The Bell Pepper Cutting Hack That'll Save You From A Seedy Mess

Bell peppers are the perfect piece of produce: they're sweet and crunchy when eaten raw or can be cooked down in a sauce or on their own for a fragrant, softer bite. Plus, they're loaded with nutrients. But they do have one downside: way too many seeds. If you've ever cut bell peppers on your cutting board before cutting other produce, you've probably been met with a mess of seeds that do nothing but get in the way of everything else you need to slice. Thankfully, there is a quick fix to avoid this problem: push the top of the pepper through to the middle, then break it open and remove it — seeds and all.

The concept is simple and requires no tools other than your hands. With a little force, you can break through the top of the pepper, which takes the stem and all of its seeds and keeps them connected so you can easily remove all the seeds at once.

Whether you're making stuffed peppers or planning to slice or chop them, you need this hack that appears all over social media. It requires nothing more than a bit of force. First, cut off any portion of the stem that's sticking up. Then, place your thumbs on the flat top of the pepper. With gentle force, push the top of the pepper until it breaks, sending it inside the pepper itself.

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Once you've broken through the top, break the pepper open with your hands (this shouldn't require much force, but if needed, you can also use a knife — just don't cut through the center). The opened pepper will expose a ball of seeds connected to its top, so all you have to do is reach in and remove it. Except for a few seeds that may come loose when the pepper is cracked, most will remain in one spot for easy cleanup.

Because seeds are always getting in the way, this isn't the only way to ensure they all stay in one place. Surprisingly, Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay has another trick for getting a pepper's deliciousness without the seedy mess. Just slice off the stem, flip the pepper over, and slice in between each of its grooves. In the end, you slice off every side of the pepper, and the ball of seeds remains intact without ever having to be pushed down.

The trick was first shown on an episode of "Culinary Genius," where Ramsay showed the other chefs how to julienne a pepper properly. But as with plenty of other cooking tips, it later made its way to TikTok. The best way to avoid a seed storm depends on personal preference, but there are a handful of easy solutions for anyone who doesn't want to clean up a mess.