They start out green and ripen to red, orange, and yellow. Bell Peppers are produced on approximately 23,000 acres in Florida, with most of the production in the Southern counties of Collier, Eastern Palm Beach, Henry, Lee, Manatee and Hillsborough. Practically all of the bell peppers produced in the winter come from Florida. May. Some counties in Central Florida produce a fall crop, while counties in North Florida harvest in late May and June. Many of the same counties producing bell pepper also have a significant acreage of hot pepper and other specialty peppers.
Peppers are available in the supermarket year round.
Chile Peppers are rarely eaten in large enough quantities to constitute a serving. It is interesting to note that red peppers are considerably higher in vitamins C and A, than green peppers. Choose peppers that are fresh, firm, thick-fleshed, bright and glossy. Avoid those that are limp, shriveled or that have soft or bruised spots. Store Sweet Peppers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator up to a week.