Demand for fresh peppers at grocery retail is surging, driven by consumers’ interest in foods that are healthy, convenient and versatile to cook with.

Earlier this year, NatureSweet introduced its newest pepper product, Constellation Sweet and Seedless Mini Peppers.

The peppers are a colorful and crunchy medley that are “revolutionizing the world of healthy snacks,” according to Jenny Halpin, NatureSweet’s senior corporate external communications manager.

The new pack features red, yellow and orange mini peppers.

Halpin said they’re perfect for snacking and grilling and they complement meals and salads beautifully.

They have a level of sweetness that’s much higher than the average mini sweet pepper, she added, and the fact there are no seeds make them the perfect, convenient, grab-and-go snack that’s more portable than a standard sweet pepper.

“Consumers are describing them as sweet and light-tasting, the perfect balance of taste and texture, and more importantly, there are no seeds,” Halpin said. “Much like seedless grapes and seedless watermelons, seedless mini peppers are becoming the norm in the peppers category.”

NatureSweet is already expanding its initial distribution with Costco and other top retailers, she added.

“Consumers are craving convenience, but they don’t want to sacrifice on taste. Constellation Sweet & Seedless Mini Peppers offer both to consumers. No wasting time having to clean the seeds out of every little pepper, just dip, eat, and repeat.”

New from Lipman Family Farms are Crinkle Sweets, a long, sweet pepper variety which have gotten customers’ and consumers’ attention for their unique crinkled appearance and their exceptional sweetness, said the company’s Elyse Lipman.

Winner of a Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institute of Brussels, Crinkle Sweets have high brix levels and are ideal, Lipman said, for enhancing various culinary dishes, whether grilled, roasted, stuffed, or used in barbecuing.

“Their thinner flesh allows for a more concentrated flavor, making them a versatile and delicious addition to any meal.”

From bulk to packaged

In addition to the new Constellation product, NatureSweet also markets a full line of bell peppers and organic mini sweet peppers.

One notable evolution in the fresh pepper market in recent years has been a shift from bulk to packaged product, Halpin said.

The increase in e-commerce and grocery pickup and delivery has played a big role, she added, in a surge in demand for packaged NatureSweet product.

NatureSweet prides itself on its packaging innovations, Halpin said.

“When we developed our iconic 10-ounce clamshell many years ago, we encouraged consumers to trust us that their snacking tomatoes were ripe, delicious, and perfect, since the fruit couldn’t be touched, squeezed or smelled in its enclosed container.”

That bet definitely paid off, she said. Consumers also love NatureSweet’s fun, seasonal packaging, like its 10-ounce Dia de Muertos pack and its fall, winter, and spring medleys.

“We plan to infuse some of that fun into our mini sweet pepper packaging, too. We unveiled our ‘Eat Your Sweets’ campaign this year, which is encouraging consumers to incorporate NatureSweet tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers into their daily meals, and snacks.”

Closely related to the trend toward packaged peppers, Halpin added, is strong demand for convenience in general. NatureSweet’s 16-ounce Conventional Mini Sweet Peppers, for instance, are the perfect grab-and-go healthy snack, Halpin said.

“Consumers love them and they’ve quickly become the No. 1 fastest-growing sweet pepper in the country.”

Snacking peppers lead the pepper category in sales, and NatureSweet data shows that consumers prefer seedless sweet peppers.