How to Freeze Hot Chillies

Freezing retains a chile pepper's heat.

Hot peppers add a fiery touch to cooked and fresh dishes. Both the seeds and flesh of the peppers provide the spicy oils to your favorite recipes. Freezing retains much of the crisp texture of the hot peppers while also preserving the flavorful oils in the flesh and seeds. Hot chilly pepper varieties are best frozen whole so the seeds don't fall from the peppers during storage. Frozen peppers retain their quality for up to eight months.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towel
• Paring knife
• Baking sheet
• Wax paper
• Storage bag or container

Instructions

1. Wash the peppers under cool running water. Pat the peppers dry with a clean paper towel.

2. Cut out the stem of each pepper with the tip of a paring knife. Place the peppers on a baking sheet covered in a sheet of wax paper.

3. Place the baking sheet in the freezer. Freeze the peppers for two to three hours.

4. Transfer the frozen peppers to a plastic freezer bag or a freezer-safe container. Seal the bag or container closed and return the peppers to the freezer until you are ready to use them.

5. Remove peppers from the bag before use. Thaw in the refrigerator or place the frozen whole peppers directly into the dish before cooking.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear gloves when handling hot peppers and do not touch your eyes and mouth until you have washed your hands.

References

• University of California Extension; Peppers; Linda Harris; February 2000
• University of Nebraska Extension; Freezing Sweet or Bell and Hot Peppers; Alice Henneman