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Berries are a great refreshment in summer and so healthy – if they are not contaminated with pesticide residues. Unfortunately, the colorful minis regularly exceed the maximum residue levels of pesticides that are set for them. However, the berries are not alone in this, as the current shopping basket monitoring shows.

Shopping cart monitoring from 2014

The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has now published the current report of the “National Report on Pesticide Residues in Food 2014”. From this, it can be seen, among other things, that the quota for exceeding the maximum content of pesticide residues in German products has risen slightly to 1.9 percent.

Exceeding the limit values ​​detected

However, there are differences in the foods affected, as the BVL President Dr. Helmut Tschiersky explains: “While there have been hardly any or no limit value violations for some crops such as asparagus, headed cabbage, and pears for years, other crops such as soft fruit or peppers can always be found in the list of crops with the most exceedances.”

In 2014 blackberries, with an exceedance rate of 10.8 percent, and raspberries, with a rate of 6.5 percent, were particularly negative when it came to exceeding the maximum values ​​for pesticide residues. The berries are closely followed by mangoes (8.3 percent exceeding), tea (7.0 percent exceeding), and kale (6.5 percent exceeding).

A wide variety of pesticide residues were also found in the otherwise rather inconspicuous pumpkin (5.2 percent exceedances) as part of the shopping basket monitoring in 2014. Kiwis were just as conspicuous, with 2.2 percent exceeding the limit value. “Solutions have to be found for these crops that can reduce the burden,” says Tschiersky.

Contamination of food

In 2014, around 19,500 food samples were examined for pesticide residues in the laboratories for the purpose of shopping basket monitoring, and more than 5.8 million analysis results were generated.

Conspicuous foods from the previous year’s investigations are examined more frequently and with a larger number of samples in the following. As a result, the find of pesticide residues is disproportionately large. The average contamination of products with too high a residue level is therefore significantly lower.

Peppers are very high in vitamin C. This turns the dish into a real Vitamin-c-rich lunch that the whole family will enjoy, especially for the cold season. It’s quick to prepare and finishes baking alone in the oven. A quick dish that is easy to prep and then finishes quickly in the oven.

Ingredients for 4 persons

– 4 peppers
– a bit of salt
– 125 ml milk
– 1 bag of mashed potatoes
– 1 onion
– 3 tomatoes
– 1 tbsp. oil
– 300 g mixed minced meat
– 200 g spread (paprika) e.g. B. from fracture
– 2 tablespoons tomato paste
– 250 ml vegetable broth
– Fresh herbs for decoration

Preparation

  1. Cut off the top of each pepper. Then clean the peppers (remove white skin and seeds) and wash.
  2. For the filling, 375 ml of water are boiled with a little salt. Then remove from the stove and pour in the milk. Then stir in the mashed potatoes with a whisk. Let the mashed potatoes swell a bit.
  3. In the meantime, peel the onion and cut it into fine cubes. Clean the tomatoes and cut them into wedges.
  4. Now heat a pan with some oil and sauté the onion and minced meat. Then season with salt. Then add the tomatoes, fry the whole thing briefly and stir in the spread.
  5. Then this mixture is mixed with the finished mashed potatoes and the peppers are filled with it.
  6. For the sauce, mix the tomato paste with the broth and pour into a casserole dish. Then the peppers are placed in the casserole dish.
  7. The whole thing is baked in a preheated oven at 200 degrees top and bottom heat or 175 degrees circulating air for about 20 minutes.
  8. Finally, garnish with fresh, chopped herbs and serve.

Refinement

If necessary, grated cheese can be sprinkled over the peppers, which then gives the whole thing a grand finale.

Useful additional knowledge

It takes about 30 minutes to prepare and the dish is easy to prepare even for beginners.

Stuffed peppers are a hearty dish that is quick and easy to prepare. Without much preparation and even with little cooking knowledge, this meal can easily be cooked for more guests.

The filling of minced meat and rice is made in just a few minutes and then stuffed peppers then simmer on the stove almost by themselves. An inexpensive dish with a hearty filling and a creamy, tomato sauce.

