Sweet peppers

Choose peppers with glossy, taut skin and a firm feel; avoid soft patches, wrinkles or damp, damaged areas. A heavier pepper often has thicker, juicier flesh.

Roast them whole at 220 °C for 25–30 minutes, turning once or twice, until the skin is blistered and charred in places. Cover them in a bowl for about 10 minutes to steam, then the skin should slip off; remove the stalk and seeds afterwards.

Keep them whole and unwashed in the fridge’s vegetable drawer, and use them before they soften or wrinkle. Once cut, seal them in a container and refrigerate.

Yes. Remove the stalk and seeds, slice or dice the flesh, and freeze it in a sealed bag without blanching. It will soften when thawed, so use it in cooked dishes rather than salads.

They pair well with tomatoes, onions, garlic, aubergines and courgettes. Use them in ratatouille, shakshuka, fajitas or stuffed peppers with rice, beans or minced meat.

Yes: wash the pepper, then slice it for salads or dip. The seeds are not poisonous, but most people remove them along with the pale core because they can be bitter and awkward to eat.

Botanically, a sweet pepper is a fruit because it develops from a flower and contains seeds. In cooking, you’ll usually treat it as a vegetable.