Frozen vegetables for the winter are a great way to provide yourself with vitamins for the whole year. The main thing is that there is enough space in the freezer. Freeze bell pepper for the winter at home you can in different ways, whole or in pieces. It all depends on how you plan to use it.
Can bell peppers be frozen?
Certainly! It is possible and even necessary! Frozen vegetables retain a maximum of vitamins and other nutrients. And pepper is no exception.
The main problem is that our freezers, unfortunately, are not dimensionless. And pepper, especially if you freeze it whole, takes up a lot of space in it. There are, however, techniques and methods that allow you to arrange it quite economically.
Which peppers should I freeze and how to prepare them?
You can freeze any pepper: red, yellow, green. But it is better to choose fleshy specimens with thick walls.
The peppers must be of high quality, undamaged, strong, without signs of bruises and, especially, rot. You should try to freeze the freshest specimens: the less time passes from picking from the bush to freezing, the tastier the preparation will be, and the more nutrients will be preserved in it.
Before freezing, peppers must be washed and their stems and seeds removed.
How to properly freeze bell peppers for the winter?
Peppers can be frozen whole, cut into cubes or long strips, or grated. How you freeze it depends on how you intend to use it. You should also take into account that whole peppers take up much more space in the freezer than sliced ones.
Entirely
- Carefully cut off the pepper top part with the stalk, remove all the seeds, being careful not to damage the walls.
- Place on a suitable tray so that the peppers do not touch each other.
- Place in the freezer for a couple of hours. It's better to go to the blast freezing department.
- After two hours the peppers will “set”. Take them out quickly so that they don’t have time to defrost, put them in plastic bags or containers and put them in freezer for permanent storage.
It is best to arrange the peppers like a train, partially nesting each other. As you see in the photo. This way they will take up much less space in the freezer. You can initially freeze them this way, but then you need to put plastic bags between the peppers so that they don’t freeze to each other. To store in this way, it is worth choosing peppers of different sizes so that they fit into each other as well as possible.
Pieces
- Remove stems and seeds. The easiest way to do this is to cut the peppers in half.
- Cut the peppers into strips or cubes: whichever is more convenient for you for further use.
- Place on a tray in one layer, try to distribute the pieces so that they do not touch each other.
- Place in the freezer, preferably in the blast freezer compartment, for 2 hours.
- When the peppers “set”, transfer them to containers or bags and put them in the freezer for storage.
Puree
- Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers.
- Grate them (coarse or fine, depending on how you plan to use them) or pass through a meat grinder.
- Divide the resulting mass into small containers so that the entire contents of the container can be used at one time.
- Place in the freezer.
How to store frozen bell peppers?
Of course, in the freezer. At a temperature of -18 degrees, it will calmly last until the new harvest. If your freezer cannot provide such a low temperature, then it is better to use the pepper within 3-4 months, maximum six months from the moment of freezing.
Under no circumstances should bell peppers be re-frozen. Just like any other frozen food.
What to cook from frozen bell peppers?
Everything is the same as fresh. Whole frozen peppers are most often stuffed. And chopped ones are used to prepare the most different dishes: salads, soups, vegetable stew and many others.
Do I need to defrost peppers before cooking?
In most cases, this is not necessary at all.
You need to defrost peppers if:
- you are going to prepare a dish from it that does not require heat treatment, for example, a salad;
- When cooking, the pepper must be additionally chopped, for example, passed through a meat grinder;
- The peppers are frozen to each other, and there is no way to separate them neatly.
In all other cases, you can do without defrosting. For example, it’s even more convenient to stuff frozen peppers. It’s also easier to add them straight from the freezer to soups, stews and other hot dishes.
Few people will be surprised by overseas vegetables and fruits. Yes, and quite familiar, but also raised on foreign farms. But there is no rush to buy such products: the prices are decent, and the taste of the miracle vegetables is far from those grown under our sun. What should we do, wait for the new harvest or prepare the peppers so that in a salad or dish no one will notice that they were picked last summer?
