Quick Tip Tuesday: How to freeze green peppers

Quick Tip Tuesday – How to freeze green peppers!

Never want to see a stuffed green pepper again?

You got a great deal at the Farmer’s Market or a bumper crop from this season’s garden and now you are drowning in green peppers?  Did you know bell peppers freeze really well?  They do!  And it is easy to do.

Wash and dry them.

I use a drop of Dawn dish soap in my hands, lather up and wash my peppers using my hands.  Then rinse the peppers thoroughly and dry.  Don’t worry, there is no soap residue, so you won’t taste it.  Honest!  You can see in the picture I already cut out a bruised spot on one of the peppers.

Chop them up.

I use chopped peppers in lots of recipes, including omelettes, quiche, soups, and stir fry, so I’m like Goldilocks.  I don’t like them too small or too big.  Just right. Be your own Goldilocks and chop them to suit your style! (And like Goldilocks, I had to switch from my wood cutting board (too small) to my bigger glass one to do all the chopping 😉

Bag them up.

In the picture above, I used a gallon size zip-top bag for my 4 peppers. By the way, I find I don’t need to use bags specifically made for the freezer.  Regular strength ones work just fine, and I just keep adding more chopped peppers to the same bag as it gets low.

Pop them in the freezer.

I have read in other places about laying all the pieces out on a cookie sheet and freezing them that way so they don’t stick together, but, honestly, I’ve rarely had an issue with that.  When I first put the bag in the freezer, I do try to lay it somewhat flat, but once they are frozen, I store the bag upright in the door of my freezer. Occasionally, a clump will form, but in that case, I just knead them with my fingers through the bag and they pop right apart.

Here’s a tasty recipe to use those peppers in:

Kielbasa and Parmesan noodles

So, there you go!  Lots of fresh green pepper taste year round, ready for your recipes when you are.

Happy eating!

~ Pam