthritis, and lung cancer.

6. Red sweet peppers are one of the few foods that contain lycopene, a carotenoid that has antioxidant properties. Regular consumption of lycopene rich foods like tomatoes and red sweet peppers reduce the risk of various types of cancers like prostate, breast, cervix, bladder and pancreas.

7. Good sources of Vitamin B6 and folic acid, which are very important in reducing the risk of diabetic heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolemia, heart attack, etc by reducing the homocysteine levels in the blood.

8. They are low in sodium and have good amounts of potassium, and so help to maintain blood pressure and reduce water retention. Good amounts of potassium is also important for active muscles and nerves.

9. Very good source of manganese, which is an essential cofactor in many enzymatic reactions in the body, especially in the production of energy and antioxidants defenses.

10. Good source of copper, which reduces the risk of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, enhances the activity of enzymes that are needed to maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, ligaments and joints.