Is it possible to freeze bell peppers for the winter?
Are you reading with us? Amazing! This means that the question of whether it is possible to freeze bell peppers for the winter in the freezer has been answered positively or you even have some experience. Indeed, there are no particular difficulties in such preparation; it depends more on the quality of the sweet pepper.
The two main methods of freezing differ only in the shape and size of the slices. Even, more precisely, whether you will freeze whole peppercorns gutted from seeds or cut them.
Is it possible to freeze whole bell peppers? Of course yes!
This method is the most popular, although it is more expensive for several reasons:
- The fruits must be freshly picked, no later than two days from the garden.
- The pulp should not be damaged.
- The fruits must be fully ripe, but not overripe.
- Space consumption in the freezer is not optimal.
Is it possible to freeze peppers for the winter if they are different colors? Yes, of course, it is strange that such questions arise at all, but perhaps there are reasons for this. In practice, there is no difference in freezing peppers of different colors. Moreover, even spicy and hot varieties are frozen.
Is it possible to freeze sweet pepper in the freezer of a household refrigerator? Yes, this is a fairly popular storage method. In this way, you can save wonderful vegetables for up to a year and a half, but it is still recommended to store them, even if all conditions are met, for no longer than 9 months.
How much and how can you freeze peppers for the winter at home? Yes, at least a full freezer! There are often cases when housewives share on forums photographs of chest freezers filled to capacity with bags of pepper.
If we are talking about harvesting whole peppers in order to later use them for stuffing, then the fruits must be cleaned of seeds and thin internal partitions. Wash, thoroughly dry and fold like a train, deepening the tip of the peppercorn inside the previous one.
In this form, several pieces at a time, depending on the capacity of the freezer, the peppers are placed in plastic bags and sealed tightly. Store in freezers of any design, the recommended temperature is up to minus 18 degrees Celsius.
Is it necessary to blanch peppers before freezing if it is done in small pieces? Blanching is done at the request of the housewife and is not necessary for sweet (bell) peppers. The process allows you to preserve the taste of the frozen product and better preserve the color.
How to Blanch Peppers for Freezing
The method is extremely simple. After cleaning, which we do exactly as described above, chop the pepper or leave it whole, as required by the dishes for which the preparation is designed.
Prepare a large colander and two deep pots of water into which the whole thing can easily fit. Heat the water in one pan until boiling, leave the second one cold.
Place the peppers in a colander in relatively small portions. The water in the pan should boil quickly after you put the pepper in it. Next, everything is simple, immerse a colander with pepper in boiling water, blanch the pepper and transfer it to a pan with cold water.
How long to blanch peppers for freezing? Be guided by the thickness of the pulp; cook thick ones for up to three minutes. very thin - one and a half. After keeping the pepper for the same amount of time cold water, lay it out on a towel and dry it.
After allowing the pepper to cool to air temperature, we pack it into bags and freeze it. If your freezer has a turbo freeze function, be sure to turn it on.
In the cellar and at home, read on our website. Climatic conditions in our country do not allow cultivation of crops all year round, so to do not limit yourself to eating your favorite vegetable, on the eve of winter it is dried, dried and frozen.
Methods
How to freeze bell peppers for the winter? The method of freezing pepper depends on the future purposes of its use:
- for stuffing the product is frozen entirely;
- for cooking salads and adding to soup, goulash, sauté the vegetable is frozen in pieces.
If you are interested in learning about the opportunity, then we will tell you about it in our article.
Preparation
How to prepare sweet peppers for freezing? Only large fruits are selected for freezing.
This pepper has thick walls and does not lose its shape after thawing.
After sorting each peppercorn carefully washed, carefully trim the legs and clean the internal parts from seeds and partitions.
In order not to damage the pulp of the walls, the cleaning procedure is carried out not with a knife, but with a finger. At the end it is necessary get rid of moisture, wiping the inside of the pepper with a dry napkin or piece of cloth.
