This simple tutorial on how to freeze bell peppers will help you enjoy peppers all year long!
Recently a sweet family friend blessed us with a sack full of beautiful bell peppers. She said she had a bumper crop of them this year and was up to her ears in them. She put up a ton of them in her freezer, so she needed to find a home for the remainder that her plants were continuing to produce. I told her I would LOVE to take them off of her hands, because I cook with bell peppers all the time!
I knew right away that the sack of peppers was way more than my family would be able to eat at one time, so I spent a little bit of time putting them up into freezer bags so that I could enjoy them throughout the rest of the year.
Putting up bell peppers is SO simple, as no blanching is needed to freeze them. First, take the peppers and wash them thoroughly and pat them dry.
Next, remove the stems and inner portions that contain the seeds and veins. (Tip: Before removing the stem, gently press and roll each pepper on the counter to help loosed the inner stem containing the seeds.)
Rinse the inside of each pepper out to remove any excess seeds that might have clung to the inner walls. Slice or dice the peppers according to your preference. Lay the cut peppers onto a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour. Transfer frozen peppers to a freezer safe bag. Frozen peppers are good for about 1 year after they were put up.
When you’re freezing fresh produce, it’s imperative that you use quality seal-able bags that are made to use in the freezer to help increase the life of the product and to reduce the chance of freezer burn. If you’ve got a bumper crop that you’re putting up, go ahead and stock up on freezer bags, and don’t forget to write the date on the bag so you know if the peppers are within their usable date!
Frozen peppers are best used in dishes where they will be cooked, as they will not maintain their crispness once they have been frozen.
Freezing more than just peppers? Checkout these other tutorials on how to freeze fresh produce!
How to Freeze Tomatoes | How to Freeze Carrots | How to Freeze Zucchini | How to Freeze Summer Squash
