Valuable instructions on how to properly store bell peppers in the refrigerator for the winter
Bulgarian (sweet capsicum) pepper is rich in vitamins and microelements. It is recommended for fresh consumption, so it is important to protect the fruits from spoilage for as long as possible.
The vegetable is suitable for storage in a household refrigerator, where it retains its properties for several weeks.
We will tell you in this article how to properly store bell peppers in the refrigerator so that they remain fresh for a long time.
Content
Can it be kept in a refrigerator?
The most common way to store fresh vegetables in a standard city apartment is a household refrigerator. In a special compartment, the optimum temperature and humidity for bell peppers is maintained.
To control the temperature, a thermometer is placed in the box.. When it gets cold (temperature drops below +2 degrees), the boxes are wrapped in blankets.
Preparing for storage at home
Bell peppers from your own garden should be picked from the bushes at the stage of technical ripeness. The fruits should be full-bodied, but not overripe, with thick, shiny, intact skin.
When buying vegetables at the market, it is better to choose yellow and orange, dense peppers. The dark red fruits are already fully ripe and are not suitable for long-term storage.
Green peppers may not be ripe, they will wilt quickly and will not last longer than a week. A pure vegetable does not require preparation for storage. It is immediately put into the refrigerator.
Wipe dirty fruits with a dry sponge or cloth without damaging the skin of the fruit. If the pepper is very dirty, you can rinse it with cool water and let the fruit dry by laying it on a towel.
The stalks are cut at a distance of 3-5 mm from the fruit, the cut can be sprinkled with chalk or crushed coal.
Which packaging will keep vegetables fresh for a long time?
Fresh vegetables will last as long as possible at a temperature of +2 +6 degrees and air humidity of 80%. These parameters correspond to the vegetable compartment in modern models and the bottom shelf in old refrigerators.
Several peppers will keep well in the vegetable compartment for about a week without packaging. But if it needs to be preserved longer, an additional shell will be required. Sweet pepper pods can be placed in different packages:
- Plastic bag. Up to 15 dry and clean fruits are placed in a new bag. The bag is tied tightly, and several holes are made in its walls with an awl. The holes are needed to allow the release of carbon dioxide, which is released by the vegetable during storage.
- Plastic container. Food-grade plastic containers with tight lids are ideal packaging for storing fresh bell peppers. The fruits are placed in boxes tightly, but without crushing them, leaving about 1 cm of free space to the lid.
- Cling film, paper, foil. Each fruit can be packed separately in film, parchment or food foil.
Washed, peeled and cut into pieces, the pepper retains its taste and juiciness for 2-4 days in the refrigerator. The plate with it is wrapped in cling film.
Another way to store bell peppers in the refrigerator is packing it in a vacuum. A clean, dry vegetable is placed in a tight bag or a special container, and the air is pumped out using a vacuum cleaner.
How long is it stored, what does the period depend on?
A correctly selected and prepared vegetable for storage retains vitamins, taste and appearance for 3-6 weeks.
The keeping quality of a vegetable is affected by:
- proper cultivation of crops and timely harvesting;
- cleanliness of packaging and containers;
- consistency of temperature and humidity level in the refrigerator.
It has been noticed that peppers of local varieties and those grown in our own garden in open ground remain juicy longer and do not rot. Vegetables that are brought from the south or grown in greenhouses are often overfed with fertilizers, removed from the bushes a long time ago and are no longer fresh. The shelf life of store-bought peppers does not exceed 10 days.
In the freezer
At temperatures of -18 degrees and below, sweet peppers can retain their qualities for more than 6 months. Vitamin C, the most unstable element during storage, remains almost completely in frozen fruits.
Before storing in the freezer, the vegetable is cleaned of seeds and stalks., sometimes cut into pieces or blended, pouring the mass into bags or plastic bottles. For further preparation, the semi-finished product does not need to be defrosted.
6 ways to freeze bell peppers - in the video:
How to extend the shelf life?
Long-term storage of peppers in the refrigerator is facilitated by keeping the packaging clean and eliminating excess moisture. It is important to store only clean vegetables, regularly wash and thoroughly dry containers and refrigerator drawers. Only new bags are used for vegetables.
To eliminate bacteria on the surface of fruits, you can wipe them with a cotton pad soaked in vodka or alcohol tincture.
Whole, undamaged peppers can be dipped in melted animal fat or refined vegetable oil. An oil or fat film on the surface of the skin prevents moisture evaporation, keeping the fruit juicy. Before cooking, this fruit is washed in warm water and soap.
If droplets of condensation appear on the walls of the container or bag, this is an indicator of too high humidity and temperature.
Urgent measures are taken:
- moisture is removed from the packaging, the skin of the fruit is wiped dry;
- more holes are made in the bags for ventilation;
- The lids of the boxes are left slightly open.
On sale you can find already perforated bags with zip fasteners for storing vegetables.
Adviсe
The first signs of vegetable spoilage are loss of shine of the skin, flabbiness of the fruit. Such peppers need to be processed as soon as possible.
Peppers with signs of rot found during sorting must be trimmed, seeds removed, washed, dried and placed in a clean bag.
The product can be kept in the refrigerator for 5-7 days before use. Using a vacuum sealer you can extend the shelf life up to 2 weeks..
You cannot keep peppers and apples and pears in the same compartment of the refrigerator. During storage, fruits emit gas - ethylene, which contributes to the rapid ripening and overripening of nearby vegetables and fruits.
Fruits of the same size should be placed in one container.. Small and too large peppers are processed first.
Conclusion
Bell peppers are stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of +2 +6 degrees, packed in a perforated bag or plastic container. Clean and healthy fruits remain juicy and retain vitamins for 6 weeks.
