# Peppers help please?



## kezlehan (Jun 8, 2012)

Ok so I regularly buy these frozen peppers from my nearest supermarket
Tesco Sliced Mixed Peppers 500G - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

I want to use them in a cold salad, i.e. just let them thaw in the fridge and then eat them in the salad. However, it says do not eat raw. 

Should I just do it anyway? I don't understand how a raw pepper can be dangerous. Could it be something to do with a chemical they are frozen with?

Thought I'd ask for any suggestions before I go ahead and eat them defrosted but not cooked.

Peppers are so expensive here these days, and when I'm cooking for one, it makes sense to buy the frozen bags in bulk...

Thanks


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## CraigC (Jun 8, 2012)

They seem to be just yellow, red and green bells. I have no clue why they can't be eaten raw. If they come from China, that would give me pause about eating them raw or cooked.


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## Andy M. (Jun 8, 2012)

If the package tells you that, I would not ignore it.


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## Dawgluver (Jun 8, 2012)

Could it be that freezing changes the texture, as such, they'd be mushy eaten in salad, and better for cooking?  Maybe that's why the package says what it does, not necessarily that it's dangerous.


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## kezlehan (Jun 8, 2012)

I'm not sure. Usually I boil them and add them to casseroles/stews/salads. But I miss the crunch of a raw pepper.
I can't see how they could cause any harm? They're meant to be boiled before eating, but I don't understand how just thawing them in the fridge could be dangerous?


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## Dawgluver (Jun 8, 2012)

Me either.  You may need to rinse them.


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## Andy M. (Jun 8, 2012)

Perhaps the packager is acknowledging there is a contamination possibility without actually saying so.


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## Dawgluver (Jun 8, 2012)

Geez, I just read the Tesco page: Warning, do not eat raw.  Apparently they're serious!  Huh.


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## GotGarlic (Jun 8, 2012)

kezlehan said:


> Peppers are so expensive here these days, and when I'm cooking for one, it makes sense to buy the frozen bags in bulk...
> 
> Thanks



I tend to agree that defrosted peppers will be somewhat mushy and that's probably why they say not to eat them raw. An alternative would be for you to buy fresh peppers when you want the crunch, then either slice and freeze or roast and freeze any leftovers. I'd spread the sliced peppers on a baking sheet for freezing, to prevent them from sticking together in a big clump.


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## Andy M. (Jun 8, 2012)

Now I'm curious.  I'll have to check our local brand of frozen pepper strips to see if they have the same caveat.


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## taxlady (Jun 8, 2012)

I know I'm echoing other posters, but my thought was that the texture would be mushy and they might not be as clean as they should be for eating raw. Peppers are one of very few fruits/vegis that don't need to be parblanched before freezing.


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## Hoot (Jun 8, 2012)

Perhaps you could call one of the phone numbers on this page
Contact Us - Tesco.com
and ask about it.
I would call but I ain't sure how to go about making an international phone call.


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## CraigC (Jun 8, 2012)

Hoot said:


> Perhaps you could call one of the phone numbers on this page
> Contact Us - Tesco.com
> and ask about it.
> I would call but I ain't sure how to go about making an international phone call.


 
You dial 011, then the country code (UK is 44 I believe) and then the number!


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## taxlady (Jun 8, 2012)

CraigC said:


> You dial 011, then the country code (UK is 44 I believe) and then the number!


That is correct from the US or Canada. You can call for free or cheap, from Gmail.


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## Hoot (Jun 8, 2012)

Perhaps tomorrow.....As near as I can figure, it is after midnight in the UK now.


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## GLC (Jun 8, 2012)

Many Tesco frozen products carry the same "Do Not Eat Raw" warning. Many have wondered about it, but no one has claimed to know the true reason. It appears on both vegetable dishes and meat dishes. 

There are two possibilities that make sense. One is that Tesco has no faith in their sources and suspect the products can be grossly contaminated, perhaps with things like raw human sewage being used as fertilizer. But I think it unlikely that a corporation would continue to labor under that kind of problem without developing new sources.  

I think it more likely that they have become super conservative in the face of things like the e-coli sprout debacle and other episodes. Their reasoning may be that there is always a possibility of contamination, no matter how careful they are. And they've decided to cover their exposure by instructing users to cook everything. They extend the statement on their beef mince to point out that there is some risk if not thoroughly cooked. 

Just corporate paranoia, I suspect. And it's unlikely that many of their customer buy their frozen products just to thaw them and eat them raw.


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## FrankZ (Jun 9, 2012)

CraigC said:


> You dial 011, then the country code (UK is 44 I believe) and then the number!



Yes.. but you have to drop the leading 0 on the number when you do this.


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## Steve Kroll (Jun 9, 2012)

Maybe this is the reason. Just a thought.

flandersnews.be: Mice in frozen veg


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## kezlehan (Jun 9, 2012)

Wow didn't expect so many replies, thanks everyone.

I think you're right and it's just the company covering their back in case of any incidents.

However I might try and get round to calling them and asking today, as I really am intrigued.

If I find out anything I'll be sure to let you all know, and if anyone finds out anything more, please share.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jun 9, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Maybe this is the reason. Just a thought.
> 
> flandersnews.be: Mice in frozen veg


 
It doesn't specify if the mice are alive or if they, too, are frozen.

I buy frozen julienned bell peppers all the time, both the national brands and the store brand, but I've nevere found a prize in any of the bags. 

I buy them specifically for cooking. If I want raw bell pepper, I buy them fresh, julienne them, slice and/or dice the portion I want raw, and toss the rest into the bag with the peppers I bought frozen.

I'm a pepper, he's a pepper, she's a pepper, they're a pepper, wouldn't you like to be a pepper too?


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## CraigC (Jun 9, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Maybe this is the reason. Just a thought.
> 
> flandersnews.be: Mice in frozen veg


 
I doubt that! I have frozen rats in our freezer and they never bother the frozen vegis!


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## Bigjim68 (Jun 9, 2012)

It someone wants to sell me a product processed by them that I know in its original form is safe, I would not want to eat the product either cooked or raw.  

You might have better luck emailing the source instead of a calling.  In addition to the difference in cost, my experience with calling is that the service is not always that good.


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