Is it possible to freeze hot peppers for the winter: we save the hot vegetable correctly

Vegetables grown in their own garden are always tastier than store-bought vegetables. But not all crops remain fresh until winter. Most often, the crop is stored in the basement, but the freezing method is becoming more and more popular.

The more tender and juicy the fruits are, the more difficult it is to preserve them. These include peppers, including bitter ones. Many housewives have questions: is it possible to freeze hot peppers for the winter, how useful is it, will it not lose its taste? For more information on how to make such a blank, read our article.

Is it possible to freeze hot peppers

Many housewives prefer freezers to shelves with winter preparations. Packing vegetables for storage much faster without heat treatment or drying, while retaining the beneficial properties. The advantages of freezing also include the simplicity of harvesting - it is enough to rinse the fruit well and cut it in portions (you don't even need to cut it). There is no need to stand at the stove for hours and sterilize the dishes.

But not all garden crops can be stored in the freezer... Do red hot peppers freeze? Experience has shown that yes.

The advantages of this method:

• preservation of nutrients and vitamins;
• taste protection;
• invariability of appearance;
• storage period is one year.

Freeze whole peppers or cut and pack in portions in bags... Whole peppers separate easily from each other.

What is the loss of beneficial properties

Some people prefer to dry whole peppers.hanging by the stalk in the kitchen or stringing. Drying, drying, and preserving the pepper will alter its flavor. Beta carotene and B vitamins are degraded when exposed to room temperature and sunlight. Oxygen contributes to the loss of fat-soluble vitamins A and E. The evaporation of moisture spoils the appearance of the fruit.

The freezer keeps healthy vitamins, minerals and nutrients... Also, such storage does not change the shape and color of the fruit.

What happens to the palatability

For freezing select fruits that have reached biological maturation... These pods are the sharpest. Their taste and pungency do not change from subzero temperatures.

How to properly freeze hot peppers

Pods freeze both in small chambers and in special chests... Their shelf life largely depends on how correctly the fruits were prepared.

In any form

If the volume of the freezer allows, the bitter pepper is stored in its entirety, right with the stalk... If there is little space, the pods are cut into strips or rings and put in small bags. It is easy to break off the desired portion from such a frozen piece. Freeze or discard the grains - the hottest part of the pepper - at the discretion of the hostess.

About freezing other vegetables:

How to freeze green peas

How to freeze eggplant for the winter

How to freeze bell peppers

Processing and packaging

Pepper belongs to crops that do not require special preparation for storage.... It is enough to select whole fruits. Tainted peppers are best used for canning or in cooking. Then the pods are washed in cold water and dried well with a towel. Instead of cloth, you can use paper napkins.

Important! Before you put the pods in the refrigerator, the tails are cut from them.

For packaging fruits, plastic and vacuum bags are used., plastic containers. It is not recommended to take glass jars, as it is difficult to get frozen slices from them.

Precautions:

• when working with stinging pods, protect hands with medical or household gloves;
• when cutting fruits, do not touch the face and eyes with your hands;
• after finishing work wash hands thoroughly with hot soapy water.

There are several ways to freeze peppers:

1. Instant... The pods are cut into strips and spread in a thin layer on a food substrate. The workpiece is placed in the freezing compartment. As soon as the pepper freezes, it is folded into a vacuum or plastic bag and placed in the storage compartment.
2. In container... Peppers are stored whole or sliced. The fruits are placed in a prepared container, and then in the freezer.
3. In oil... Clean pods are placed in a glass jar, then refined oil is poured into the container. The workpiece is stored in a compartment with a temperature of 0 ° C. The oil can be used for salad dressing.
4. With greens... The pepper is finely chopped and mixed with chopped celery or parsley. The workpiece is folded into a bag and stored in the freezer.
5. Ground... The fruits are ground in a meat grinder and frozen in a container.

Read also:

How to freeze beans while maintaining their beneficial properties

How to freeze zucchini and what to cook from them later

Storage conditions and periods

The choice of processing and packaging of peppers depends on the depth of freezing and the temperature of the refrigerator compartment. The pods are 88% water, which turns into ice at a temperature of -5 ° C. Fruits stored under such conditions may lose their appearance and become soft when thawed.

For short-term storage, set the temperature from 0 to + 2 ° С... This will preserve the appearance of the pods. The freshness of the pepper lasts 40 days.

For long-term storage, the pods are kept in a freezer at a temperature of -12 ... -18 ° С... Under these conditions, the pepper will be fresh for 6 to 12 months.

Important! When defrosting and re-freezing, the appearance of the fruit deteriorates and the shelf life is reduced.

Applying frozen hot peppers

Frozen chili peppers are used in many dishes... It goes well with almost all foods and adds zest to them. Recently, this product has found application even in cosmetology.

In terms of usefulness, hot peppers are on a par with apples, carrots, blueberries and green tea. The pods contain an alkaloid that helps digest food faster.

But when consuming chili, measure is important. Although there are no uniform standards for the use of this product, a love of spicy food can cause diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Such pepper is contraindicated for people suffering from ulcers, gastritis and high acidity of the stomach.

Feature. It is not necessary to defrost the halves of the pod, they cut well when firm.

Tips & Tricks

Experienced hostesses know a few tricks, thanks to which you can adjust the taste of hot pepper:

1. To clean the soil from the pods, they are placed in a basin of warm water for a few minutes.
2. You can reduce the pungency of pepper by lowering it in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. This technique will extend the shelf life when shallowly frozen, and the fat and water soluble vitamins will be preserved.
3. To reduce the bitterness, the core is extracted with seeds and veins. It also allows the peppers to be stacked more compactly.
4. It is best not to use a food processor to cut fruit, as the equipment can turn the pods into a mushy mass.
5. If the pepper is prepared in excess, you can get rid of the excess by preparing adjika with tomato paste or frozen tomatoes.

Conclusion

It is very convenient to have fresh vegetables on hand in winter. Modern refrigerating chambers allow for long-term storage of crops. Such blanks retain their taste and benefits without losing them when defrosting.

Even a novice hostess can prepare pods for freezing.Rinse the fruit well, dry it and chop it. Store vegetables in bags, containers and jars. Frozen peppers are used in the preparation of first courses, meat, fish and pastries.