Depending on the pepper, there may be quite a bit of flesh remaining attached to the stem, which can be cut free and chopped if desired. Alternatively, the point of a sharp paring or similar knife can be inserted between the stem and the shoulder. Then rotate the pepper in one hand while holding the knife firmly in the other. The stem should come away cleanly.
When using hot peppers, don’t touch your eyes or other sensitive areas until you’ve washed your hands thoroughly, preferably in an acidic solution (a little vinegar or lemon juice does the trick). Wearing gloves may be wise with very hot peppers.
Peeling peppers makes them more delicate to bite and flavor. The skins are somewhat bitter, especially with green peppers, as well as being tough to chew.
Most of the seeds and veins will have been removed in step 2, but there will likely be some still stuck here and there. If you’re not looking for perfectly clean julienne or dice, you may be able to skip this step.
This method is faster than the previous one, but it’s also less delicate. You can’t get the peel off fully, for one thing. In addition, this method will tend to break the flesh here and there a little bit.
