Pepper

Pepper can be eaten all year round if you properly approach the issue of storing it.

To prevent the vegetable from spoiling, it must be properly prepared. There are many ways to store peppers in winter.

We'll tell you how to preserve peppers for the winter (chili, bell peppers, capsicums) in this article.

Preparing for storage at home

To prepare peppers for storage, you need to do the following:

• cut off the stalks, leaving a small shoot;
• remove visible dirt with a dry cloth;
• remove specimens with signs of damage;
• leave them for several days at room temperature - this will identify those peppers that are susceptible to rotting; you cannot send them to a common container, otherwise the entire harvest will be lost.

Ways to preserve for the winter

Peppers can be stored in different ways, the most popular of which are:

1. Fridge. In the refrigerator, peppers are stored in plastic bags with holes for ventilation.

   It is better to place them in a vegetable drawer. There, optimal conditions are created for them, allowing the product to remain fresh longer.

2. Freezer. You can freeze both whole and sliced ​​vegetables.Before sending them to the lower sections of the refrigerator, they must be washed, films and seeds removed, and dried thoroughly. Vacuum or regular bags or plastic containers can be used as storage containers.
3. Loggia. You can leave food for the winter on the balcony only if it is insulated. They should not be exposed to temperatures below zero.
4. Cellar. This is the optimal place to store crops. It creates conditions that allow you to maintain the freshness of the product until mid-winter and even longer.
5. In glass jars. Bulk products are stored in it, such as ground chili pepper, ground black pepper or peppercorns. Jars are also used for preserving vegetables. Some housewives place dried peppers in them.
6. Boxes. For food, it is better to use wooden or cardboard containers. They must have holes for ventilation. The pepper will last longer if you wrap each piece in paper. They need to be laid in layers, but not overweight, so that the top vegetables do not crush the bottom ones.

Read about freezing peppers in this article about storage in the refrigerator - in this.

Where is it better to keep it at home, in what form?

Storage methods depend on the variety pepper If bell pepper requires careful handling and does not tolerate even minor damage, then its black “brother” calmly tolerates shaking and temperature changes.

Here's how to keep peppers fresh at home for the winter for as long as possible. this article.

Sweet or Bulgarian

Sweet or bell peppers should be stored at a temperature of 0 to 11 degrees. The closer its values ​​are to the lower mark, the slower metabolic processes occur in vegetables, and they remain fresh longer.Air humidity should be in the range of 85-95%. If it is lower, the peppers will begin to dry; if it is higher, they will rot.

bell pepper can be stored in the following ways:

1. Fresh: in the refrigerator, in the cellar, on the balcony.
2. In the freezer: whole or sliced.
3. Canned: in vegetable oil, spices, salt, vinegar.
4. Dried: in jars or canvas bags.
5. On a bush: on the balcony or on the windowsill.

A prerequisite for long-term storage of the product is good ventilation. If the air does not move, the product will begin to rot. Read about storing bell peppers here.

Chile

Chili is less susceptible to spoilage than bell or sweet peppers. It can be stored in the following ways:

• at room temperature 20-22 degrees - in such conditions it will remain fresh for 2-3 months, for this the product must be put in a box and put in a dark place;
• on the balcony before the onset of cold weather - when the temperature drops to -5 degrees, the product must be brought into the heat;
• in the refrigerator, in plastic bags;
• in the freezer;
• in the cellar - there the chili will remain fresh for about six months;
• in vegetable oil;
• in dried form.

How to store chili peppers at home, read Here And here.

Black peas

Black pepper stored in a hermetically sealed container. These can be special mills, if we are talking about peppercorns, or pepper shakers for ground product.

The main thing is not to leave the packaging open. This storage method will cause the seasoning to dry out and essential oils to volatilize. As a result, the product will lose its taste characteristics.

If there is no pepper shaker, pour the seasoning into a clean and dry glass jarwhich is tightly closed with a lid. In this state, the pepper will be stored at room temperature for about a year. During this time it must be used. Do not place black pepper in the light.

Red

The most accessible way to store red peppers is in the refrigerator.

To ensure that the product does not lose its original freshness, proceed as follows:

• clean the pods from visible contaminants;
• wrap each specimen with cling film;
• put in the refrigerator, in the section for vegetables.

In this form, the pepper will remain edible for about 3 weeks. Red peppers can be frozen, but to do this they need to be washed and seeded. The product is placed in the freezer only after moisture has been removed. Plastic bags are used as storage containers.

Hot peppers store better and longer than their sweet counterparts. It can be preserved in vegetable oil even without adding vinegar. Under a nylon cover it will last about 8 months, and under an iron cover – up to a year.

Green

Green peppers that have not reached biological maturity should not be put in the refrigerator, where they quickly deteriorate. To bring vegetables to full ripening and not provoke the appearance of mold and rot, it is best to store the crop in the cellar.

Conditions to be met:

1. Remove specimens damaged by pests.
2. Separate ripe fruits from unripe ones.
3. Wrap each pepper in parchment or plain white paper.
4. Place vegetables in a wooden box with holes for ventilation.
5. Place the harvest in the cellar or loggia.The air temperature should be within 10-12 degrees if rapid ripening is required and within 5-8 degrees if redness is not needed in the near future.
6. The room should be dark, with an air humidity of 80-90%.

Under these conditions, green peppers remain fresh for 3 months.

Leguminous

Capsicums don't take up much space, so it can be stored in the refrigerator after preliminary preparation:

• soak the pods for half an hour in warm water - this will get rid of debris and insects;
• rinse under the tap and dry on a towel;
• inspect vegetables for spoilage, select whole specimens without visible damage or stains;
• wrap each pod in paper;
• transfer them to a container or glass jar;
• use as needed.

Slightly spoiled pods are cut off from areas of rot, ground in a meat grinder or cut into slices, and then put into the freezer.

How to keep hot capsicums fresh for the winter, read here, about storing bitter capsicum - Here And here, Here And here.

For ripening

So that unripe fruits ripen and do not rot, proceed as follows:

1. Select a clean and dry wooden or cardboard box.
2. Cover its bottom with paper.
3. Peppers are laid out in rows.
4. Cover them with a layer of sand or sawdust.
5. Store in a dark, cool place.

The higher the room temperature, the faster the product gains ripeness. Details - in this article.

For stuffing

Peppers for stuffing can be frozen or canned. The main thing is not to damage the integrity of the fruit during cleaning.

How long and how are seeds stored?

If all conditions are met, pepper seeds can be stored for 1-3 years. The manufacturer always indicates the expiration date of seeds on the packaging.

Basic storage conditions:

• dryness in the room;
• the integrity of the packaging is not compromised;
• air temperature no higher than +30 degrees;
• no direct sunlight falling on the packaging.

After the expiration date, it is not recommended to plant seeds, as the germination rate of the crop will be low.

Helpful information

Storage tips pepper:

1. You should choose shaded areas to store peppers. They do not tolerate direct sunlight, begin to dry out and lose their rich taste.
2. Peppers should be stored separately from other products so that they do not lead to mutual spoilage.
3. Do not fill storage containers to capacity. There should be some free space between the vegetables.
4. From time to time, vegetables stored for storage need to be inspected. Rotten specimens are removed.

Conclusion

Preserving peppers for the winter is not difficult if you meet a number of conditions. First of all, this means maintaining the air temperature no higher than +11 degrees, keeping the room clean and air humidity within 90%.