What is the best way to freeze peppers?
At the end of the season, sometimes you have a ton of peppers but not much time to make salsa or use them in recipes. An easy way to preserve them is to pop them whole into the freezer for later use! Make sure to freeze them within a day of harvesting so they are as fresh as possible with no chance of mold growing inside.
Can you freeze peppers whole?
You sure can!
First, wash and dry your fresh hot peppers or sweet peppers, making sure to remove any that are wrinkled, limp, moldy, or have damage or blemishes.
We think it's easiest to leave them whole, but you can also core and remove seeds if desired, and chop them up if you have the time. We just put them into a freezer bag or container, but you can also flash freeze them on a cookie sheet first before putting into a container or bag. Remove as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn.
Then, when you're ready over the winter months, you can use peppers a few at a time to make hot sauce, salsas, or other recipes as desired! The peppers will not be as crisp as fresh peppers, but their flavor will still be amazing and they are perfect for adding to salsas, hot sauce and other recipes. We like to take them out frozen, then simply chop them up (still frozen) with a sharp knife while they're still frozen.
Freezing Stuffed Peppers
Another great way to have an instant meal over the winter months is to stuff and freeze peppers for an easy meal or side dish in the winter months. Make your stuffed pepper recipe as usual, then let them cool completely and then put into a freezer safe dish or bag, try to remove as much air as possible to keep them fresh. Then you can pop them out anytime to enjoy a quick and easy meal!
Can I freeze Shishito peppers?
Sure, you can freeze Shishito peppers whole or chopped. Follow the instructions above, wash, dry and put them in a freezer bag or container to use in the winter months. They will not be as crisp as fresh, but will still add some nice flavor to stir fries, stews, hashbrowns, casseroles, you name it.
Do frozen peppers get mushy?
Like all frozen vegetables, frozen peppers are going to work best in cooked dishes or salsas or hot sauces. They won't have the same crunchy crispness as with fresh peppers, but they are still delicious!!
How to freeze Jalapeno Peppers:
Can you freeze whole jalapeños from the garden? Yes indeed! Just wash and dry the jalapeños, then put into the freezer in a freezer bag or container (making sure to let out any excess air to prevent freezer burn).
Do jalapeños get hotter when frozen?
Nope, they retain the same heat, though their texture will not be as crispy. They are perfect for making salsa.
Freezing Hatch Chile
You can also freeze Hatch Chile, though we like to roast and blister their skins first first before freezing as roasting really brings out their flavor and they are best roasted before freezing. We also will often peel them and de-seed them before freezing to make it easy to make a quick back of green chile stew in the winter. But you can freeze them with their roasted skins intact, just let them defrost to peel and remove the skin, seeds and tops later.
In addition to freezing peppers, you can also freeze whole Tomatillos, too. Just remove their husks, wash off the sticky residue, let dry, and pop them into a container or bag. These will make for great spicy salsa verde with your frozen peppers in the middle of winter!
....
While you can freeze peppers... don't let your pepper plants freeze!
Can peppers withstand a light frost?
Not typically. Peppers are very tender plants and even a light frost will likely kill the plant or at least heavily damage the leaves or at the very least it will stunt the plant's growth. Peppers don't even like temperatures below 50˚ F typically, so keep them warm! Read this post: Can peppers survive 40 degree weather? While you can freeze whole peppers, don't let your pepper plants freeze with peppers on them – this will surely ruin your harvest, and the plants will not likely recover. If you can protect plants with a hoop house, plastic covers, or if you have them in pots you can bring them indoors to protect them from frosty weather.
So if you have a large amount of peppers but aren't quite ready to do something with them, use your freezer to preserve them for later recipes! Frozen peppers can be used for salsa recipes, stews, stir fries, hot sauces, even delicious fermented hot sauces! Freezing peppers is one of the easiest ways to preserve your precious harvest for year-round use in the kitchen.
Happy growing & harvesting!
