How To Freeze Peppers

At home, we tend to go through peppers like they are going out of style.  Which is funny because I never even used to like them.  Sadly, in not having a garden and not being able to stock up during the pepper season, I'm left having to buy them at the grocery store - off season.  And they are pricey!! I've managed to catch a few good sales lately and now have a good amount stored away in the freezer, so I won't have to buy them while they are so pricey.  It is so easy and does not take much time!

Supplies

• Peppers - green, red, orange, yellow (whatever kind you want)
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Pan
• Freezer paper
• Ziplock freezer bags

1. Clean those peppers - inside & out!

Make sure you clean off all the dirt off of those peppers.  After that, you can cut the stems off and slice down the middle.  Be sure to clean out all of the seeds and carefully cut off the white ribs (or membranes) of the peppers. Slice or dice those peppers - cut them how you will use them the most in cooking.

Note: If you are just slicing (julienne-style) the peppers, I have found it easiest to start slicing and then once you get to the center of the pepper, clean out that mid-white rib (lesson learned after many close calls with the knife).

2. Prepare for Freezing! (Flash Freeze first)

Next, you are going to cover your pan with the freezer paper & lay all of the slices out in a fashion where they are not over-lapping (at least not too much).  Stick your pan of peppers in the freezer for about 2 hours. Flash freezing allows the peppers to freeze slightly so that when you later go to use them, they don't come out in big chunks - you can just take as much as you need.

3. Bag those Frozen Peppers!

After flash freezing the peppers for about 2 hours, it's time to bag those peppers up.  Just place them in a ziplock freezer bag & store in the freezer for the next time you are going to cook with peppers. Be sure to label and date the bag - pepper can last up to 9 months in a freezer bag.  If you have a deep freezer and store them in a vacuum packed bag, they can last even longer!

And there you have it! Super easy, and an easy clean-up.  Happy cooking!

What other vegetables (or fruits) do you freeze?

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