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Don't be discouraged by its crazy shape—a bell pepper can be tamed just like any other vegetable.

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  Step 1: Wash & dry

  Wash and dry the bell pepper.

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  Step 2: Position pepper

  In the center of the cutting board, lay the pepper on its side with the stem facing your knife-wielding hand.

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  Step 3: Grasp knife

  Grasp the knife in your dominant hand, holding the handle close to the blade with three fingers: your middle, ring, and pinkie. Curl your forefinger around one side of the blade while holding your thumb on the opposite side.

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  Step 4: Cut off top

  Cut off the top of the bell pepper just below the curve under the stem, exposing the ribs and seeds inside the pepper.

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  Step 5: Pop out stem

  Pop the stem out of this top portion and discard it. Set the leftover pepper aside to be cut up later.

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  Step 6: Slice off other end

  Slice off the other end off the pepper, just below where it curves, and set it aside too.

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  Step 7: Slice vertically

  Set the pepper upright on one end and use the tip of your blade to make one vertical slice on the side closest to you to open the pepper. Make sure not to cut the pepper in half—just slice through one side.

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  Step 8: Remove insides

  Turn the pepper on its side and cut along the inside, removing the seeds and thin whitish ribs, also called ‘membranes’.

• Tip

  If the ribs do not come out easily, use a pairing knife to remove them.

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  Step 9: Flatten pepper

  Flatten the now-clean pepper, skin-side down, onto the cutting board, or cut it into two more manageable sections. You now have a clean slate of pepper—slice it any way you want!

• Fact

  Red bell peppers are just green bell peppers that have stayed longer on the vine—they also boast much more beta-carotene than their green siblings.