How to Freeze Peppers – 2 Methods

Whether you’re overwhelmed during a great harvest, found an awesome deal at the farmer’s market, or if you’re like me, trying to save those last few peppers before they waste away in the fridge, freezing is a quick way to preserve your extra produce.

Here are my 2 favorite methods to preserve peppers:

• Freezing Chopped Peppers
• Freezing Sliced Peppers

Process #1: How to Freeze Chopped Peppers

What You’ll Need:

• Peppers (any type – they all freeze about the same)
• Cutting board and knife
• Food-grade gloves if you’re handling hot peppers
• 1-2 ice cube trays
• Plastic wrap
• Freezer food storage container of your choice

Steps to Process Chopped Peppers

1. Select only ripe fruits (yes, peppers are fruits!) Discard any rotting, moldy or otherwise damaged fruits.

2. Rinse and dry the peppers.

3. Cut and chop the peppers into desired size, discarding seeds and inner membranes. I prefer finely chopped by hand for hot peppers and coarsely chopped for sweet peppers. Consider how you regularly use peppers in a recipe. Using a food processor makes them too watery for how I like to cook with them, but many people prefer that method.

4. Spoon chopped peppers into ice cube tray compartments.

5. Gently pour cool water over the tray(s) to create “pepper cubes.” Cover with plastic wrap.

6. Freeze 24-48 hours.

7. Remove pepper cubes from tray and store in a freezer bag or other freezer storage container. Make sure to label with type of pepper and date processed.

Process #2: How to Freeze Sliced Peppers

What You’ll Need:

• Sweet peppers for slicing (Bell peppers are my favorite) red, yellow, orange or green as you desire. Even the mini-peppers from the grocery stores work well for this method!
• Cutting board and knife
• Baking/cookie sheet and parchment paper
• Freezer food storage container of your choice

Steps to Process Your Peppers

Select ripe fruits, discarding any rotting or molding fruits. You can cut around and discard minor damages.

Cut and slice the peppers into desired size, discarding seeds and inner membranes.

Lay out slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (This keeps them from freezing together in one big ice block.)

Place in freezer for 24-48 hours.

Once frozen, remove pepper slices from baking sheet and place in a freezer container. Make sure to label type of pepper and date processed.

How to Cook with Frozen Peppers

• Frozen peppers are best used in cooked recipes. I cook chopped peppers in recipes such as chili, stews, Sloppy Joes, canning stewed tomatoes, and tomato-based sauces. I use sliced peppers for stir-fries.
• Drop pepper cubes directly into your recipes.
• Pepper slices can be tossed into stir-fries just like regular peppers. No need to thaw, they just take an extra minute or so to cook.
• Traditional ice cube trays hold about 1/8^th cup per cubicle.

Tips for Freezing Peppers

• Some people recommend blanching peppers for 1-2 minutes, but I’ve never found it necessary to creating great results in my cooked meals.
• Make sure to wear food-grade plastic gloves when processing those hot and spicy peppers!
• Peppers will last up to about 6 months in the freezer. After that, they are more prone to freezer burn and a greater loss of nutrients.
• Make sure to use freezer-grade plastic bags or containers. This will keep the food fresher and retain more nutrients. Squeeze as much air out of the bags as possible, or top off chopped peppers with water to prevent freezer burn.
• Vacuum-sealing will increase the time you can store peppers in the freezer without damage.
• This is a great time to save seeds for next year’s garden! Pepper seeds germinate quite easily, especially those you’ve grown yourself. Dry them on a paper towel for up to a week, then transfer to an envelope to save for the next season. Make sure to label and date the envelope.

And that, my friend, are my two simple ways to preserve peppers for quick cooking.

Enjoy the harvest!

Alisa

PS: If you’d like to learn how I freeze tomatoes read my post: How to Freeze Tomatoes for Canning.