Here’s Why Bell Peppers Have Different Colors

Bell peppers come in different colors, and each color is sold at a different price. The most common colors are green, red, orange, and yellow with green bell peppers being the least expensive of the bunch, and red bell peppers being the most expensive.

Yellow and orange bell peppers are intermediates when it comes to price but can cost as much or more than reds sometimes.

These peppers all have the same basic shape and a similar flavor, but what exactly makes them so different? Keep reading to find out.

Why do bell peppers come in different colors?

Sometimes, what causes color differences in bell peppers is their degree of ripeness and this is associated with the duration of the plant's maturation.

This means that the color can represent how ripe a bell pepper is. This can be observed in green bell peppers growing on the vine. They start out green then as time passes, their mature red color forms.

In some other cases, it all depends on the variety of the bell pepper. Some types change from green to yellow or orange in maturity while others stay green the whole time they're attached to the vine.

How color affects the nutritional value of bell peppers?

Color affects the nutrient value of bell peppers, this is true. Consider an unripened (green) vs. a fully ripe (red) pepper.

Green bell peppers are known to offer the lowest nutritional value because they’ve had less time to grow. This is most likely why green bell peppers cost less than the other color options.

Despite that, green bell peppers are still very nutritious and are said to contain large amounts of vitamin C. 

Red bell peppers (or other fully ripened colors) have spent more time growing so their nutritional value is relatively higher.

How does color affect the taste of bell peppers?

Like most edible fruits, how bell pepper tastes changes significantly depending on how ripe it is.  Green bell peppers give off a bright, and slightly bitter flavor compared to mature pepper colors. This flavor changes as the pepper grows riper.