How to Freeze Hot Peppers

Hot pepper plants, including jalapenos, serranos, habaneros and cayenne, often produce way more peppers than you can eat fresh. Luckily, hot peppers are one of the easiest vegetables to freeze, which means you can use them to add a little heat to salsas, sauces and soups in the dead of winter. Here is how to freeze them.

Instructions

1. Place the peppers into a colander and wash them thoroughly under a cool stream of water. Lay a clean cotton dishtowel on your countertop and spread the peppers out in a single layer on the towel. Allow them to dry.

2. Hot peppers contain compounds called capsaicinoids, which cause a burning sensation when they come in contact with your skin, mouth or eyes. Protect yourself by covering your hands with thin latex gloves (available at drug stores) before you prepare your hot peppers for freezing.

3. To de-stem the peppers, insert a small, serrated paring knife into the pepper right where the base of the stem meets the top of the pepper. Cut the stem free by working the knife around the entire edge of the stem. Pull out the stem, discard it and then shake out as many seeds as you can.

4. You can slice the peppers or freeze them whole. Either way, pack the clean, dry, de-stemmed peppers into ½-quart or 1-quart freezer bags, leaving ½ inch of headroom at the top of the bag. Seal the bag, being sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible. Immediately place the bagged peppers into the freezer.

Tips & Warnings

• Vegetables freeze best when your freezer is kept at zero degrees F or lower.

• Use the peppers within 8 to 12 months.

• After packing the peppers, carefully remove your gloves and dispose of them.

• The defrosted peppers will not be as crisp as they are fresh, but they will still have the same great flavor.

Resources

• DigginFood