Freezing Peppers? Help!

[WeLoveLilo05]

Anyone here stock up on fruits and veggies when they go on sale and freeze them? I have done it with fruit (flash freeze them on a cookie sheet and then throw them in freezer bags) and they have frozen well. I got red peppers this week b/c they were .99 lb which is great. Now how would you freeze them? Wash them, dry, cut them into long strips, flash freeze, then put in a freezer? Freeze them whole? I feel like peppers are hard to freeze bc they are mostly water. When I use peppers in my cooking its usually cut into small squares for like meatloaf, sloppy joes, etc. What do you do?

 

[kellia]

I freeze green peppers all the time for chili. I dice, freeze on wax paper on a cookie sheet, then throw in a ziplock bag. You can just throw into a baggie first, but then it freezes into a big lump. But, you can just wack off a chunk!

 

[lovemygoofy]

I cut up peppers as well slice peppers into strips and freeze on a regular basis. I just cut them up and put them into freezer ziploc bags. I always keep a couple bags of peppers or peppers and onions together in the freezer.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I freeze green peppers all the time for chili. I dice, freeze on wax paper on a cookie sheet, then throw in a ziplock bag. You can just throw into a baggie first, but then it freezes into a big lump. But, you can just wack off a chunk!

Thanks!! when it thaws it is it like a puddle of water? or do you throw it in your chili frozen?

 

[annsteere]

Just did this yesterday. Peppers were on sale in our neighborhood too.

I wash, dry, and then cut them into small squares. Put the squares into a small dollar store sandwich bag. Put the cheap sandwich bag into a good quality larger freezer bag. I tuck a post-it into the bigger bag that shows the date I froze the contents. I keep one small bag at a time in the upstairs freezer and can shake peppers out from there.

Works great for chili, soup, casseroles or an omelet.

I tried freezing strips to use in fajitas but didn't really like the quality. Too soggy.

 

[dsneprincess]

I also freeze peppers. I wash, cut into strips & freeze in zipper bag. I got a laugh, pp with the cheaper zip bag in more expensive freezer one. I also rank & rate bags, DH thinks I'm nuts!

 

[jsmith]

You can also roast and freeze them-those of us who live in the southwest do this all the time with green chilis and i also do it with red and yellow peppers. Put the peppers under the broiler, over a gas flame or on the grate of a gas grilled and cook them til the skins are blistered and black all over. Drop them immediately into a zip lock back while they they are still hot-this will steam the skins loose. freeze. When you are ready to use them, thaw them out and rinse the skins off, pat dry and and use where you normally use roasted red peppers.

 

[mrodgers]

My wife cuts into strips and dumps them in a bag and into the freezer. When she uses them, she gets them out and after a few minutes, they are thawed enough that she can dice them up for chili or spaghetti sauce. She is usually browning the meat and chopping up several cloves of garlic before she gets to the peppers.

 

[lucyem]

http://pickyourown.org/peppersfreezing.htm

The website is an amazing wealth of info.

I will blanch peppers that I plan to freeze for more then a month. But normally I just cut up and freeze and use within a couple of weeks. Frozen peppers do not work so great for fajitas or anything where you want a crispy crunch. But for chili or other prepared meals they are fine.

 

[wiigirl]

I freeze green peppers all the time for chili. I dice, freeze on wax paper on a cookie sheet, then throw in a ziplock bag. You can just throw into a baggie first, but then it freezes into a big lump. But, you can just wack off a chunk!

Awesome tip! I have been dealing with a big lump.

 

[girli565]

I cut them into quarters (because I will use a quarter piece whole when I'm making beans or some sort of stew for flavor but pull it out once it's done) and freeze on a sheet tray then put the frozen pieces in ziploc bags. I do the sheet tray so they don't stick together in the bag.

 

[North of Mouse]

Anyone here stock up on fruits and veggies when they go on sale and freeze them? I have done it with fruit (flash freeze them on a cookie sheet and then throw them in freezer bags) and they have frozen well. I got red peppers this week b/c they were .99 lb which is great. Now how would you freeze them? Wash them, dry, cut them into long strips, flash freeze, then put in a freezer? Freeze them whole? I feel like peppers are hard to freeze bc they are mostly water. When I use peppers in my cooking its usually cut into small squares for like meatloaf, sloppy joes, etc. What do you do?

My mom always froze peppers, and I have too for many years. I dice them in one bag (thin layer in bag, freeze flat, easier to break off) cut strips for some, also freeze cleaned whole ones for stuffing (yes, they also work, stuff them before thawing, then cook). I keep them all in freezer all the time from sales because I cook with peppers all the time, also do the same with celery. When they're cooked, you don't know the difference. Obviously, you could not use them in *raw* form.

Also, I *never* take the extra time to freeze them, then bag them. They don't taste any different, and they're not hard to break from the frozen state.

 

[staceycanada]

I have frozen all types of peppers with no problem what so ever. I usually dice them and freeze individually first then throw them in a ziplock. This way I can scoop out what is needed at the time. This is great for soups, stirfries, egg dishes etc.

Whole peppers freeze fantastically also. I have done stuffed peppers up (uncooked) and then frozen them. Then you just pop them in the oven and bake. Nice easy dinner.

 

[kellia]

Thanks!! when it thaws it is it like a puddle of water? or do you throw it in your chili frozen?

If it's chili, I just throw it in frozen since I usually assemble to night before and a little extra liquid doesn't hurt. If they're going into something like omlettes, I'll thaw and dump off any water. They usually aren't that watery, but they are soft, so I like to cut before they're frozen!

 

[whatname]

I, too, freeze them on a cookie sheet and then put in bags. I cut mine in strips then when I need them for something else, I just dice them up while frozen and throw them in. I never thaw them first. We use them in fajitas too. I don't have a problem with the texture for those. They aren't crispy, but I don't mind once their are cooked.

 

[marthachick]

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.

 

[North of Mouse]

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.

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

OP, the *water* that may accumulate when the peppers are thawed, is just *juice* from the peppers and I just add that along with the peppers to what I'm cooking. In fact, I don't even thaw them to begin with, no need to, just add them to your pot/dish when cooking.

 

[Colleen27]

I blanch them (according to the directions from the Pick Your Own site linked upthread), slice them, freeze them on cookie sheets, and dump 'em into ziplocs. Then I use them from frozen when I'm cooking. It never fails that we have more than we can eat when they're in season and this way they last well into the winter.

 

[North of Mouse]

I blanch them (according to the directions from the Pick Your Own site linked upthread), slice them, freeze them on cookie sheets, and dump 'em into ziplocs. Then I use them from frozen when I'm cooking. It never fails that we have more than we can eat when they're in season and this way they last well into the winter.

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.

 

[MrsPete]

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.