It can be tedious to strip bell peppers of their central core and many stubborn, sticky seeds. To core and seed bell peppers seamlessly, all you need is your thumb.

This way, you can strategically dislodge the core and push it into the bell pepper itself. Start by picking up the pepper and placing your thumbs on the stem bed at the top center.

If your pepper has a long stem, feel free to cut it shorter. Push with your thumbs, using enough force that the core pops out and drops down into the pepper's hollow interior.

At this point, you can either reach in and pull out the stem and core with your fingers, or you can pull outward with your thumbs, tearing the bell pepper right in half.

If you choose the latter option, just shake the half with the core and seeds over the trash can. This hack also helps you save more of the good, usable bell pepper flesh.