There are two types of capsicum you may come across: chilli peppers, which are generally finger-shaped and produce a hot flavour; and bell peppers, which are sweet and crunchy to eat. They can both be grown in the same way.

Collect the seeds from a fruit and leave them to dry for a few days. Then, plant the seeds on top of a pot of compost, covering them with a thin layer of the material. Water well. Pepper plants

are best grown indoors in warm, sunny conditions. It can take three months before they flower and produce fruit.

Capsicums and chillies contain different amounts of a chemical called capsaicin— this is what can make them taste hot in our mouths.

Source: Local Safari, The Jane Goodall Institute Australia, 2020, page 120.

(Copyright: Australian Science Teachers Association 2021, except where indicated otherwise. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International licence.)