How to properly freeze bell peppers for the winter? To freeze peppers at home you do not need special equipment; it is enough to have a refrigerator with a built-in freezer. The cooking procedure does not require special culinary skills; it is enough to follow certain instructions.
How to freeze peppers for the winter in the freezer? Watch video instructions for freezing bell peppers in pieces and whole in packages:
Instructions
How to freeze bell peppers at home? Is it possible to freeze peppers for the winter in the freezer? If there is no middle tray in the freezer, care must be taken to plastic tray. First, the vessel is thoroughly washed, wiped with a dry cloth and placed on the bottom cotton fabric.
Then the cooked pieces are poured onto it or pyramids of whole pepper are arranged. The tray with vegetables is covered with a cloth, so that there are no gaps, and placed in the freezer.
The optimal freezing period is 2-3 days. After which the pepper is packaged in bags. It is important to take care of the integrity of the packaging, otherwise the vegetable will quickly lose its original shape and beneficial properties.
At what temperature should bell peppers be frozen for the winter? Optimal temperature for freezing vegetables varies within -19°C…-23°C. If this temperature range is observed, the products are subject to shock and do not lose their beneficial qualities. Shelf life of frozen vegetables – up to 6 months.
Entirely
Frozen peppers whole in pyramids - photo:
For the winter? As noted earlier, whole freezing will allow the product to be used for stuffing:
- sorted only large fruits with thick walls;
- pepper washed, cut off the legs and remove the entrails;
- peeled pepper dried and wipe thoroughly with a dry cloth;
- whole fruits are invested in each other, forming a pyramid;
- vegetable pyramids are wrapped in whole packages and place them in the freezer;
- After two hours, the vegetables are taken out of the refrigerator and shaken slightly to pepper separated from each other and didn't stick together.
An experienced housewife will share her secrets of freezing whole peppers for stuffing with you in this video:
Pieces
How to freeze bell peppers in pieces for the winter? This freezing method is suitable for people who plan to add pepper to stew, soup, borscht and other dishes:
- preliminary preparation of vegetables is no different from the previous method: the peppers are sorted, washed, peeled and thoroughly dried;
- cut the product pieces or rings depending on further use;
- the prepared pieces are poured evenly onto the bottom of the vessel, covered with a cloth and placed in the freezer;
- later two days vegetables are packaged in bags.
Tips from an experienced housewife for freezing chopped peppers in this video:
Shelf life
Qualitatively Frozen bell peppers for the winter can retain their taste and benefits until the next harvest ripens.
Before cooking no need to defrost Vegetable pieces are completely, they can be immediately added to other ingredients. For example, frozen peppers are poured into soup 10-15 minutes before final cooking.
Mix vegetables with stewed meat 15-20 minutes before removing the dish from the stove. For stuffing, whole peppercorns are thawed. until the walls are elastic.
Otherwise, it is inconvenient to stuff vegetables with prepared ingredients. Freezing bell peppers for the winter at home will not be special labor.
All you need to do is set aside a few hours in advance to enjoy. taste qualities product in winter.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
Fresh vegetables in winter are always a pleasant addition to your daily diet. And preparing them yourself for future use will allow you to significantly save the cost of purchasing products. Can bell peppers be frozen in the freezer? Our article is devoted to this pressing issue.
IMPORTANT: Freezing fresh vegetables allows you to avoid heat treatment, which kills a significant part of the vitamins.
The advantages of such a preparation
It should be noted the undeniable advantages of freezing fresh sweet peppers:
- This type of vegetable preparation preserves all useful substances, organic acids, vitamins and minerals;
- In supermarkets and stores, fresh bell peppers have a high price;
- You can be sure that the pepper is frozen once, so all the beneficial substances are preserved;
- Since peppers are pre-cleaned and chopped when freezing, you can save time when preparing food.
Pros of freezing:
The most popular methods
Most housewives prefer to freeze fresh peppers in two ways:
- Whole - for stuffing;
- In pieces and cubes - for adding to first courses, stews and salads.
Which pepper to choose?
