Freezing Peppers? Help!

[sherry7]

I treat my peppers just like y'all are describing, but I'll add one detail: they don't have all that long a lifespan, so don't go overboard. They go downhill after maybe three months in the freezer.

I agree with the shorter time frame, if you're using a regular freezer bag. However, I have used my Food Saver on frozen diced peppers before. I recently found a bag in the freezer that were over 18 months old, and they were still perfect.

I wash the whole pepper, dry with a kitchen towel, de-seed it, dice, and then freeze in a Food Saver bag.

 

[marthachick]

Have never ever had that problem. Do you put them in Ziploc Freezer bags? If so, no odor comes from those sealed bags.

Yes I do use Ziplock or other name brand freezer bags. Maybe I get the 'juice' from the peppers on the outside of the bag or something.

 

[anna08]

I love to add diced frozen bell peppers straight to a sauté pan with some hot olive oil and then throw in leftover rice with a can of beans and it makes a very tasty bowl of beans and rice. Add cheese and salsa and the kids LOVE it to scoop up with tortilla chips, and it's not so unhealthy. But it's the frozen peppers to start with that make it so tasty!

 

[runwad]

I cut the tops off, wash and freeze my peppers whole for stuffing. We stuff them while they are still frozen so they don't go all limp and then cook. Very good. I also slice some and freeze for pizza toppings and other dishes. Never had a problem breaking what I needed away from the chunck.

 

[girli565]

How does everyone keep everything else from tasting like peppers? I've frozen them before but the ice cubes taste like peppers, butter tastes like peppers, etc.

I've never had that problem. I only leave them on the cookie sheet for maybe an hour or 2 before I pack them up in ziplocs, not really long enough for the flavor to seep to anything else.

 

[staceycanada]

I don't thaw mine but usually they are going into spagetti sauce, chili or soups.

 

[disykat]

I don't do the cookie sheet thing for peppers. I just dice them and put them in a baggie. I do it the lazy way. About an hour or two later, before they are totally frozen, I take the bag out and squish it around a bit so they aren't a lump and toss it back in the freezer.

 

[North of Mouse]

I cut the tops off, wash and freeze my peppers whole for stuffing. We stuff them while they are still frozen so they don't go all limp and then cook. Very good. I also slice some and freeze for pizza toppings and other dishes. Never had a problem breaking what I needed away from the chunck.

 

[Colleen27]

We tried them both ways - blanching doesn't seem to matter as far as flavor or color. I always hated that extra step. Some things may matter, such as green beans, but pepper doesn't seem to lose its flavor.

Hmm, I've never tried without blanching but maybe this summer I will. I'm all for easier, particularly during harvest season when it feels like I've climbed into the pot with the veggies by the time I'm done with a day of blanching and freezing.