How to Freeze Hot Peppers From Your Garden

Preserve the heat through freezing hot peppers.

Cold hot peppers is not a contradiction in terms but one of the best ways to preserve your chili pepper harvest. Freezing the peppers keeps them fresh longer than refrigeration, but the freezer will change the texture of the peppers, although not as drastically as the textures of other fruits change when frozen. If chopped and frozen, the thawed hot peppers can still be used raw or cooked. When cutting hot peppers, wear gloves to keep the capsaicin oils in the ribs of the pepper from burning your skin or eyes.

Things You'll Need

• Food handling gloves
• Spoon
• Baking pan
• Freezer bags

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the peppers thoroughly.

2. Wearing gloves, cut the peppers in half.

3. Run a spoon down the seed cavity of the peppers to remove the seeds.

4. Chop the peppers finely into ¼- to 1/8-inch dice.

5. Spread the chopped peppers onto a baking sheet in a single layer.

6. Freezer the chopped peppers overnight.

7. Transfer the peppers to a freezer bag, squeeze out the excess air and seal. Store the peppers in the freezer for up to nine months.

References

• University of Illinois Urban Extension: Peppers
• Pick Your Own: Pepper Freezing