Stuffed peppers are quick and easy to prepare, even if you cook them for a large number of guests or store them in the freezer. The recipe is intended for 4 people and the preparation time is about 1 hour, but this is primarily the cooking time, where you don’t even have to stir the pot constantly.

Ingredients for 4 persons

– 4 large peppers
– 2 tomatoes
– 300g mixed minced meat
– 1 cooking bag of long grain rice
– 1/2 tube of tomato paste
– 1 carrot
– 1 egg
– 1 pinch of salt
– some pepper
– 2 tsp paprika powder, sweet
– 1/2 tsp medium-hot mustard
– cornstarch or flour (type 405)
– Water

Preparation of the stuffed peppers

  1. Wash the peppers and then cut around the stalk with a sharp kitchen knife or paring knife so that the whole stalk with the seeds can be pulled out.
  2. If there are any fiber residues or seeds left, they can be scraped out with a teaspoon. Rinse the inside of the peppers and set them aside.
  3. Peel the carrot, wash and cut into thin slices.
  4. In a bowl, mix the mince with the egg, salt, pepper, mustard, and rice.
  5. Everything must be kneaded well so that the filling is nice and flavorful.
  6. Then stuff the peppers by hand, but do not stuff too tightly so that the pod does not burst.
  7. Finally, put half a tomato on top of the filling and put all the peppers and the sliced ​​carrot in a saucepan.
  8. Cover the pods with water and crumble any remaining filling into small pieces and add to the pot, bring everything to a boil.
  9. Then turn the temperature down to medium and add the salt, pepper, and paprika powder to the cooking water and stir in carefully.
  10. Now add the tomato paste and mix it with the liquid in the pot. Then put a lid on the pot and let it simmer at medium temperature – about 40 minutes.
  11. In between, maybe check whether the peppers are still covered with liquid – otherwise top up with water.
  12. When the cooking time is up, mix cornstarch (or flour) with cold water in a cup (about half a coffee cup), pour this carefully into the pot, and at the same time mix the surface of the sauce with the sauce in the pot using a whisk or mixing spoon so that no lumps form.
  13. Then carefully stir everything again and boil until the sauce has the preferred consistency. The added rice keeps the filling fluffy and the tomato paste and carrot sauce taste fruity.

Useful additional knowledge about peppers

If you like, you can also add a bouillon cube or finely chopped soup vegetables to the sauce and cook them, which gives an aromatic aftertaste. It is nice that this dish is also suitable for the production of many portions – as long as you have a large pot. It is also extremely suitable as a supply for the freezer, after defrosting it either carefully heat it up in a saucepan at a low temperature or heat it up in the microwave. The stuffed peppers go well with rice or fresh bread.

Stuffed peppers are a typical Hungarian specialty that children also love to eat. This main course is also great when you are expecting guests, as everything can be pre-prepared.

Ingredients for the pepper filling

  • 4- 5 Hungarian peppers (long, light yellow)
  • 500g mixed minced meat
  • 1 egg
  • 100g rice
  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • some oil
  • Salt
  • pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

Ingredients for the sauce

  • 1 l pureed tomatoes (can)
  • 1 half red onion
  • 1 l meat stock (bouillon cube)
  • 1 walnut-sized piece of celery
  • Salt
  • pepper
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp flour

Preparation of the stuffed peppers

  1. Cook the rice according to the instructions until almost done and then leave to cool.
  2. Sauté the finely chopped onion in a little oil until soft, add the pressed garlic and continue to sauté for a minute while stirring. Then remove it from the stove.
  3. In a bowl, mix the raw ground beef with the cooked rice, onion, and a whole egg, and season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. The mass must be kneaded thoroughly until it is completely homogeneous.
  4. The peppers are then washed, cut off at the top, and carefully cored (you should also remove the tendons).
    For the sauce, dilute the tomato puree with the meat stock in a large saucepan with a lid, and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  5. After adding an onion (whole), a bay leaf, and a piece of celery, the sauce is brought to a boil.
  6. In the meantime, the cleaned peppers are filled with the meat-rice mixture (easiest with a teaspoon). The filling should not be pressed too tightly, otherwise, the peppers may burst during cooking. If there is any filling left, you can form meatballs out of it with wet hands.
  7. When the tomato sauce is boiling, carefully place the stuffed peppers in the sauce and cook over medium-high heat for about half an hour (the sauce should always be slightly simmering).
  8. To check if the filling is done, remove one pepper and cut it in half on a plate.
  9. Set the cooked peppers aside on a plate and remove the whole onion, bay leaf, and celery from the pot.
  10. For the roux, heat 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp flour in a small saucepan until the flour gets a light color. Then remove the pot from the stove and add a little cold water while stirring constantly until a viscous mass is formed. Add a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce to this before mixing it with the rest of the sauce in the large pot and cooking for about 10 minutes at a low temperature until it has thickened. Stir occasionally.
  11. Finally, the peppers are put back into the sauce, seasoned if necessary, and the dish is served with mashed potatoes or jacket potatoes.

