How do you store your peppers?

[backyardpepper]

I want to get a good idea on how to store peppers. I want to store dehydrated and not dehydrated peppers but I have no clue how they will stay the most fresh, what do you guys do? Oh and where do you guys store your ground pepper and pepper flakes?

 

[D3monic]

For ground peppers I just use a variety of containers, I have a few shakers, a woozy bottle, little ziplock baggies. 
 
I'm storing some dried pepper halves in a large ball jar for now, not sure how well they will keep but as long as they aren't exposed to sunlight they should keep all winter. 
 
Some people freeze fresh peppers for use later or for sauces but after freezing cell structure breaks down and they get mushy when heated/defrosted. Keep that in mind. 
 
I may end up drying and vac sealing a bunch of peppers as well for grinding later in winter. 
 
As for fresh peppers they probably keep longer in the fridge than on the counter but I usually have a big bowl of peppers on counter for when i'm cooking. 

 

[Rymerpt]

For ground peppers I just use a variety of containers, I have a few shakers, a woozy bottle, little ziplock baggies. 
 
I'm storing some dried pepper halves in a large ball jar for now, not sure how well they will keep but as long as they aren't exposed to sunlight they should keep all winter. 
 
Some people freeze fresh peppers for use later or for sauces but after freezing cell structure breaks down and they get mushy when heated/defrosted. Keep that in mind. 
 
I may end up drying and vac sealing a bunch of peppers as well for grinding later in winter. 
 
As for fresh peppers they probably keep longer in the fridge than on the counter but I usually have a big bowl of peppers on counter for when i'm cooking.

+1 I do about the same

 

[moruga welder]

i dehydrate and food saver then put in the deep freeze .   

 

[Spicy Joe]

I dehydrated and ground a ton last year, stored dehydrated peppers in 1 gallon bags, and I freeze 4-6 of them in vacuum sealed bags.
 
I've got peppers 3 yrs old in there and draw them out 1 small pack at a time for salsa.
 
I always roast my peppers then grind them to mush so it doesn't matter how they look, lol.
 
This season was bad for me so I'll not be putting up a whole lot like last year - always a bright side - I can use up a lot of what I do have and hope to re-stock next year!

 

[turbo]

For me it depends on what you want to do with them.  If you plan on making a sauce, freezing is actually a neat trick to make a smoother sauce.  Like D3monic said, freezing them breaks down the cell structure a bit, so when they thaw out they are...not so crispy and fresh.  But this is perfect for sauces, because it gives the sauce a much nicer consistency. 

 

[fbravo59]

So consensus is vacuum seal and freeze?

 

[FGpepperguy]

I freeze and also dry.  I'm also trying vacuum sealing this year
 

 
 

 

[FrenChilli]

I'll dehydrate mine. I want to build a home dehydrater using a box fan, bungee cords and cotton furnace filters.
I'll dehydrate mine. I want to build a home dehydrater using a box fan, bungee cords and cotton furnace filters.

 

[Hybrid Mode 01]

     I keep about a third of my pods dehydrated in quart mason jars in the basement. They keep really well that way and are more accessible than keeping them vacuumed sealed in the freezer. I keep another third or so of them in ziploc bags in the chest freezer. The remaining third I fire roast on the grill, freeze them individually on cookie sheets and store them in ziploc bags.

 

[backyardpepper]

I dehydrated and ground a ton last year, stored dehydrated peppers in 1 gallon bags, and I freeze 4-6 of them in vacuum sealed bags.
 
I've got peppers 3 yrs old in there and draw them out 1 small pack at a time for salsa.
 
I always roast my peppers then grind them to mush so it doesn't matter how they look, lol.
 
This season was bad for me so I'll not be putting up a whole lot like last year - always a bright side - I can use up a lot of what I do have and hope to re-stock next year!

 

     I keep about a third of my pods dehydrated in quart mason jars in the basement. They keep really well that way and are more accessible than keeping them vacuumed sealed in the freezer. I keep another third or so of them in ziploc bags in the chest freezer. The remaining third I fire roast on the grill, freeze them individually on cookie sheets and store them in ziploc bags.

 
Why do some people roast peppers on the grill? What does it do?

 

[Hybrid Mode 01]

 
 
Why do some people roast peppers on the grill? What does it do?

 
 
     Besides making the neighbors jealous, it mellows the sharp flavors of some chinenses and just adds a depth of flavor that's hard to explain. Imagine the comparison between a raw vs. fried onion or between a raw vs. grilled steak. It really helps develop the flavor.          
     The majority of chinense pods I use in everyday cooking are fire-roasted. I use the dried ones for convenience and the raw ones for pickling or making jelly, but for almost everything else, it's gotta be flame kissed!
 
 
edit:   http://thehotpepper.com/topic/42145-roasted-pepper-porn-pure-and-simple/?hl=%2Broasted+%2Bpepper+%2Bporn

 

[Spicy Joe]

 
 
     Besides making the neighbors jealous, it mellows the sharp flavors of some chinenses and just adds a depth of flavor that's hard to explain. Imagine the comparison between a raw vs. fried onion or between a raw vs. grilled steak. It really helps develop the flavor.          
     The majority of chinense pods I use in everyday cooking are fire-roasted. I use the dried ones for convenience and the raw ones for pickling or making jelly, but for almost everything else, it's gotta be flame kissed!
 
 
edit:   http://thehotpepper.com/topic/42145-roasted-pepper-porn-pure-and-simple/?hl=%2Broasted+%2Bpepper+%2Bporn

I roast all the peppers for my salsas... in fact, I roast the tomatoes and the garlic as well....  you can tell my salsa in a contest, I think from the colors also.... always darker, steamier...... moowaahaahaaaaaaa!

I freeze and also dry.  I'm also trying vacuum sealing this year
 

20150819_203416.jpg
 
 

that's what I do, just don't put too much into one bag, otherwise you'll have to use all of them at once..... I always do 4 - 6 peppers.... that way I only take out what I'm going to be using...

 

[D3monic]

NOTHING smells more heavenly than roasted garlic

 

[Hybrid Mode 01]

NOTHING smells more heavenly than roasted garlic

 
     Not even roasted peppers?! BLASPHEMY!!!

 

[D3monic]

Nope not even roasted peppers :p

When I roast both at same time the smell of the garlic far over rides the smell of peppers. Though one could argue the smell of them together is much better than either alone.