I recently mentioned Flash Freezing peppers from the garden, for use later on in the year. A friend asked me to explain exactly how this works, so here we go!
You can do this either with whole peppers or pre-cut peppers. Remember, these aren't going to be great for eating plain or in something like a salad, frozen peppers are much better for cooking.
Whole: Wash off your pepper(s) and then pat them dry, making sure you remove as much moisture from the outside as humanly possible. I like to dry mine off, then let them sit another hour or two- or even a day longer to make sure they are as dry as possible. I'm neurotic like that. Trim the stem as much as possible, then place the pepper(s) on a baking sheet. Make sure if you are using multiples that they don't touch. Stick them in the freezer. I usually leave mine for a day. Take the peppers out, transfer them to a freezer bag and stick them back in to the freezer.
Voila! They will last 8 months in a deep freezer. They also thaw very quickly
In Pieces: Wash off your pepper(s) and pat them dry. Slice the pepper(s) in chunks or rings- whatever you prefer. You'll be cooking with them later, so keep that in mind. Sprinkle the pieces on a baking sheet, making sure that none are touching. Stick them in the freezer and leave them for a day or so. When you take them out, they may look "frosted"- that's fine, it's perfectly normal. Scoop the pieces in to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.
There you go! You can take out as few or as many pieces as you want if you pre-cut them. They will last 8 months this way as well.
So there you go! Flash freezing your peppers now can save you significant money later on when they are out of season and grocery stores are charging $3 each for a small one!
-Kristen
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