Useful additional knowledge

A little sugar makes the tomato sauce sweeter.
Children often prefer the filling without the peppers, so you can ball more ground beef mixture.
As a vegetarian variant, you can also mix steamed mushrooms with boiled rice for the filling instead of minced meat.

For many recipes you have to skin peppers – but this is often harder than you think. We will show you various methods that are guaranteed to work.

Skinning the peppers: How to prepare the pods

You can use skinned peppers in a variety of ways in the kitchen: raw they go well in salads, cooked or roasted they can be pureed very well and made into a pesto or soup. And pickled peppers are also delicious.

It is best to use organic paprika. In summer you can get them from the region or you can grow them yourself. Regardless of which method you choose to use to skin the peppers, first prepare them as follows:
Wash or trim the peppers.
Remove the core casing.
Quarter or third the pods.
Depending on what you want to use the skinned peppers for, you can now use one of the following four skinning methods.

Method 1: Scald the peppers.

If you plan to use the pods in a sauce or soup, this is a good way to skin the peppers. Here’s how you do it:
Place the quartered peppers in a saucepan.
Pour boiling water over them and let them simmer briefly. It’s best to heat the water in a kettle, it’s quick and saves energy.
Rinse the peppers with cold water.
Now you can peel off the skin of the peppers with a knife.

Method 2: Roast the peppers in the oven

If you roast the peppers in the oven, you can not only skin them very easily afterwards – they also get a great roasted aroma that goes well with antipasti, for example. How it works:
Set the oven to a high temperature (at least 200 degrees).
Place the quartered peppers, skin side down, on a baking sheet. Line this with parchment paper beforehand. Now brush the pods with oil.
Slide the baking sheet onto the top shelf in the oven and turn on the grill function, if available.
After about 10 to 15 minutes, the skins of the peppers will be dark and blistered. Turn off the oven, cover the peppers with a damp cloth and let them cool.
Now you can easily remove the skin from the peppers.
Roasting the peppers in the oven is more energy intensive than the other skinning methods. You should only use them if you have enough peppers to fill a baking sheet. It is also important that you push the tray to the top level in the oven and switch on the top heat or preferably the grill function. You can also save energy by not preheating.

Method 3: Cook peppers in the microwave

You can also cook peppers in the microwave. Whether you save energy compared to the oven is questionable, but heating is faster:
Wrap the quartered pods in baking paper.
Place them in the microwave and heat on high for 5 to 7 minutes.
Let the peppers cool down a bit and then peel off the skin.

Method 4: Peel the peppers with a vegetable peeler

If you want raw skinned peppers, you can try peeling the skin off with a vegetable peeler or paring knife. This is not easy – it works best when the peppers are still fresh and firm. Depending on the shape of the peppers, it may be easier to peel the pod whole or quarter it first.

But keep in mind that most of the vitamins are hidden under the skin and only skin the peppers if it is absolutely necessary for the recipe and the taste.

Paprika tastes good and contains few calories. But their ingredients also make the vegetables extremely healthy. Here you can find out which healthy nutrients are in sweet peppers.

The slightly sweet sweet pepper belongs to the nightshade family of plants. It is closely related to chilli and pepperoni varieties – and extremely healthy.

In the hot variants of the plant family, the sharpener capsaicin is included. There are very similar substances in the sweet paprika. These do not taste spicy, but have a similarly positive effect on our health.

