Abstract:To identify pepper varieties suitable for chopped processing, nine cultivars were evaluated by examining quality changes before and after processing. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to screen key quality attributes, and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was applied for comprehensive ranking. Sensory evaluation was further conducted to validate the quality of the resulting chopped products. Significant differences among the nine varieties were found in fruit length, fruit width, pedicel length, flesh thickness, and individual fruit weight. Following chopping, all varieties showed reductions in soluble sugars, protein, capsaicin, cellulose, and protopectin, along with increases in total acid content and softening degree. Notably, the yellow-fruited varieties (24M167 and 24M173) were considerably less stable than their red?fruited counterparts. Based on TOPSIS, the top three varieties by C value were 24M25 (C = 0.498), 24M167 (C = 0.491), and 24M1 (C = 0.467). Sensory scoring ranked the top three as 24M25 (86.7), 24M1 (85.2), and 24M145 (83.2). After excluding the yellow-fruited 24M167 because of its unsatisfactory color stability, 24M25 and 24M1 were selected as the most promising candidates for chopped pepper processing.Together, these findings offer both empirical evidence and a methodological framework for assessing the processing suitability of pepper varieties.