If you had a bountiful pepper harvest, the best thing to do to save their delicious flavor is freeze them. Don’t worry, freezing them won’t make them any less spicy!
You can freeze them whole, cut them in half, or even mince them. These frozen peppers can later be used to make delicious meals, salsas, and sauces.
In this article, we are going to give you some tips and tricks on how to freeze hot peppers. So, let’s get started!
Can You Freeze Peppers?
Yes, peppers are one of the rare veggies that can be frozen for later usage. Freezing won’t affect their Scoville ratings. Even though they are frozen, hot peppers can still burn your tongue!
So, instead of throwing them away, you can simply put them in the freezer. Another option is to pickle them, or you can use them fresh to make salsas and other sauces.
Should You Thaw Them?
Once you freeze them, the question is should you thaw them or just add them to meals frozen?
Well, you can actually do both – thawed peppers will release juices and be much softer. Perhaps it would be easier to cut them when they are semi-frozen because they are still kind of firm.
Let them sit out for a couple of minutes before you cut them otherwise you would end up with frozen fingers!
Also read: Do Bell Peppers Need To Be Refrigerated? (Tips For Handling)
This Is How You Freeze Hot Peppers
First and foremost, you should always wear gloves when working with hot peppers. Avoid touching your eyes and nose because it could cause you a lot of pain!
Before putting them in the freezer, you have to wash and dry them. Then, depending on your preferences, you either cut them or put them whole in the freezer.
Here’s how you do it:
• Halved peppers – simply slice them in half and get rid of seeds, stems, and cores. Then, put the pieces on a sheet pan in one layer and put them in the freezer. When frozen, you can transfer them to containers or freeze bags and squeeze out as much air as possible. You can put a certain amount in a jar to be thawed later and used for a specific recipe.
• Whole peppers – you can also put uncut peppers in the freezer. What you can do is put them in a zip-top bag. Remember to squeeze out the air. Don’t forget to label them and write the date, too.
• Minced peppers – remove the stems and seeds before pulsing them in the processor a few cups at a time. When you lift the top, be careful not to breathe in the vapors. After mincing your peppers, you can place them in ice cube trays. To avoid freezer burn, some folks like to top off their hot pepper mince in ice cube trays with water or oil. To make it simple to cut off a piece as needed, spread the mince and use zip-top bags instead.
Here are some recipe for frozen peppers:
If you have jalapeno peppers, here’s a useful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVLOObRxH50 (although I would suggest you put them in a single layer first because then they don’t stick to each other).