The advantage of sweet peppers over their hot relatives is that you can eat them in much larger quantities. We can also absorb more capsaicinoids and vitamins through them.

Healthy peppers: positive effects on digestion

Peppers are about 90 percent water. Depending on the color, a pod only has between 20 and 40 calories. The green vegetables are at an earlier stage of maturity than, for example, the red or yellow peppers. It therefore has fewer calories, but also contains fewer vitamins.

Paprika can have a positive effect on digestion:
A study suggests that sweet peppers have similar fat-burning properties as their hot relatives. The pod is said to help with weight loss. It also increases energy consumption and fuels fat burning.
Because of its high fiber content, peppers are also good for digestion and at the same time make you feel full.
Because the glucose-fructose ratio is almost balanced, the peppers can also be eaten by people who suffer from fructose intolerance.
If you still cannot tolerate peppers, you can try peeling them before eating. Some people do not tolerate the peel because pollutants can settle in the peel. These then cause digestive problems such as heartburn.

Vitamins and nutrients in peppers

In addition to the capsaicinoids, there are many other vitamins and nutrients in a pepper:
Vitamin A is good for the eyes. Peppers are therefore just as recommended as carrots as carriers of eye vitamins. Vitamin A also binds so-called “free radicals” that attack the skin. Thus, the vitamin should be able to counteract skin aging and (in the long term) cancer.
Beta carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body.
Vitamin B6 strengthens our immune and nervous systems and supports metabolic processes.
Vitamin C strengthens our immune system and is said to prevent cataracts. Oranges and lemons contain only a third of the vitamin C found in red bell peppers.
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is involved in blood formation and the production of endorphins.
Like vitamin A, vitamin E counteracts free radicals and aging processes.
Iron is responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood.
Potassium can lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. The mineral is also important for our muscles – a deficiency can lead to cramps.
Magnesium strengthens muscles, nerves and metabolism.
Copper contributes to blood formation.
As you can see, peppers are very healthy thanks to their diverse ingredients. They are often also referred to as medicinal plants – definitely a reason to include the vegetables more often in the diet.

Peppers are a low-calorie snack. However, not every color has the same calories. You can easily tell how many calories the peppers have by their color. We present the different colors and their calories, carbohydrates, their nutrients, and suitable recipe ideas.

When they hear the word paprika, most people think of the large sweet peppers. However, the paprika genus, also called Capsicum, is a fruit. It also includes hot peppers and chili peppers, which, unlike sweet peppers, are hot. Sweet peppers come in the colors green, yellow, orange, and red. We show you the differences in the color of sweet peppers and how they differ in terms of their nutritional values.

Sweet peppers as a healthy snack

The bell-shaped sweet peppers are the only ones of their kind that do not contain the pungent substance capsaicin. Thus are rather mild. In addition, with a water content of 87%, they are very refreshing and a low-calorie snack, especially in summer. They also contain a lot of vitamin C and potassium. Peppers belong to the nightshade family and come in the common colors green, yellow, orange, and red.

But what is the difference between the different colors? The colors indicate the different stages of ripeness of sweet pepper. Sweet pepper is green at first, then turns yellow and goes from orange to red. Therefore, the green peppers are actually still unripe fruits and only the red peppers are fully ripe, which is why the sugar content differs.

Unripe, low-calorie peppers

However, unripe green peppers are safe to eat. Compared to the other colors, these contain the fewest calories with only 21 kcal per 100 grams and very few carbohydrates with only 2.8 grams of sugar per 100 grams. This makes them a good low-carb snack or a crunchy diet snack. However, they also contain significantly less vitamin C than the other varieties. On the other hand, green peppers have more iron than red peppers, for example, and fiber, which stimulates digestion.

Their taste is often slightly sour to bitter but contains a green freshness. They taste particularly good in combination with tomatoes and are suitable as a pizza topping or pasta. They generally taste good in Asian dishes and are a good balance to sweeter vegetables in cooked dishes due to the light, tart note. Also, note our tips for cooking vegetables and getting vitamins.

