The Perks of Peppers: Color, Heat, and a Whole Lot of Vitamin C

Gentle Reader, I've definitely got a lot growing on my porch. Front and back, you know how it is.

I hit up the end of the year giveaway with the SFCC Horticulture Club and got quite a few little plants. And of course we went and checked out plants from other bigger box stores. And I think I got these from Moore's.

Like their fellow nightshade cousins, (the potato and tomato) sweet peppers thrive in the garden once the threat of frost has Snagglepussed.

via GIPHY

Get it? The frost is gone, it exited stage... sorry. Anyway.

Turns out, peppers aren't that hard to grow, and are totally good for you. Location? Full sun. Diet? Fertile, well-drained loam. These little guys are hungry, too.

Good news: Peppers bloom all season long, and if the weather holds, you might even have a few hanging on at first frost. Plus, bugs usually leave them alone —possibly because they’re not sweet like strawberries… or maybe they’re just too spicy for insect palates.

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Got no garden space? No problem! Peppers are compact enough to thrive in containers. I know! Look!  I managed to do it myself, even.

And speaking of nutrition: Sweet peppers are seriously underrated. Just 100 grams (about 3½ ounces) packs 97% of your daily vitamin C. That’s more than oranges. (But no, sweet pepper juice is not trending yet, and yes, that’s probably for the best.)

They’re also loaded with lycopene, plus vitamins A and E. Red peppers, in particular, bring the heat—well, metaphorically. They have seven times the lycopene of their green counterparts. You can read about that here.

What's growing in your garden?  Are you having any luck in particular?

Pepperily Yours,
Behka