Sweet pepper

Halve them lengthways and remove the seeds and white ribs. Roast cut-side down at 220 °C for about 25–30 minutes, until the skins are blistered; cover briefly after roasting so the skins loosen for peeling.

Yes: slice the crisp flesh into salads, sandwiches or strips for dipping. The seeds are edible but often removed because they can taste bitter and add little to the dish.

Keep them unwashed in the fridge’s vegetable drawer, where they usually stay crisp for about a week. Once cut, seal the pieces in a container and use them within a few days.

They are a classic base for ratatouille and work well in shakshuka, fajitas and stuffed peppers. For stuffed peppers, blanch the hollowed peppers for 3–4 minutes before filling so they soften evenly in the oven.

Yes. Remove the seeds and ribs, slice or dice the flesh, then freeze it in a single layer before transferring it to a sealed bag. Use it straight from frozen in soups, stews and stir-fries; thawed pepper will be softer, so it is less suited to salads.

You can, especially in cooked dishes, but pimento is generally smaller and softer, with a more pronounced sweet flavour. Per 100 g, pimento has 23 kcal and 1.9 g of fibre, compared with 30 kcal and 1.5 g of fibre in sweet pepper.

A medium pepper, about 120–150 g once the stem and seeds are removed, is a practical portion. It provides 30 kcal per 100 g.

No: sweet pepper is a mild form of Capsicum, while chilli peppers contain capsaicin, which gives them heat. Both are botanically fruits, although cooks use them as vegetables.