How to Preserve Garden Peppers

Jan 22, 2012 by The Bald Gourmet    No Comments    Posted under: Cooking 101, Gardening

It’s the end of the garden season and your pepper plants are loaded with mature and young peppers.  You quickly pick them all before the frost hits, but what in the world will you do with 20 pounds of bell peppers?  Eat what you can, and save the rest for later, that’s what.

Preserving your garden grown peppers is easy, and will keep you in cooking supply all through the winter.  You can preserve sweet and hot peppers the same way, and having a mixture of each with different colors is a nice touch.

How to Preserve Peppers in the Freezer

Well, this couldn’t be any easier, and I’ve been doing it each year that I’ve had a garden.  All you need to do is wash the peppers, remove the stem and seeds, and chop them into equal size (or close to it) cubes.  Place the chopped pieces evenly on baking sheets, and place in the freezer cross stacked on each other.  Once frozen, simply thaw enough for the pepper pieces to release from the baking sheets, then place in zip top or vacuum seal bags.  Mark your date on the bag and place into the freezer for storage.  The peppers will keep fresh this way for about 6 months.  You can then use them in any recipe that calls for fresh peppers, though they are best for cooking and not eating raw after being frozen.

Freeze Chopped Peppers

How to Make Potatoes O’Brien at Home

I always make a tray or two of Potatoes O’Brien to keep in the freezer.  They are perfect for a quick Sunday breakfast with some fried eggs and toast, and are much less expensive than buying them in the store.  Here’s what to do:

1. Clean and seed your garden peppers and then dice them up.
2. Dice some onions, white or red or both, about the same amount as diced peppers.
3. Mix the peppers and onions with a generic brand of frozen diced potatoes, at least twice as many potatoes as peppers and onions.
4. Bag and freeze for later use

How to Preserve Peppers by Dehydrating

Dehydrated peppers are a great thing to have on hand when making soups.  They keep in the cupboard for a very long time, and add flavor, color, and nutrition to any soup or stew.  They rehydrate quickly, and look and taste just like a fresh cooked pepper.  I use them all the time in soups, marinara sauces, stews, and even some baked pasta dishes.  They make a can of refried beans exceptional.  I dehydrate mine in a food dehydrator, but I suppose if you don’t have one you could do them in the oven on its lowest setting with the door cracked open.

1. Clean and seed your garden peppers and then dice them up.
2. Place diced peppers evenly on food dehydrator trays.
3. Dehydrate at 95° overnight until completely dehydrated.
4. Placed dried pepper pieces in a mason jar or other sealable container and store in a dark dry place like the cupboard next to your stove.

Dehydrate Peppers

Dehydrated Bell Peppers in Mason Jar

The Bald Gourmet’s practical garden preservation advice is fun to do and will save you money.

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