Yellow peppers have good nutritional values

The yellow ones are a little riper than the green ones. They have a much sweeter taste and are very fresh and juicy. Yellow peppers have a high percentage of juice. So you can juice them well or make smoothies out of them. They have about 37 calories and 5.3 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. They also contain significantly more vitamin C than the green version. Since only a few vegetables are yellow, they are a sunny eye-catcher and bring color and variety to every dish.

Yellow peppers are particularly good at handling heat, making them a good oven or grilled vegetable. But they can also be steamed well and are suitable for stuffed peppers with minced meat and potatoes. In addition, these are particularly popular with children and are good raw food. However, caution is advised, because due to the skin of the peppers, not everyone can tolerate them raw. Our tip: For people who love raw peppers: Cut a few yellow peppers into strips and dip them in hummus as a snack or just nibble on them.

There are also orange peppers

If you leave yellow peppers for a while, they turn orange. Compared to yellow peppers, they contain more carotenoids, which are responsible for the color. The green variant, on the other hand, does not contain any. Carotenoids are good for brain function. And the orange variant tastes a little sweeter than the “yellow siblings”.

With 30 kcal and 4.5 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams, they have slightly fewer calories than yellow peppers. They can be used to prepare good sauces and dressings or salsas. Their taste goes especially well with green vegetables. They are ideal for salads but also a good raw food snack. They also taste great as stuffed peppers.

Tasty red with lots of calories and vitamins

The red pepper is fully ripe and tastes the fruitiest and sweetest. Only it contains about 140 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams. A heat-resistant carotenoid called lycopene, which is good for the heart and circulation and is one of the antioxidants, is responsible for the red color. Lycopene is a radical scavenger, which means that red peppers can be helpful in preventing cancer.

They also have significantly more vitamin A and zinc than the other colors. In addition, they are easy to insert or buy already inserted. But you can also puree them well and make hot sauces out of them, e.g. Ayvar. They are also often eaten dried. The classic, however, remains Hungarian-style stuffed peppers.

But they are also very heat resistant, which makes them good for grilling, roasting, baking in the oven, or stewing. The red ones are the most versatile of the peppers, as they are a good raw food in salads, but can also be used in dressings and sauces. The only downside: they are a bit more expensive and, at 67 calories and 6.4 grams of carbohydrates, have significantly more calories than the other colors. However, they are still a generally low-calorie and healthy snack compared to other alternatives. Nibble on red peppers is still better than a bag of chips. A delicious dish should not do without the red variant.

Planting peppers works in the garden and even on the balcony. Here you can find out how you can plant peppers yourself and what you have to pay attention to.

The pepper originally comes from Central and South America. But you can also plant peppers with us. The vegetables just need a lot of heat and light. With the right care and a few tricks, you can also grow them in your own garden or on the balcony.

Plant peppers – the cultivation

You should not sow pepper seeds directly outdoors. You make it easier for the little plants if you prefer them in the greenhouse or on the windowsill from the end of February:
To do this, plant the pepper seeds evenly in potting soil and only lightly cover them with another layer of soil.
You can cover the seed pots with a transparent hood to germinate.
Prick out the young plants as soon as they develop the first leaves. Transplanting means transplanting dense seedlings to give them more space.
If no more frost is to be expected, the pepper plants can move outside from mid-May. To do this, you only put them outside during the day for a while – a little longer every day. This is how you make the temperature change as comfortable as possible for them.

The right location for the pepper plants

Location: The right location is essential for the growth of your peppers. Peppers are very sensitive to cold and need a warm, wind-protected place with plenty of light and direct sunlight. Whether in the garden or on the balcony – a wind-protected south wall is ideal. The warmer the location where you plant your peppers, the faster they will ripen.

Soil: Use sandy, loose and nutrient-rich soil. Feel free to add compost too. This saves you additional fertilizer in the first few weeks. When the first peppers appear on your plants, you should fertilize again. To do this, you use a potassium-rich homemade fertilizer for plants. You can also make nettle manure as an additional fertilizer.

Cultivation: Be careful not to place the young plants too close together. Adult pepper plants need a distance of at least 50 centimeters from each other so that the leaves and fruit can develop unhindered.

Tip: Plant peppers as a mixed culture with tomatoes or cucumbers. All three types of vegetables love warmth and need a lot of water. Plant different plants at a sufficient distance from each other or use separate containers. So you always have fresh ingredients in late summer – for example for a delicious salad.

