Nobody’s Got Time For Blanching! How To Freeze Peppers In A Snap
Now is the perfect time to freeze peppers! Farmers’ markets and gardens are bursting with sweet, colorful peppers — and freezing them is one of the easiest ways to preserve that summer flavor for months to come.
Here’s the best part: peppers don’t need blanching. Just wash, slice, and pop them into freezer bags. It’s a fast, no-fuss method that locks in their vibrant color and rich flavor.
While frozen peppers won’t have that fresh-from-the-garden crunch (so skip the salad), they’re absolutely perfect for cooking. Toss them into fajitas, stir-fries, pepper steak, or any recipe that loves a little sweet heat.
You’ll be so glad you saved some for cozy meals all winter long! Frozen peppers are great to have on hand for so many recipes; they are well worth the freezer space!
Follow These Simple Steps To Freeze Peppers
Wash anddry peppers, and keep them dry. Don’t rinse them after you cut them up! It will help prevent freezer burn.
Cut away any bad spots
Remove the stem, core, and seeds.
Decide what shape you want your peppers to be. You can cut them into rings, strips, or chop them. It depends on how you plan to use them and how much freezer space you have. You can even leave them whole and use them to make stuffed peppers. So let’s get busy and freeze peppers!
Lay them out in a single layer on a cookie tray you have covered with parchment paper. This way, they will freeze fast and stay separated, so you can grab what you need.
Pack in freezer bags, squeezing out as much air as possible. Or use containers made for freezing, not butter tubs or cottage cheese cartons; as tempting as it is, they are not designed for freezing.
I also like to freeze long strips of peppers in wide-mouth mason jars if I have space! That way I can easily pull out a few strips.
Store in your deep freeze. The colder the better, zero degrees is ideal. They will stay fresh and ready to use in your favorite recipes for six to eight months, time enough for a new crop of peppers!
All winter long, you can enjoy recipes like Chicken Fajitas, Pepper Steak, and a family favorite, Blanche Matthew's Sloppy Joes.
Stir-fry: Use your favorite fresh or frozen vegetables and add in peppers towards the end to warm through. They don’t need much time to cook, and they add such great color to wintertime stir fries!
Soups: Roasted red pepper soup can be made using frozen peppers! Wonderful flavor!
Fajitas: Slice and saute onions until they just begin to brown, then toss in frozen pepper strips and saute lightly. Boom! You are ready for fajitas!
Italian sausage sandwiches/subs: Sauté onions and peppers like you were preparing fajitas, but put on a hoagie bun with Italian sausage!
Pizza topping: Use chopped frozen peppers on a pizza! Easy and add a touch of sweet flavor!
Chili: Add frozen chopped pepper to the pot of chili towards the end of cooking time.
Egg dishes: Scramble frozen chopped peppers with eggs, or in a quiche or frittata!
Here’s some great news! You can use the same technique to freeze onions, spinach, kale, and celery, too! Everything you need for delicious hot dishes will be ready at your fingertips! Now’s the perfect time to stock your freezer with nature’s bounty!
What is your favorite dish with peppers? If you have a dish you love, please put it in the comments- I will do a happy dance if I hear from you!
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