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storage Freezing peppers...

I have a few spare pods lying about and would like to freeze them. What method do you suggest? Just toss 'em in a plastic tub? With or without seeds?

Looking forward to learning...!;)
 
Chop them into small pieces (with or without seeds - your choise! :lol: ), put in plastic bag(s), flatten out and freeze. Really easy to break of the amount you want for cooking this way.
 
Or for whole pods-

line a cookie sheet with wax paper or plastic wrap
lay the washed pods out in a single layer
freeze
put frozen pods into freezer bags or freezer containers. makes it easy to remove one pod at a time
 
I freeze my pods whole. Because I know the peppers and how hot they are , it's like a measurement. Two Scotch Bonnets ... that should do it ! LOL
I use those cheap re-useable plastic containers. They come in many different sizes. I wash them let them dry then toss in the labeled container.

salsalady's way of putting them in a single layer would make them freeze faster , but I've had no problem just tossing a handful into a container. I haven't had any stick to each other so far.

Peace,
P. Dreadie
 
I guess I must be kind of lazy, I just break off the stems, and then throw them whole into gallon sized ziplock bags. It works for me.
 
I normally just cut a slit in them and then vac seal them.Worked good so far for me.
 
I just throw them in whole, stems and all into freezer grade ziplock bags.
I only use my frozen pepper for making hot sauce though because I usually always have some fresh pods on one of my plants.
 
what are you hoping to use them for? if you're cooking with them or making hot sauce or concentrates then freezing is great, but they'll lose that crunchy fresh taste to them if you're hoping for fresh pods. They don't come out the same as they went in. soggy. I've heard that there are ways to help out in that area but I'm yet to figure that one out.
 
Frozen peppers thawed can be dehydrated or used in cooked form. They don't have the same quality as using a fresh one in a salad or pico de gallo but anything you will cook is a great use. Freeze them and make sauces later when life slows down.
 
I wash the pod, let them dry, toss them into a freezer baggie and into the freezer they go, on thawing if they are a bit soggy then paper towel them dry, if its that important. Normally, I just pull a couple out of the freezer, chop them up frozen and then toss them into whatever I am cooking.
 
yup the only problemwith this method is the soggyness. I ws able to make some poppers though out of frozen fatali's a bit ago and where still goof just gotta stuffem quick! alil bacon wrap cant hurt
 
I just pack my Bhuts and Naga in sammich bags along with tissue paper and stuff them in a plastic jar . The whole thing goes in deep freezer and they last till eternity retaining freshness and aroma. It is three years since I am doing this.
 
I too just simply toss them into a freezer baggy and freeze except for roasted peppers which I use salsa lady's technique of pre freeezing them in a thin layer and then bagging them so they don't stick
 
Hey, I hadn't considered the aspect of sogginess, but I guess this can't be avoided...unless your addition of tissues helps, NJA? (Can't see how, though - even if they take the moisture from the fruit, the moisture is trapped in the bag)
 
I also freeze mine whole, for the same reason P. Dreadie gave... as a "unit" of measurement. Pluck off the plant, rinse in warm water, let sit on wax paper to air dry (a fan helps). Then use paper towels to wipe any excess water (if any), drop in freezer bags, and put 'em away.

I noticed some of my habaneros from different times of the growing season had different heat levels... this method will also allow you to keep track of that if you use multiple freezer bags. And those tiny habs last year... they always seemed to be weaker. If they were all chopped up, I'd never know, and I'd have a hell of a time finding out how many pieces are "three habaneros."
 
How long will frozen peppers last? P.Dreadies method of tissue paper sounds interesting...would you say that doing it this way is much superior to just throwing them in the freezer bag with no paper?
 
I have frozen peppers for the last three years . For over an year and half, I have had no problems at all with frozen beauties.
In fact couple of pods of Bhut I have are from two years back crop and they are just fine. I want to keep them for another year but since I am moving to Texas, I will have to puree them along with last years gift of Bhuts (I have another half a pond pods left ).

I throw in tissue pepper along with pods .
 
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