Bell peppers are one of those things that seem to be either a super great deal ($0.50 cents or less) or NOT at all (as much as $3!). I stock up when I find them for $0.50 cents or less and then freeze them for future use, so I don’t get stuck paying full price when I want fajitas!
Let me just start by saying that I don’t think you can freeze a pepper and have it come out with exactly that same crunch (and flavor) as you’d find from a fresh one. At least not that I can figure out. But they will be great for stir fry, omelets, fajitas and any cooked application. Besides the flavor of frugality can’t be forgotten!
Some people will BLANCH the peppers and then submerge in ice cold water before freezing. This supposedly kills an enzyme that might break down the peppers in the freezer. I went for simple and just froze them without blanching. You can try both styles and see which you prefer.
Here’s what I did:
1. Start by gathering your peppers, a large cutting board, sharp knife, Ziploc (or freezer) bags and a large bowl (for garbage/compost)
2. Peel off any produce stickers. Rinse peppers and dry well. Any extra moisture on them will only create extra ice on the peppers when you freeze them.
3. Slice in half. Using your hands scoop out all the seeds inside and dump into your garbage/compost bowl.
4. I like to slice mine into strips because we will most likely use ours for fajitas. These can also be thawed and quickly chopped for a frittata or omelet.
5. I diced a bunch of the peppers into smaller pieces, for when I make eggs or omelets – I like quick options! Freeze in portions that you’ll think you’ll use. These pictured above are in quart bags.
6. Place peppers into Ziploc (or freezer bags) and remove all possible air. An easy way to do this is leave the Ziploc bag open and fold the top half of the bag over the bottom part and push down on the table. It will squeeze air out and keep it out until you seal the top. Works best when bag is about half full.
7. I like to spread my peppers out into a flat layer, so the bags will freeze flat and will stack easily. I would recommend using with 3 months. I usually lay them in a box, inside the freezer until they are frozen, then I stand them up on their sides, so I can easily find them.
Tell me – Do you freeze peppers?
I’d love to hear your tips for freezing peppers or other vegetables or fruits!
I did the same thing this week, but my peppers were the last harvest from the garden before the hard frost. And I did give the chickens all the stems, seeds, etc. Recyling- chickens make this type of stuff into eggs.
I love peppers and never thought of freezing them! Costco has a bag of 6 (2 each of red, yellow, and orange) for sometimes as low as $5.49. I usually get the colored ones there.
By the way our chickens love the seeds–stem and any other part of the pepper you don’t want!!
By the way our chickens love the seeds stems and whatever throw-away parts from the peppers!!
I freeze mine the exact same way. I also do the same with green onions because I frequently use them in soups, omelets and Mexican dishes.
Green onions! That’s a great idea. I love them, but rarely go through a whole bunch before they go bad. I also like to add mine to things like soups and omelets. Thanks for the tip Melissa!
Regarding green onions: You can make them last longer by putting the bunch in a tall glass on the counter with about 1/2 to 1 inch of water in it. The roots will sit in and suck up the water and the plants will keep growing. I just trim off the brown dying outer stalks and keep harvesting the new growth. Change the water every few days. A bunch of green onions lasts around a month for me give or take a little depending on how much I’m using them.