Red bell pepper

Halve it lengthways and remove the seeds and white ribs. Roast cut-side down at 220 °C for 20–30 minutes, until the skin is blistered and blackened; cover briefly, then peel if you want it silky.

Yes. Rinse it, pull out the stalk and scrape away the seeds and pale ribs if you prefer a sweeter, less bitter crunch; the seeds are edible but often discarded for their texture.

Keep it whole and dry in the fridge’s vegetable drawer, where it should stay crisp for about a week. Once cut, seal it in a container and use it within a few days.

It is a classic in Spanish romesco sauce, Hungarian lecsó and French ratatouille. Dice it into salads or fajitas, or roast it and blend with nuts, garlic and olive oil for a dip.

Yes: remove the seeds and ribs, slice or dice it, and freeze the pieces in a single layer before packing them into a bag. Use them straight from frozen in soups, stews and stir-fries; thawed pepper is softer, so it is less suited to salads.

A red bell pepper is a green one left to ripen on the plant, so it is generally sweeter and softer. Green bell pepper has 32 kcal per 100 g, compared with 32 kcal per 100 g for red bell pepper.

Choose one that feels heavy for its size, with taut, glossy skin and a firm green stalk. Avoid peppers with soft patches, wrinkles or damp spots.

No: red bell pepper is a sweet pepper, not a chilli, and it does not have the chilli’s burning heat. The word “pepper” is used for both, but they are different kinds of pepper.