From the right choice The fruit of bell pepper depends on its shelf life, as well as its taste and beneficial properties:
- For freezing, you need to select dense, large fruits with a green stem - they have thick walls, so they will not lose vitamins when frozen and will retain their original shape;
- Vegetables must be whole, without mechanical damage or insect bites;
- Only late varieties of sweet peppers are suitable for freezing.
2 freezing methods:
Preparation
After selecting fruits for freezing, they must be thoroughly washed, stems removed and carefully cleaned of membranes and seeds. In order not to damage the walls of the fruit, you need to remove the seeds not with a knife, but with your fingers.
After cleaning, the vegetables are washed again with clean water and then wiped with a cotton cloth or towel.
The preparation of sweet peppers is completed by sorting them according to their intended purpose. For the whole harvest, choose elongated, cone-shaped pods of medium size. To prepare salads, stews, first courses and sautés, select bell peppers of different colors - then the dish will turn out not only tasty, but also bright.
REFERENCE: It is very important that not a drop of water remains inside the pod.
Freezing bell peppers: instructions
After selecting and processing the bell pepper fruits, you need to prepare a place for freezing. You can freeze vegetables in the middle tray of the refrigerator or on a plastic tray.
First, the tray or tray must be thoroughly rinsed and wiped with a paper towel. Cover the freezer container with a cotton cloth and sprinkle the chopped peppers on it. If you are freezing whole fruits, arrange them in the form of pyramids.
The tray should be covered with a cloth and placed in the freezer. After three days, the pepper can be packaged in bags.
Optimal temperature freezing bell peppers is -19-23°C. At this temperature, pepper fruits will not lose their taste and beneficial properties and will retain their original shape for a long time. Frozen fruits can be stored for up to six months.
How to freeze:
Entirely
For stuffing, bell peppers are frozen whole. The procurement process consists of the following steps:
- Choose large, juicy pods with dense walls;
- Wash the pepper, remove the stem, seeds and membranes;
- Dry the peeled fruits and put them into small pyramids;
- Wrap the peppers arranged in a pyramid in plastic bags and place in the freezer.
After two hours, remove the vegetable pyramids from the freezer and shake lightly to separate the frozen peppers from each other. Carefully pack the bell peppers into bags and place them in the freezer.
Whole frozen:
Pieces
Frozen bell pepper pieces are very convenient to add when preparing salads, soups, stews, borscht and other dishes. Large fruits need to be washed and peeled. The bell pepper is then cut into cubes, rings or strips depending on your preference. Place the chopped bell peppers on a tray or tray, cover them with a cotton cloth and place them in the freezer.
After two days, frozen bell peppers can be packaged in bags and plastic containers.
Freezing in pieces:
Tara
To freeze sweet peppers we will need:
- Pallet or tray - for freezing fruits;
- Plastic containers and thick bags - for packaging and further storage.
Shelf life
Properly frozen bell peppers can be stored in the freezer until the new vegetable harvest ripens.
Prepackaged sweet peppers are convenient to use - just take out and defrost the amount of semi-finished product required for one cooking.
Be sure to follow the rules for preparing vegetables for freezing and set the required temperature.
Freezing puree:
When summer has already come to its logical conclusion, the question becomes urgent - how to save more fresh vegetables for future use, so that you can have tasty and healthy foods in stock in winter?
One of the most common methods is freezing vegetables. There are a number of nuances that must be observed to achieve the best result. Find out how to freeze bell peppers for the winter, how much and under what conditions to store them - our photos and video instructions will help with this.
Frozen Pepper Recipe
Let's start with the simplest thing - freezing chopped vegetables. In this form, it is added to soups, all kinds of main courses and even fresh salads.
This is interesting: In addition to sweet peppers, you can also freeze bitter pods for the winter. Hot peppers can be frozen either whole or cut into cubes. You can store it the same way - in the freezer.