Plant and care for peppers

With your mature plants, you should pay attention to a few things so that the peppers grow quickly:

Watering: Peppers need a lot of water. You should water the plants twice a day, especially in sunny locations. Make sure, however, that no waterlogging forms and that you do not water in direct sunlight. Morning and evening are good times. You will give your pepper plants a special treat if you water them with collected rainwater or other stagnant water.
Support: Stabilize tall peppers with sticks, such as those made of bamboo. Tie the stems loosely to the support. This will ensure that the twigs with the fruit cannot snap.

Harvest your own peppers

Depending on the variety, your pepper plants will reward you with colorful pods between July and October. During the ripening process, the fruit changes from green to yellow to red.

You can use the young, green fruits as paprika.
Red, fully ripe fruits taste the sweetest.
Tip: Don’t just pick your fruit, it’s better to use a sharp knife to harvest it.

Overwinter peppers

Most pepper varieties are perennial. In the second year after you planted the peppers, your harvest is often even better than the year before. You should cut back your plants for the winter. To do this, trim the twigs at each branch above the first knot. Also rid them of dead leaves.

Now the peppers can reduce their energy and sprout fresh in the spring. Place the plant in a bright room with an average temperature of 10 degrees Celsius during the cold winter months. Water the dormant plant twice a week and be sure not to let it dry out. You can then plant them out again in the spring.

To keep peppers fresh and crisp for a long time, you can freeze the delicious vegetables. Here we explain what you should pay attention to and how to do it without plastic.

Freezing peppers: how it works

Whether as a side dish in a pasta sauce or as a healthy snack in between: paprika can be used in many ways. However, you should use up the crunchy vegetables within a few days. If you want to store peppers longer, you can freeze them.

Prep: Unlike other vegetables, you don’t need to blanch peppers beforehand. You don’t have to skin the peppers either.

This is how easy it is to freeze peppers:

Wash the peppers thoroughly.
Cut them into smaller pieces. For example, you can cut the peppers lengthwise into thin strips and then dice them further.
Put the chunks of pepper in a small tin and store them in the freezer.

Alternatives to plastic

Freezing peppers or other vegetables in plastic bags is often recommended. However, we recommend avoiding plastic as far as possible. There are some greener alternatives to plastic freezer bags:

You can use lunch boxes made of wood or glass several times.
Stainless steel cans are also suitable for freezing vegetables.
You can also freeze peppers in glasses (e.g. washed jam jars).
You can even freeze peppers in cotton or jute bags. You should first pat them as dry as possible with a kitchen towel.
By the way: A great alternative to freezing is to soak peppers in oil or vinegar. This way the vegetables will last longer.

 

Let’s talk about bell pepper, its benefits, dietary properties, how much pepper you can eat per day and how to save it for the winter.

  1. Thanks to the large amount of B vitamins, it serves as a natural antidepressant, relieves stress, helps to get rid of insomnia and normalizes the nervous system.
  2. It contains the hormone of joy – just like chocolate. Only unlike chocolate, pepper will not add extra inches to your waist.
  3. Pepper improves memory.
  4. The pepper will help improve the condition of hair, skin and teeth.
  5. It thins the blood and prevents blood clots.
  6. It improves immunity due to the large amount of vitamin C – especially high in yellow bell peppers.
  7. It contains a lot of fiber, which removes toxins, toxins and bad cholesterol from the body.
  8. Yellow pepper contains a lot of potassium and iron, which are necessary for good heart function, and it also improves blood composition.
  9. Peppers are high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, making them ideal for dieters. There are even diets based on this vegetable that help you quickly shed those extra pounds. However, it is worth remembering that before any diet, it is imperative to consult a doctor so as not to harm the body.
  10. By the way, remember: many vitamins in pepper are fat-soluble, which means that the body simply cannot absorb them. If you are making a salad with fresh peppers, season it with vegetable oil.
  11. The most useful pepper is seasonally ripe. It can be saved for the winter by freezing in bags. Keep in mind that re-freezing destroys nutrients, so it’s best to freeze it in batches.