Why do red/yellow peppers cost so much?

Many people who have only eaten green bell peppers (probably because they are cheaper), think that all bell peppers taste alike. I was pleasantly surprised when I took my first bite of a red bell pepper. They are so sweet that my daughter enjoys eating them raw. I like all bell peppers and choose mine according to what I am cooking. I prefer green peppers for certain dishes because they aren't as mild as the others and impart a little more flavor.

The various colored Bell Peppers all come from the same plant, but differ in their level of maturity:

Green bell peppers are harvested before they are fully ripe, one reason they are less expensive than other varieties. Also, the grower has to maintain the other varieties longer until harvest, and those costs are passed on to the consumer. Green bell peppers will continue to first turn yellow, then red if left on the plant to mature. They have a slightly bitter flavor and will never have the sweet taste of their red, yellow and orange counterparts.

More mature than green bell peppers, yellow and orange peppers have a fruity taste but are not always as commonly found in local markets as green and red bell peppers.

Red Bell Peppers are more mature than green, orange or yellow bell peppers. They are rich in carotenoid phytonutrients and contain almost eleven times more beta-carotene than green bell peppers as well as one and a half times more vitamin C. Red Bell Peppers have a sweet, almost fruity taste. Pimento and paprika are both prepared from red bell peppers.

Red Bell Pepper Price

I have grown a garden for many years. This is one thing that I take into consideration every year... what costs more to buy? I always plant red and yellow bell peppers. As the previous answers said, I can just pick it still green if I want a green pepper, but I like the flavor and looks of the red and yellows and they cost more. Also, instead of planting yellow onions which are very inexpensive to buy, I will plant red onions and shallots. I consider this with every thing I plant. I also grow a lot of herbs because they are outrageously expensive when you see how easy most are to grow.

Green, yellow and red peppers... are all the same pepper! It's all about ripeness and green peppers are picked before fully ripening. Because most American consumers could care less what color their peppers are, the peppers are picked while green which is cheaper since there is a shorter growing season for them. Green peppers also have a much longer shelf life than the red, yellow and orange peppers.

Unfortunately, for those of us who enjoy our food, we know that yellow and red peppers taste considerably better than the green ones... which I find to be tough, bitter and astringent.

It's worth paying the premium, and this time of year there are only a few areas that can even grow them. Most are likely imported at this point. But domestic when you can - they're usually uglier but taste the same.

Price Of Bell Peppers

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RE:

Why do red/yellow peppers cost so much?

They can't be that much more difficult to grow than Green peppers!

Green Peppers are harvested much sooner...before they turn orange, yellow or red. Green peppers are just immature peppers. The longer it takes for the peppers to change color, the more it costs the farmer. The cost is passed onto the consumer.

The green pepper is harvested before completely ripening. The reason for the price difference between colored and green peppers is the amount of spoilage that occurs as you allow peppers to ripen. Ripened peppers have a very short shelf life compared to green.

They stay on the vine longer