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pubescens Long term storage suggestions for pubescens/rocotos?

shadrack

shadrack

So I have a modest crop of pubes ripening and want to get some ideas on which way is best to store these long term until I decide to make a sauce or cook with them. 
 
I dehydrated one which tasted good and would make a nice powder but the juiciness is a big part of what makes these unique so I'm learning towards freezing.  I haven't seen much posted about the results from freezing rocotos.  Do they turn into complete mush upon thawing because of their water content?  Do they hold up similar to frozen annuums/bacs? 
 
Maybe refrigerator pickle some?  
 
Thanks for the suggestions!
 
I froze a bunch of my Ecuadorian Reds. In theory they should be fine for cooking with later. I imagine they will be mushy as any other pepper would after freezing, which is undesirable for eating raw but shouldn't matter for cooking or drying.
 
I usually freeze my rocoto.  I honestly think it is the best option assuming you have the freezer space.  You can thaw them in a ziplock in the sink with some hot water, and they don't turn to mush once unfrozen.  They are still a little bit wrinkly on the outside from being frozen, but they hold up their structure just fine.  I've made many a rocoto relleno from my frozen rocoto, and they come out almost exactly the same as the fresh ones.  A neat trick you can do if you plan on cooking rocoto for people that can't handle the heat, is boil them for like 5 minutes once thawed, de capped, and seeded.  Drain the water, stuff, or cook however you want, and most of the spicyness will be gone.  Of course that kind of ruins the point of eating the rocoto IMO, but they still hold up their flavor very well.
 
Thegreenchilemonster said:
I usually freeze my rocoto.  I honestly think it is the best option assuming you have the freezer space.  You can thaw them in a ziplock in the sink with some hot water, and they don't turn to mush once unfrozen.  They are still a little bit wrinkly on the outside from being frozen, but they hold up their structure just fine.  I've made many a rocoto relleno from my frozen rocoto, and they come out almost exactly the same as the fresh ones.  A neat trick you can do if you plan on cooking rocoto for people that can't handle the heat, is boil them for like 5 minutes once thawed, de capped, and seeded.  Drain the water, stuff, or cook however you want, and most of the spicyness will be gone.  Of course that kind of ruins the point of eating the rocoto IMO, but they still hold up their flavor very well.
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This is exactly what I was hoping to hear.  I wasn't sure since they seem to carry so much water in them...made me think I'd have mush city upon thawing.
 
Wow that is a cool trick.  I'll give it a try some time but even the slightest amount of heat seems to be too much for my family.  It's a lonely life being a spice fiend. :neutral:
 
These are pretty much the crown jewel of my garden since I'm in snow country and don't exactly have a long growing season.  
 
I live in the NE as well, so I feel your pain on the short growing season.  I'm already starting more rocoto plants for next year.  I will OW my biggest producers for next year still though.  You could always do a double boil to completely eliminate the spice, but that might begin to get too soft.  They always do a single boil of the rocoto in Arequipa, Peru.  The most famous dish from that area of Peru is the Rocoto Relleno Arequipeno.  I cook it pretty regulary, so I'll post a step by step recipe in the food section of the forum sometime.  IDK if you speak spanish, but here is a great vid of a recipe.  She actually cooks the meal from frozen rocoto in the video as well.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6S-q-FGXA0
 
From searching around I've heard this is THE dish to make with rocotos. I don't speak much spanish but youtube offers a closed captioned translation so I could get the gist of it.  My mouth was watering by the end! Too bad the pubes I have would be more like poppers compared to those monsters.  
 
I have been wondering if it would be worth it to OW pubes.  Some seem to think it is a huge pain while others swear by it.  Since the species can live a number of years, some even 10+, it would make sense to try to get at least a few years out if them especially if that means more and earlier pods next year.   Have you had good success with your OWs?
 
I've had great luck with my OW rocoto. The trick is not to trim them back as much as you would a normal pepper plant. I usually leave a good 2-3 feet of trunk and branches, compared to other pepper varieties that I cut down all the way to the base. I repot them in 5 gallon containers with fresh soil. I have a good sunny spot in my house that I put my OW's, that doesn't upset the Mrs. I am about to OW my rocoto in the next 2-3 weeks. I will post some pics.
 
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