Ingredients
Servings: – + 5
- bell pepper 500 g
Per serving
Calories: 24 kcal
Proteins: 1.3 g
Fats: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 4.7 g
20 min. Video recipe Print
- calorie content – 346.9 kcal;
- proteins – 21.3 g;
- fats – 24.7 g;
- carbohydrates – 10.2 g.
- sweet pepper – 2 pcs.;
- egg – 2 pcs.;
- minced meat (pork + beef) – 150 g;
- parsley, herbs - to taste;
- cheese (brynza) – 150 g;
- breadcrumbs – 150 g;
- flour – 100 g;
- salt - to taste;
- garlic cloves – 2 pcs.
Wash the peppers well running water. Check each fruit for spoiled areas and cut them off if necessary. Remove the seed pod and any rough partitions inside.
Place the peppers on a kitchen towel and allow time to dry. You should place the vegetable in the freezer without moisture to prevent an ice crust from forming.
Cut the peppers into strips or cubes and pack them into bags. Calculate the approximate amount needed to prepare one serving. Periodic defrosting adversely affects the beneficial properties of the vegetable.
Place the bags in the freezer. If your refrigerator has a blast freezing function, use it, but with the usual camera parameters everything should work out just fine.
Frozen Bulgarian Pepper Recipe
For everyone, the most common way to stuff a pepper is to fill it with minced rice and vegetables. Prepare a Bulgarian dish that will amaze anyone with its flavor palette and will save time in the kitchen.
Number of servings: 2
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Energy value
Ingredients
Step-by-step preparation
- First you need to remove the skin from the peppers. To do this correctly and not spoil the fruits, you can resort to the blanching method. We offer you a slightly different option - bake peppers. To do this, place seeded vegetables on a baking sheet and brush them with a small amount of vegetable oil and bake for no longer than ¼ hour at 200 degrees.
- At this time, grate the cheese using a coarse grater and add it to the minced meat (it is preferable to grind the meat yourself). Add garlic passed through a garlic press, 1 egg, salt and finely chopped herbs. Mix the minced meat thoroughly.
- Place the fried peppers in a regular plastic bag, tie it and leave it like that for a couple of minutes. Due to the hot steam inside, the skin will come off as if by magic. Remove the skin.
- Stuff the peppers with the prepared minced meat, place them on a kitchen board and place in the freezer. When the workpiece becomes sufficiently hard from exposure to temperature, place the dish in bags. When using the homemade semi-finished product in the future, all you have to do is roll it baked peppers in egg, flour and breading, add tomato sauce and simmer. You don't need to stuff anything, just cook it in the tomato.
This is interesting: choose red peppers for cooking. They, unlike green ones, have denser and fleshier walls and have a rich taste.
Whole Frozen Pepper Recipe
Many housewives love to delight their households with stuffed peppers. In most cases, this dish is a vegetable stuffed with rice and meat, stewed in sauce. Holiday snacks It is also often prepared with pepper, cutting it into circles. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to buy peppers in winter - the price tag increases significantly. There is an alternative - freeze the peppers yourself.
Number of servings: 5
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Energy value
- calorie content – 28 kcal;
- proteins –1 1.3 g;
- fats – 0 g;
- carbohydrates – 5.7 g.
Ingredients
- bell pepper – 500 g.
Step-by-step preparation
- It doesn’t matter in what form you freeze the pepper, in circles or whole, the procedure is identical in both cases. First of all, you need to wash and remove seeds from the pepper. Afterwards, dry it.
- Now place the vegetables on a cutting board (its dimensions should match the size of the freezer) and place in the refrigerator for 1.5 hours. During this time, the vegetable will set from exposure to low temperatures and will not lose its shape during subsequent storage.
- Take out the frozen peppers, put them in bags and send them to a permanent storage location.
This is interesting: If you prepared pepper in pieces for preparing hot dishes, then it is not necessary to defrost them first. But for stuffing, you should still let the vegetable thaw at room temperature.
Preparing vegetables for future use by freezing is the easiest way to preserve vitamins. Take advantage of these step by step instructions to please your household with healthy food!